Patent ID: 8079427

Claim:
A method of forming an earth-boring tool, comprising: assembling a plurality of head sections about a longitudinal axis to form a bit body, each head section of the plurality of head sections comprising a bit leg and a cutter bearing shaft depending from the bit leg; rotatably mounting a cutter to the cutter bearing shaft of each head section of the plurality of head sections; forming at least one groove on an outer surface of the bit leg of at least one head section of the plurality of head sections, comprising: disposing a first region of hardfacing material over a groove region of the bit leg; disposing a second region of hardfacing material over an upper region of the outer surface of the bit leg; disposing a third region of hardfacing material over a shirttail region of the outer surface of the bit leg; and causing the first region of hardfacing material to have an average thickness that is less than an average thickness of the second region of hardfacing material and an average thickness of the third region of hardfacing material; and causing the at least one groove to extend along a curved path from a leading side of the bit leg to a trailing side of the bit leg between an upper sidewall and a lower sidewall.