Search the Community

Hi there! I am currently working on a slightly different axe, i have always wanted to make some larger axes, and so i thought i would give it a go! The starting material was 50x10x180mm mild steel, the cunstruction method was symmetric wrap with an 80crv2 edge insert! i started by forging the center down to 10x30mm: Then some marking of the poll and cheeks. After this i forged out the cheeks and folded over to get ready to weld the body to itself: then fast forward through a few mistakes (including forgetting to take pictures ) and here i am now: Edge length is right at 125mm (5") and thats about the most that will fit in my kiln. Unfortunately i ended up with a weld flaw right at the eye, i tried to repair it but didn't succeed since at that time the cheeks were so thin i couldn't get a welding heat on the area without burning the eye I will still finish it, and hang it on the wall or something, to remind me of the mistake Any feedback would be appreciated Peder Visti

Hello there! Took the plunge on a different approach to axe making today! I recently bought James Austins dvd on how to forge an asymetric axe head, and wanted to explore this method myself. However, i was not exactly thrilled about forging down such massive stock which it requires! So as a compromise i decided to try a symmetric wrap instead, this allowed me to use smaller stock, since the material is effectively doubled on itself! Starting material was 10 x 35 x 205 mild steel flat, with a bit of ck60 running all the way through the weld! The axe weighs 450 grams, and the cutting edge is 70mm (2 3/4") Here the axe is as forged, the mild steel forged much easier than the medium carbon core, and so i had to take a fair bit of material off to expose the seam: Here the axe is ground: I etched the edges quickly to see the welds (sort of): And a picture with the starting material: Overall i am happy with it, the welding went very well, and i will definitely do more this way! It was also faster to forge than the axes i slit and drift! Feedback would be greatly appreciated! Best regards Peder Visti