1080 axe

G L Drew

G L Drew

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Feb 3, 2005
Messages
4,812
Here is a fun experiment. I bought some 1 inch square 1080 bar stock to make a couple of small camp axes. I heat treated and tempered with a differential quench to produce a blade with 58-60 Rockwell and a softer peen to prevent chipping if it is used as a hammer. Not your usual steel or hardness for an axe but I thought it would be worth a try and tested by giving them to my sons while we are on a hunting trip later this week. The blade is ground much thinner than most axes for finer cutting chores and will not be able to be sharpened in the field with a file. I expect these will get some heavy use in the woods and if we are lucky, used to separate some white tail joints and pelvic bones.

View attachment 482359
 
Seems like a reasonable plan to me. Let us know how it works out :)
 
We cut some hardwood branches, broke some whitetail bones while we butchered and split some firewood with these axes. No chipped or folded over edge even though I forged and ground a very fine profile on the blade. I will be making mor of these very handy little axes.
 
I love making small "Belt Axes", hatchets, and hawks. The problem I have found is that people don't want to pay much for them. They will pay $400 for a basic hunting knife that isn't much or any better than a $50 Kmart knife,...... but won't pay $150 for a hand made small ax that is better than a $30 Kmart ax.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I love making small "Belt Axes", hatchets, and hawks. The problem I have found is that people don't want to pay much for them. They will pay $400 for a basic hunting knife that isn't much or any better than a $50 Kmart knife,...... but won't pay $150 for a hand made small ax that is better than a $30 Kmart ax.
Click to expand...

Yup, there is always that. :)
 
G L Drew said:
Here is a fun experiment. I bought some 1 inch square 1080 bar stock to make a couple of small camp axes. I heat treated and tempered with a differential quench to produce a blade with 58-60 Rockwell and a softer peen to prevent chipping if it is used as a hammer. Not your usual steel or hardness for an axe but I thought it would be worth a try and tested by giving them to my sons while we are on a hunting trip later this week. The blade is ground much thinner than most axes for finer cutting chores and will not be able to be sharpened in the field with a file. I expect these will get some heavy use in the woods and if we are lucky, used to separate some white tail joints and pelvic bones.

View attachment 482359
Click to expand...

I have been thinking of doing similar hatchets for about a year now, mostly for kindling, small branches. I'll have to get on this. :thumbup:
 
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