Can you help me identify this mystery tool?

hand forged 5160, 13" plus blade. that grip wrap ain't no flimsy namby pamby paracord - it's 1/4" rope.

more info from the blacksmith:

the entire piece is forged to shape, then the steel is normalized several times, followed by a 24 hour soak in vermiculite. it then receives an edge quench heat treat followed by a triple tempering cycle. the blade geometry is a heavy convex edge. providing a gentle arc from the edge up the width of the blade. there is no blade shoulder to slow down chopping depth like what happens with most hollow ground knives. the cutting edge is around 58-60 on the rockwell scale. hard and tough. i can consistently chop through 8+ inches of wild hard wood, and still remove hair from my arm.
dussack.jpg


when it arrived i measured it:

20 in. of 1/4" high carbon steel, 0.8 kilos (), blade is more like 14" in a chord from guard to tip, grip 5", guard to pommel 6 in.

being a one-off custom from the blacksmith, it feels natural in the hand, good balance, edge is a convex ground razor. if it had a scabbard, i'd sleep with her, she's so sweet and a bit of rough.

from roy dunn, old town smithy, somewhere in the USA.
 
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Old Town Smithy sure makes a lot of sense. When I saw the picture, my first thought was the blacksmith has a lot of experience with wrought iron technique. Looks beautiful in a unique and rugged way. Love the rough forge finish to the "flats" not sure that is the right word for a convex blade but can't figure out what else to call it.
 
kronckew said:
hand forged 5160, 13" plus blade. that grip wrap ain't no flimsy namby pamby paracord - it's 1/4" rope.

more info from the blacksmith:

the entire piece is forged to shape, then the steel is normalized several times, followed by a 24 hour soak in vermiculite. it then receives an edge quench heat treat followed by a triple tempering cycle. the blade geometry is a heavy convex edge. providing a gentle arc from the edge up the width of the blade. there is no blade shoulder to slow down chopping depth like what happens with most hollow ground knives. the cutting edge is around 58-60 on the rockwell scale. hard and tough. i can consistently chop through 8+ inches of wild hard wood, and still remove hair from my arm.
dussack.jpg


when it arrived i measured it:

20 in. of 1/4" high carbon steel, 0.8 kilos (), blade is more like 14" in a chord from guard to tip, grip 5", guard to pommel 6 in.

being a one-off custom from the blacksmith, it feels natural in the hand, good balance, edge is a convex ground razor. if it had a scabbard, i'd sleep with her, she's so sweet and a bit of rough.

from roy dunn, old town smithy, somewhere in the USA.
Click to expand...


What purpose does the vermiculite serve? I literally have tons of the stuff. I had no idea it was used in any forging process.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
What purpose does the vermiculite serve? I literally have tons of the stuff. I had no idea it was used in any forging process.
Click to expand...

it's used to slow cool the blade in after the normalization heating soak.

looking that up cost me a small fortune. i went back to his page on the web to see if he had any more info and was instantly attracted to one of his current items, and wound up buying this boarding axe. i've mentioned this thread to him, so if he gets here he might comment on the forging process a bit more.

View attachment 441556
 
SUCKER! :D Thats a very nice axe! I got sucked in to his website as well!
Ah vermiculite! thats a great idea! Its a great insulator. They use it for fire retardant packing as well but its hard to find in my parts due to the carcinogenic nature. Its pretty much the same composition as asbestos. Its a type of mica and also used in potting soil.

kronckew said:
it's used to slow cool the blade in after the normalization heating soak.

looking that up cost me a small fortune. i went back to his page on the web to see if he had any more info and was instantly attracted to one of his current items, and wound up buying this boarding axe. i've mentioned this thread to him, so if he gets here he might comment on the forging process a bit more.

View attachment 441556
Click to expand...
 
That's a very fine looking axe. I started to feel a little sorry for you getting sucked in and all but seeing the picture you'll get no sympathy from me Mr. only jealousy as usual.
 
If you tell a guy around here that he has a nice axe, you might end up logged.
(Jeez my English gets better every day - I can even do fun puns)

Looks like a mix between fire axe and medieval axe.
 
ndoghouse said:
...
Ah vermiculite! thats a great idea! Its a great insulator. They use it for fire retardant packing as well but its hard to find in my parts due to the carcinogenic nature. Its pretty much the same composition as asbestos. Its a type of mica and also used in potting soil.
Click to expand...

vermiculite mined prior to the 1990's is likely contaminated with asbesto from the same libby mine in the US. non-US vermiculite and vermiculite produced since the early 1990's should be OK. if your house attic/loft is insulated with it, and the house is pre 1990's, it's best to have it checked by a reputable asbestos licensed contractor before removal. current recommendations are to leave it in place & not disturb it. if you have, the risk is there, but minimal.

perlite is probably better if you are concerned.
 
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