Josh A Weston Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I've been wrapping up some new axes. Railroad spike core with 1095 edges. They are nicely balanced and throw like a charm. I will be sad to see them go. See more here: Rashystreakers 1 The Pixel Smith Facebook Etsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Some of the nicest railroad spike axes I've seen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einar Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 That top one looks evil!! I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Hebbard Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 As Alan said! Very cool Josh! To become old and wise... You first have to survive being young and foolish! Ikisu.blogsot.com. Email; milesikisu@gmail.com mobile: +27784653651 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Miller Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 That's awesome! I never have been able to get RR spikes to weld very well, and if I'm see them right it looks like you got a couple of weld flaws too, but congrats for getting them to weld at all!! “If you trust in yourself. . . believe in your dreams. . . and follow your star. . . you will still get beaten by the people who have spent their time working hard and learning things, the people who weren't so lazy.” ~ Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh A Weston Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Thanks for the compliments, guys! I do enjoy making them. Sometimes the rail spikes do give me a hard time in the weld. I got a bubble for the first time on the top one. But overall they turn out pretty nicely. I pretty much stick to 1095 for the edges as it welds up easily. I tried some other stuff (5160 and 80crv2) and they both proved to be much tricker to weld. The Pixel Smith Facebook Etsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 nice please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Craft Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Now that is different, and different is good! I like them. C Craft Customs ~~~ With every custom knife I build I try to accomplish three things. I want that knife to look so good you just have to pick it up, feel so good in your hand you can't wait to try it, and once you use it, you never want to put it down ! If I capture those three factors in each knife I build, I am assured the knife will become a piece that is used and treasured by its owner! ~~~ C Craft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Keyes Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 OK, I was going to say something nasty about them, but then I looked at the pics! Wow! Those are nice! I still don't get the fascination of railroad spikes, but you should keep making ones like this. Geoff "The worst day smithing is better than the best day working for someone else." I said that. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. - - -G. K. Chesterton So, just for the record: the fact that it does work still should not be taken as definitive proof that you are not crazy. Grant Sarver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Todd Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Those are so cool. I never really get excited about RR spike stuff, but those have me thinking about them in a different light. I hope you don't mind if I some day copy yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh A Weston Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Geoff and Matt, I completely understand. I am not crazy about using the rr spikes all the time either. I have a bunch of people here in the states that love them. Something seems to strike them/us from a cultural perspective. Building that American railroad dream. With the way I make them (more viking style) it seems to broaden the audience in to that old world heritage sweet spot as well. After looking at tons of viking axe pictures and reading about how to make them it seemed to me that the rail spike is almost perfectly suited for the job. It's iron, hard iron and it has a nice head off the back that if forged down right can act as a sort of viking style arm brace in the back. Of course, to make them worth while as a cutting tool they need to have a carbon edge welded in. With a little practice that is not much trouble. I've also always liked the idea of re-purposing discarded material. So many spikes just discarded after a short life of intended use. The railroad doesn't recycle them, kind of a shame. I hate to think of a perfectly good bit of material lying in the ground rusting away when I could re-purpose it and put it in the hands of a happy customer who will value it for its lifespan. Also, I get steel where I can and my sister's boyfriend works for the railroad and he get's me a box of goodies every summer! I can't wait for more rail clips this summer, free 1095! Anyway, I appreciate the looks, likes and compliments! The Pixel Smith Facebook Etsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh A Weston Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Matt, Copy away! After all, I learned everything I know about axe making from this forum. I'm in the camp of knowledge is for the community and competition benefits us all. It's a big world market now and I have plenty of place to sell. The Pixel Smith Facebook Etsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEzell Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 OK, I was going to say something nasty about them, but then I looked at the pics! Wow! Those are nice! I still don't get the fascination of railroad spikes, but you should keep making ones like this. Geoff My thinking also, I don't normally get excited by railroad spike axes, but you do it so well... great job man. George Ezell, bladesmith" How much useful knowledge is lost by the scattered forms in which it is ushered to the world! How many solitary students spend half their lives in making discoveries which had been perfected a century before their time, for want of a condensed exhibition of what is known."Buffonview some of my work RelicForge on facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh A Weston Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Here's another one. I think I may take a break from the rail spike axes now. The Pixel Smith Facebook Etsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Detrick Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I really dig those Josh. You took a tired material that most makers have no respect for and made something great out it. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." -Albert Camus http://www.krakenforge.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Adams Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Man Josh, Those look great. I would love to make some. If you have time later I would love to see a Work In Progress or a written step by step. Great Job, Doug Jn. 3:16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Tracey Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Josh, really nice work! I forgot who said it but the essence of taking a tired and under appreciated material and making something bad ass out of it! I'll have to attempt one of these in the future. I've got a whole box of them just laying around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck Hedges Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I'm in the process of making a spike 'hawk for my nephew. I admit, I stole a few of your pictures for inspiration. Those are just beautiful! 1 Truth simply is. Whether you like that truth or not is totally irrelevant. https://www.facebook.com/StormsForge">https://www.facebook.com/StormsForge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Bostiga Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 These beautiful Josh. I picked up bunch of spikes when I was visiting my daughter in Kentucky coal country and a lot of people have told me not to waste my time. I'm like you in that I hate to see material go to waste. And from this thread I finally learned what material those couple of rail clips I found are also. I gotta try one of these. Thanks for the inspiration. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carry R Grant Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Those are awesome Josh. . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tasker Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 wow those are beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mross Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 These are really cool. Looks like something else to add to my tobuy list! For some reason in the first picture the one at the top in the raw does it for me. Do you have a website for when I decide I absolutely have to have one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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