Best steel for 2 lb. axe head?

[slugtrail]

The stress placed on an axe is different than the stress exerted on a knife and so I am not sure that the best knife steel automatically equates to being the best axe steel. Do any of you axe makers out there have a favorite steel that you like? If it helps to know, I would plan to use the axe in soft woods like pine, willow, alder, maybe tamarak. The axe would be used to feel trees as well as split wood. Also, the axe would probably see use in very cold temperature too, I don't know if that makes hardness a problem or not.

 

[B Finnigan]

Any of the alloy steels like 1045, 4140, 4142 work great for impacting type tools. There is enough carbon and alloying to take and hold an axe or hawk type edge that will stand up to impacting w/o chipping. The mid to higher carbon steels have also worked good such as 5160, 1075, 1084 for hawks.

 

[Barkes Knife Shop]

L6 steel ----------:thumbup:

 

[Stuart Willis]

1045 is what I use on most of mine,mainly because it is easier to find in the sizes I start out with. I have used 5160 and 4140 with good results.