I personally prefer working with wood-handled tools, they seem to hold up longer and they’re easier to care for to last for generations.

Even if they did have an edge put on them, it wouldn’t last because it’s a softer steel, which works great for fenders and toasters, as Will says, but not tools! Wood Handles Many of the tools you find at the big box stores have poor performance because they don’t even have an edge ground on them, they come standard with a blunt edge. The benefit of this high carbon steel is that the tools will have longer ductility, meaning the tool won’t bend, dent, or get deformed in response to stress, and they will keep their edge retention and sharpness. The strength and quality will shine during the use of the tool. But again, you won’t be able to tell this difference by simply picking up two different tools and comparing them side by side. The C1075 high carbon steel that Will uses for his tools is 285,000 psi, so there’s an enormous difference in strength. Will uses C1075 high carbon steel, which looks exactly like C1018 structure steel to the naked eye.Ĭ1018 steel has a tensile strength that is about 75,000 psi. Probably the biggest difference between Homestead Iron tools and a tool you can find at the store is the quality of the steel he uses.

Will spends countless hours modifying the tools, making sure the angles are just right, that the handles are the correct length, and that both the tool and handle are as strong as they can possibly be. The great thing about Homestead Iron tools is that Will and his wife Jamie actually use their tools on a regular basis. First off, he cares and has gone through multiple iterations of each tool. Will shares that making high-quality tools isn’t difficult, but that it does take a little bit of forethought.

My little blacksmith shop giant