BearMan

Hi Everybody, Thanks for all the wonderful comments,, & input. I have to admit, I was liking the first one best,,, until Tina transformed everything,,, hehehe So now,,, I like that one best! A few months ago, Ben coined the "BearMauls" word for me. So as I see it,,, I'm using a name from one person ,,, with a Logo designed by another person,,,Hmmm,,, I'd better run out to my shop,,, & make sure, I'm the one making the mauls!! hehehe Thanks Everybody,,, including my little shop Elf bears,,, hehehe

Hi Tina, I love the one with the Bear paw print!! If it's Ok with you,,, I'd like to use that. You are so talented,,, in so many ways!! Ed

Hi Everybody, I've made up a couple new letterheads,,, just wanted to get some opinions. Which one do you like the best??? Thanks,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Good morning Joel, Just checking in to see how the new brown head maul is working for you. Are you finding it has a more "Dead Blow" feel? How's the balance? Does it seem to grip the tools better, with less ricochet? How does th "rebound" feel? Overall,,, what do you think? Please let me know. That also goes to anybody that has one of my new Brown head mauls. Thanks, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Tim, Thats Great looking, very smooth & Clean! You're doing better with each thing you tool. Very nice pattern with nice layout. Thanks for sharing,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Dustin, I bet you drove your parents crazy when you were a kid! hehehe But to think of it,,, I drove mine crazy also. Here are some bigger pictures. Thanks for everything. Ed

Hi Everybody, Well, Here's what I came up with, kind of a test. It's 28 oz, that's a heavy as it can be with this size head, without adding external weights. It's 2 5/16" dia., & it has a Bolivian Rosewood handle. Just by feel, it feel heavier than 28oz,,, but that could be just because I'm used to smaller weight ones. I can see where it would be handy for driving big punches, & things. I did it in the "Elite" style, because of having a larger 5/8" internal structure. I used the larger structure, just to make sure it would be strong enough. I could make it somewhat heavier by adding a weight like what Osborne uses on thier rawhide mauls,,, but that wouldn't look all that great, & it would change the stlye somewhat. Let me know what you think,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Great Job!! I love it when people make tools for themself. Some of the best innovations have come that way. Keep up the good work. Ed the"BearMan"

Thank You All for all the kind words!! I really need to set some time aside, on a regular basis, to do some tooling,,, & swivel knife practice! This was a good practice piece to try out a couple new ideas,,, at least new to me. A while back, I was at an Antique store, where I started looking at some old baskets. One thing I noticed about the old basketweave, was that the overlapping part actually narrowed where the weft (the side to side part), went over the warf (the up & down part). Then I started looking at basketweave stamps,,, & I didn't see any that would duplicate that. There are a lot of them that do just the opposite,,, where they get wider, when they go over. So,,,, I crudely fashioned one, to see how it would work. I know, it's kind of suptle,,, but it looks more natural. I just bet that somebody has sold one like that before,,, but I've never seen one. Thanks for looking! Ed the"BearMan" P.S. 30oz---32oz,,, might have some good news,,, email me

Hi Everybody, It's been a little while since I posted any leatherwork on here. Here is a Checkbook/Wallet for a long time friend. It's done on 5/6oz Very Rustic leather. I like to use leather, that most people would reject as being just too bad to tool. The insides are done with 2/3oz calfskin, & some burgundy upholstery leather. I made 5 card slots using Tyvek house wrap for the pockets & backing. It's all hand stitched with 8 stitches per inch. It's funny how the pictures can pick up all the areas on the edge, that I need to re-do. The color is Light Brown spirit dye, that's been cut down by over half. The initials have a slight greenish brown shade, altho it doesn't show well in the pictures. It's been about a month since I've done any tooling,,, & I could tell I needed to keep tooling more often! Soooo what do "ya'll" think?? Thanks for looking,,, & Happy Tooling!! Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Butch, Kate, Max, & Clair, First off, I want to thank Max, for giving me complete freedom, to do pretty much whatever I wanted, on his mauls,,, that's lots of fun,,, from time to time. The Tagua Ivory, is something that turns out really nice,,, but is a real pain to get pieces big enough. Kate, I'm sure you'd be a lot nicer than some of the bears!! hehehe Clair, I haven't made any for Australia yet,,, don't they have the heads on the other end of the handle down there??? hehehe Well,,,, I tested out my "grip" style handle some yesterday,,, so far,,, it's just "ok" while it does seem to help with the grip some,,, it just feels kind of strange,,,, more testing needed. Thanks again for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, Here are some more of my New Brown Mauls, that have been keeping me busy lately. The first one is a 14oz Rosewood "Elite", he wanted it made very smooth, with no grooves. The next one is a 18oz Cocobolo "Grand", that is a world traveler now. The next one is an experimental test maul, it's a 20oz Rosewood "Elite" with a grip style handle. I have to use it on a few projects, to see how this handle is going to work out. The next pair , is something Very Special. It's a pair of Cocobolo "Grand" style mauls, 20oz & a 14oz, with Tagua Ivory rings, & a Satinwood spacer. They both have engine turning on the cap,,, & are Very handsome! The next pair down is Cocobolo "Grand" style in 20oz & 16oz. So,,, what do you think?? This new head material works better than anything I've ever used! & I'm hearing from several people now, that feel the same. Take Care,,, & Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Aaron, Sorry about taking so long to get back with you. The Brown material is a completely differnt type of material. Ed

Hi Richard, It was a pleasure making those for you. It's so nice to be able to make something, that helps somebody make their art!! Here are the pictures you asked me to post of your mauls. Once again,,, Thanks,, Ed the"BearMan"

Good Morning Bobby, & Doms, Yes, Bobby is right, I believe the best thing is to get a Good high quality steel blade. But, yes,,, you can sharpen the "Ruby" blades. What I use is a thin diamond coated sharpener, that Stanley Co. puts out. It's the size of a credit card, & about the same thickness. As long as the blade is just dull,,, & doesn't have any bad nicks, just sharpen as you usually would, using some water to lubricate. Then after that, start with some 1000 grit 3M,,, or Norton wet & dry sand paper, that has been soaking in water for a couple hours. Lay the wet paper on some flat glass, & holn with the 1000,,, then go to the 2000. If you can find it, get the next finer grade, & do the same. After that, it's just the matter of stroping corectly. Make sure, the blade is stroped at the same angle, on each side, without rolling & rounding the edge. If done correctly, you will now have a sharp "Ruby" blade. On a side note: Your strop, should be a very thin piece of leather, or,,, a piece of card stock. If you're using something thicker,,, & softer,,, you'll wind up, just rounding the very corners, you are trying to make sharp. I hope this helps,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi King,,, One problem would be the cost. It could be done like that,,, the cost for just the Brown material would be somewhere around $120.00, plus you'd need to add in the structure, & any weights, & of course, my cap. A maul like that would be close to $200.00. But,,, I wouldn't make any like that, because, I have too much respect for the original maker, to make anything so close to his design,,, I just wont do it!

Hi Russ & King,,, This Brown material,,, even though it's more costly,,, is deffinately worth it. I've used it on a couple projects now,,, & have you ever used a tool,,, or driven a different car,, & thought,, Now That the way it should be!! Well,,, That's the way this Brown material feels! Please don't get me wrong,,, IMHO ,,, I believe the white material I use,,, is the Best of that type out there, & I'll probably still make some of those. Sooo,, Whenever "Ya'll" are ready,,, I'd be happy to help. Maybe by then I'll be caught up,,, ) Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Max, Thanks,,, I think that if you ever get the chance to use a maul made with this ,New to Me, type of material,,, you'd switch too. I used the White Head material for about the past 10 years,,, & I'm switching. Don't get me wrong, the type of the White Head material I've been using, is the very Best of that type of material. I'll probably still make some mauls with the White Heads,,, but after using the Brown stuff,,, that's all I'll be using from now on. I now know why a lot of the Master toolers like the Black Mauls so much! Thanks Again,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hello Everybody, As most of you know, I've been making tooling Mauls, for quite some time. I've always strived to make Mauls, using only the Best materials available. The White head material I use, I believe is the Best of that type available! Those of you that have one of my Mauls,,, I hope You'd agree. I was fortunate enough to find what I'm sure is the Best Striking head material, of any type, available today! Even though, I knew, this material worked the best,,, I wanted to make sure. It was my Absolute Pleasure, to meet, & talk with the maker, & the Master Tool Maker, that made the One Piece Black Mauls, that a lot of the Master Toolers use. I asked if He'd tell me what he thought of my new maul. After doing a test,,, He said "That's the Stuff"!! As it turns out, it is the same material. I just get mine in a different form than He did. And a differnt color. My new Mauls, will all have Brown heads,,, & of course, all of the Exotic wood handles. My personal experiance with the new material is, that it extreamly quiet, it has more of a dead blow type of feel, it doesn't ring or ping, it doesn't seem to send tools flying with a mis hit. I personally will never go back to anything else! Here are my first two personal Mauls. One is a 17oz "Grand" style, with a Padauk handle. The other one is a 14 oz "Elite" style with a Madrone Burl handle. Please let me know what you think,,, I like the Brown color! Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Craftt, Sure you can use that if You'd like.

Hi Everybody,,, Ed from Beaufort SC here. I'll be at the Extream Leather Workshop in a couple weeks.