Belt Axe

[Don Abbott]

This was my first attempt at a split & drifted axe. I uses a chisel I had and forged the eye drift out of a piece of 1" round stock.

 

My grandson had a birthday coming up and his father had given me a big piece of dump truck leaf spring, so I thought I would give it a try.

 

 

I didn't have a suitable hold-down, so I tacked a piece of 1" angle to the back of it so I could keep it in my hardee hole white I split it.

(I also drilled a couple cheater holes to keep things straight).

 

 

This is what I wound up with:

 

 

This was based loosely on what 18th Century reenactors know as a "Fort Miegs belt axe". The original (repro, not artifact) I have is smaller. This was to be a beefed up version.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I didn't get any good "as finished" pictures. You can tell from the tree sap and finger prints that it had already entered into field testing.

 

 

 

 

Handle from an old hickory sledge hammer handle with an osage wedge.

 

 

 

You could pretty much read his mind when he first unwrapped it.

 

 

I doubt it will look as good the next time I see it, but I'm sure it will undergo rigorous testing. So I'll find out soon enough if I did my job right.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Don Abbott

[Eric Estlund]

That little bit of file work is a great detail.

[Alan Longmire]

Nice one, Don!

 

I'm sure it will survive field testing.  I can't say the same for any brush around the farm, however. 

[AJ Chalifoux]

Really nice! Great job.

[Torben Fuessle]

That is a good looking axe