Since Spring is on its way and my wife loves gardening I thought this would be an interesting project combining wood carving & blacksmithing.

I watched Joey Van Der Steeg make one of these and my wife said “that’s something you could make for me”.
I’ve never attempted anything like this before as my propane forges aren’t designed for larger items .
I’m now looking at building a two burner side opening forge for these oddly shaped items.

I started with some 36”x 1” round stock and bumbled around trying to figure out how to spread & shape the tines given the confined opening to my forges.
In the end it turned out alright. Far from perfect but that matches the maker.
Being a woodworker first I had some oak in my small stock bin and shaped a handle narrow enough for my wife’s smaller hands.

Turned out I didn’t need the tail section of his design so I cut that off & started shaping it into a leaf to be used as a ceiling fan fob in my wife’s green house.

I’ve started on a second one to be mated to a long handle . I know knives are all the rage these days but it’s day to day items like this that I’m interested in.
As well as attempting to make things appear as they did back in the day.

I know most here have watched as I got into this hobby a couple years ago and followed along.
It’s one of the more satisfying hobbies I’ve ever gotten into other than wood carving.


Link to the Van Der Steeg video
https://youtu.be/shuWM_zm3Gw

































On to the handle













Finished !

I think she’ll love it, and it’ll become a family heirloom. It’s beautiful.

Wow! That's a beauty! I wouldn't want to actually use it! Nice nice work!

For size perspective...

Very cool

That is seriously cool!! I have always been impressed with blacksmithing techniques, beating the piss out of a piece of steel and bingo something functional. Of course not as easy as that but you guys make it look that way...

That is a very nice gift. I am curious. Do you recall how many hours were involved to create the rake?

That's some amazing talent, GB. I still proudly use the blue-handled bottle cap opener I won in your karma some time ago. To a person everyone has been impressed with it when I tell them the story.

Thanks for sharing another one of your projects!

Very cool. Blacksmithing is something that has always fascinated me. Some of my favorite YouTube channels are blacksmithing-related: Essential Craftsman and Torbjorn Ahman.

I'm not sure if that looks Medieval or Early American, but regardless, it's a seriously cool tool! I want one and I don't even do any gardening....

Jealous and gorgeous.

Great work!

My Sweet Bride has developed appreciation for those home gardening hand tools that reek of actual hand craftsman ship. Yours surpasses all the commercial designs we've seen over the decades.

If you get to the point of being interested in taking orders for future efforts, please count me in, not as a spurious 'karma' but as an actual cash purchaser.

Amazing. Reminds me of a ninja weapon.

Nice job.

It's beautiful. I certainly wouldn't use that in a garden! I'd hang it on one of my walls.

Very cool!

Nice work.

A thing of beauty.

You Sir are a true craftsman!

I really enjoy seeing your projects.
The hand rake looks great.