Another wrought iron bearded axe progress thread...

ScottRoush

ScottRoush

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Jan 10, 2010
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I've been studying the work of James Austin who has been studying the work of the ancients in an attempt to tease out the secrets of how their axes were forged. On this axe I'm forging a 1/2 thick piece of wrought iron using the 'asymmetric wrap' technique that Jim has demonstrated. It consists of drawing out a tang and then forging it back onto the blade to create the eye. This makes for a strong, wedge like profile with heavy poll. I love it!

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Squarepeg.. not sure why you don't see them? They are linked from another source which usually shows up fine.

I will take more pictures today.. I'm out of the shop today. But I do have a 1095 bit welded in now. So tomorrow I will do the final forging, clean up grinding and heat treat. Then I have a piece of hop hornbeam (locally called 'ironwood' and the traditional haft material for this region) to carve into a haft.
 
what are you using for an anvil? Is it set on an old stump, or something? I'm asking because I'm planning my set up and seeing what other people are using.
 
My anvil is a 150# chunk of medium-high carbon steel I got from a scrap yard and yes it's on a stump. There are better alternatives... but I like stumps. :-) I also have a Swedish Kolswa 75# with horn and hardy when I need it.
 
I am enjoying this so far. MORE!

Scott, are you going to drive a standard eye drift through it or just shape the haft to fit?
 
Thanks.. glad it's of interest.

I won't drift it... I will use a mandrel to square things up.. especially at the back of the eye. And to make sure that everything is symmetrical. To be honest.... when it comes to these historical axes.. I haven't come up with a standard method as to how I will treat eyes. But since I usually carve my own hafts anyway... I don't stress too much over it.
 
here it is now after carving the haft from a hop hornbeam log. Hard stuff! Just need to complete the fitment and finish the handle...

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um... wow.

Does the pattern in the wrought iron come from surface carbon acquired from the forge?
 
Thanks guys....

daizee.... the pattern is inherent in old wrought iron. The poorer grades of wrought were made by either by smelting from iron ore or decarburizing cast iron. The result of these processes yielded a heterogenous bloom that had lots of slag and silica inclusions in it and the blooms had to be combined and forged together. The poorer the grade of iron.. the more of these inclusions. So the pattern you see are those inclusions as well as the 'weld lines' of the numerous blooms that were forged together.. Something like Swedish iron.. a higher grade would show very little of that.
 
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