Vaughan Sub Zero Mini Hatchet Mod

[The Warrior]

Hey guys, first post here. Been lurking for a few days, decided to join.

Bought this Sub Zero some time ago, finally got around to modding it. I mostly followed this tutorial: http://oldjimbo.com/survival/vaughangrind.html

I ground the head down per the tut. Tried cold bluing the head, but it kept streaking on me, so I went another route. I soaked the head in apple cider vinegar for a few days, to darken/patina/etch it. You can actually see where the heat treat line is. Painted the handle black, and paracord wrapped it. Cool little hatchet, but I feel the eye socket is way too small. I always forget to take before pictures, but I did take one when I first got it:

You can see how small it is next to the BK2:



The mod:













Back in the cheapy sheath that came with it:



Back home in my Maxpedition Lunada Chinese rip off bag:

[Gareth]

Welcome to the forum Warrior, and a great first post.   I do keep thinking about the little Vaughan as I like mini hatchets, but I've never gotten around to it.  Your mod-job looks excellent.

[Sean]

That is a fantastic mod, looks super.    I also like what you've done to the scales
of the BK.  Makes me kind of think of doing something to my BK7.
And...welcome aboard.

[The Warrior]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. The Sub Zero is a cool little hatchet. Made for small tasks, no doubt, but does surprisingly well for it's size. That was my second tiger stripe job. I also did one to my BK9 first. I'm an olive drab freak. I modded a CS Trail Hawk tomahawk I'll post soon. It turned out pretty sweet. I actually did it before the Sub Zero.

[Sean]

That is an amazing thread over on blade forums with the CS trailhawk mods.  Last time
I had a look I think it was around 70 pages in length and growing.  I thought of doing
something with my CS hawks but once I had them in hand I pretty much knew I would
get more joy from throwing them, now they have that "put to use look!"

[The Warrior]

That is an awesome thread. I'm a member there.

[David]

Nice looking axe.       I keep one of those in my pack at all times. Mine came with a thick edge so I`ve thinned it down alot. Now it chops much better than the factory edge.   

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Like Gareth I keep angling for one too

Fantastic looking mod mate, and welcome to the forum

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice work mate 

I've got one of those Mini Vaughans myself. Other than a bit of reprofiling (following Old Jimbo again, but to a lesser extent) I've not done a great deal to it. It's certainly a light duty item, but I've chopped through stuff up to 2" diameter with it quite a bit. Though light they can bite quite deep with a decent edge and a flick of the wrist. Eye socket might be small, but when you compare it to hammers that you would give a decent thump with it's not that bad really. Fine edge and "pecking" rather than "hacking" is the ticket I suppose

[Sparky415]

That's a nice looking hatchet now 

[AHB]

That's a nice looking hatchet now 

+1 

[The Warrior]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I tried the hatchet out before thinning it out. Of course, I sharpened it first, as they come dull. They work okay after you sharpen them, but work way better after thinning them out. And oldjimbo is right, you have to grind the soft metal off to get to the good stuff.

[J-sews]

Great first post Warrior. Welcome

[The Warrior]

Thanks for the welcome, appreciated.

[Sparky415]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I tried the hatchet out before thinning it out. Of course, I sharpened it first, as they come dull. They work okay after you sharpen them, but work way better after thinning them out. And oldjimbo is right, you have to grind the soft metal off to get to the good stuff.

I am very surprised that there seems to be hard metal under the soft if anything I would have thought it was the other way around 

but I am easily confused   

[The Warrior]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I tried the hatchet out before thinning it out. Of course, I sharpened it first, as they come dull. They work okay after you sharpen them, but work way better after thinning them out. And oldjimbo is right, you have to grind the soft metal off to get to the good stuff.

I am very surprised that there seems to be hard metal under the soft if anything I would have thought it was the other way around 

but I am easily confused   

I read that in the oldjimbo link on the OP. But, he's right. When I first sharpened it, that "outer" layer came right off. Not sure why myself.

[Sparky415]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I tried the hatchet out before thinning it out. Of course, I sharpened it first, as they come dull. They work okay after you sharpen them, but work way better after thinning them out. And oldjimbo is right, you have to grind the soft metal off to get to the good stuff.

I am very surprised that there seems to be hard metal under the soft if anything I would have thought it was the other way around 

but I am easily confused   

I read that in the oldjimbo link on the OP. But, he's right. When I first sharpened it, that "outer" layer came right off. Not sure why myself.

        I'm still learning about hardening and tempering etc 

[The Warrior]

Don't know much about it myself.

[Dtrain]

Maybe it has something to do with the stamping process or when they grind the first edge on.Maybe too long on the grinder and it hurts the temper a bit,but the thickness saves the Temper underneath