I'm a Chef and Butcher. The shop has developed a pile of worn out and rusted die plates and blades (pictured new here) for the meat grinder, as well as a whole bin of used bandsaw blades. All three rust readily, so although I don't know the exact steel used it's safe to assume they are carbon.

Anybody interested in making me a hog splitter similar to the one in the second picture? I can supply all materials needed - die plates, grinder blades, bandsaw blades, also have a woodshop, so I can provide a list of appropriate handle materials to choose from. Off the top of my head, I've got Teak, Hickory, Olive, Mountain Ash, and a bunch more. I've also got a ton of synthetics if we end up going that direction with it.

What I'm looking for:
OAL approximately 32"-36"
Blade 12"-14"Lx6"8"H, I'll leave the thickness at your discretion - but this is a tool, not a wall-hanger
2"ish circular hanging ring at the end of the handle
It *will* get used, so it probably needs some differential edge hardening and solid handle mounting techniques
If some patterned steel happens, that could be neat but isn't needed

Beyond that, design is open to discussion. This probably isn't a job for a beginner smith or hobbyist. I know this won't be cheap, and that's okay. I don't want cheap, I want a tool that is designed to work well and for a LONG time. If you're interested, let's talk!

Anybody up for a commission?