Viking-Style Axes Done the Old Way

Last year I began to figure out how most Viking axes were probably originally forged.  The main mystery revolved around the shaping of the eye.  Surviving Viking axes usually show that the eye was formed by the “asymmetric wrap” technique.  Here the axe billet was drawn out to a longish tang on the eye-end and the tang was doubled over on itself to form a loop.

The loop was forge welded closed on the end towards the blade so that the beginning of an eye was left.  The eye was then finished to size, sometimes with a mandrel, sometimes without.

There are many possible forging paths within this basic approach and I have developed 3 or 4.  For the time being I have settled on a favorite forging plan which allows me to achieve an eye form which I find particularly attractive and which is purposefully quite challenging to produce.  It is the only way I have found so far to produce axes with exceptionally heavy polls, beautiful profiles and curves with crisp edges throughout, and a forge weld which finishes up leaving almost no trace of itself.  It should allow me to explore some of the most beautiful axe-forms of the Viking Age using techniques which closely follow or are perhaps even identical with those used by Viking blacksmiths.  After forging a few dozen axes using this technique I am developing a feel for the historic forms I like best and look forward to trying many more styles.

A Type G style axe with forge welded eye and bit

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