Axes & Straight Blades
A New Forge-Finished Axe (sold)
On July 16, 2012 by jaustinI forged this axe in May but only finished polishing the edge last week. It is asymmetrically wrapped on the eye and has a high-carbon bit of forge-welded 1075. The dimensions are:
Edge length 6.9″ (17.5 cm)
Width of head 8.1″ (20.6 cm)
Weight 770 grams (1 lb 11oz)
This axe was purchased by a visitor to the smithy who was looking for something special for his father. He may make his own haft or bring it back for hafting later.
How much does something like this cost? I’m putting out feelers for a late Viking combat broad axe head done in a historically correct manner, such as yours. I have a piece of ash for the haft, but need a suitable head.
Hello Charles: Sorry for the months of delay in noticing your comment in forgedaxes.com I’m not too internet savvy and my comment box got filled with spam (22,000 bogus comments!). A friend just helped me improve the site immensely and take care of the spam problem. On forgedaxes.com you can now see classes in axe-making that I offer and, soon, axes that I will have for sale.
As for Viking combat axes: I have been making two-handed Dane Axes for several years using the same forge welding techniques originally used by the Vikings. I have sold the heads in the range of $425 – $450, depending on size and finish. They generally come out with edges between 6.75″ – 7.5″ and head lengths of about 8″. I have a few axe heads which are 80% finished (rough ground – ready for final grind, heat treatment and polish). if you’re interested I can send you a few pictures of them. Hope this helps, and again – sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Yours, Jim.