Wetterlings states that all their axe heads are hardened and tempered. Are quality axes like GB ,Wetterlings and Ox-head hardened at all around the eye and poll area? Is the eye just left in a completely soft annealed state? I always thought the eye area was partially hardened although not nearly as much as the edge. If you protected the edge by burying it in wet dirt and then burn out an axe handle would not that weaken the eye of an axe?
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Axe head eye and poll hardening
- Thread starter barry54
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Commercial process for HT on axes and such usually does the whole object, so the eye is hardened,too. When folks make a hawk or axe by hand, they often just harden the bit area.
BTW, sticking the edge in sand will not protect it from being ruined in burning out a handle. The damp sand will cool no more than the bare skin of the axe, and the temper will be destroyed. Placing it in water may be a bit safer, but the safest way is - Drill the old handle out.
BTW, sticking the edge in sand will not protect it from being ruined in burning out a handle. The damp sand will cool no more than the bare skin of the axe, and the temper will be destroyed. Placing it in water may be a bit safer, but the safest way is - Drill the old handle out.