Fully Hardened Axe Head?

[EngrSorenson]

Hey folks,

Just came across a for sale by one of our illustrious makers here - they look like great axes, but I'm noticing the posting says the axe head is "fully hardened", which gave me pause.
He does great work, and I love the look of his products, but is fully hardened really a good idea for an axe? I understand that typically hardness is limited to the bit- usually no more than 1-2 inches back from the edge.

What experience do you folks have? I'm hoping more for some kind of historical or theoretical precedent rather than the anecdotal stuff.
(I'm to used to reading "oh yeah, I use a sledge on my poll all the time! My axe is fine!" kinda stuff).

 

[Bigfattyt]

Modern heat treat, clean modern steel, full or through hardened you won't have any issues.

The best part is you won't ever have to worry about sharpening past the usable "hardened bit" portion.

 

[Spey]

... I love the look of his products, but is fully hardened really a good idea for an axe? I understand that typically hardness is limited to the bit- usually no more than 1-2 inches back from the edge.

(I'm to used to reading "oh yeah, I use a sledge on my poll all the time! My axe is fine!" kinda stuff).

I would assume the maker is effectively telling you the entire head is of similar composition (vs. say an axe with hardenable steel bit insert, or a differentially heat treated head, etc.), and heat-treat is throughout entire head. I have had, and also seen, numerous axe heads where the poll had large chips of metal missing (hardened polls) and also one's where the steel had mushroomed over (non-hardened polls). As a boy, I was taught to dress down the mushrooming (axe polls that had been struck by a sledge, splitting wedges, metal chisels, etc., etc.) so as not to have a chunk of steel fly off and stick into say your eye ;-)

Regarding the selection of one option over the other (re: is it a good idea question) would in my mind be directly related to the intended applications of the tool. Example: if you intend to sink your axe, then strike the poll with a hard faced tool (axe, sledge, etc.) it would seem prudent to select an axe with a non-hardened poll as potential resultant mushrooming can be ground off or filed off whereas chips, fractures that can extend to the eye, etc. can potentially leave a tool fundamentally irreparable.

Typically, I prefer that only the bit is hardened, or head differentially hardened.

Do your best to understand how the attributes of each option relates to how you plan to use the tool, and choose accordingly.

 

[EngrSorenson]

I would assume the maker is effectively telling you the entire head is of similar composition (vs. say an axe with hardenable steel bit insert, or a differentially heat treated head, etc.), and heat-treat is throughout entire head.

Yeah, the maker verified this- I am honestly a little surprised and I personally am inclined to think we've been making axes a certain way for hundreds of years probably for a reason.

I'd never ever whack a poll, hardened or unhardened with any bit of metal.

 

[Spey]

A fully hardened axe head may have some functional attributes, that simply are not coming to my mind.
Perhaps others might post up such.

^^ I can not imagine an axe still being useful after so many sharpening's that the hardened portion of a bit has been removed through filing. But, perhaps this is simply my ignorance on display :-/
I would appreciate any learning (contrary to my comments) anyone could provide based on their personal experiences

I can see/understand one potential advantage to a through hardened head, being the eye would be less likely to deform under impact. Say for example applications include using the axe to pound big wood stakes/posts such that the user is using the side of the head to strike the post (seen this many times, where using the poll would destroy the top of the post/stake because it is so much narrower than the stake/post). My 28oz head Vaughan riggers axe (aka framing axe) was used in this manner when driving stakes during plumb & line and/or stakes for foundation footer forms, etc., etc.. Pounding tent stakes with the side of a hatchet head (exact same manner just described) is something I leaned in Scouts many decade ago, and from my Father before Scouts.

 

[garry3]

It's a lazy way of forging an axe. We don't find any striking tool with a fully hardened head now do we? There is a reason for that, hardened steel is more likely to break, it loses toughness, becomes more brittle.
That being said I doubt it will make a bit of difference. Pun intended.

Not saying exactly what is in the brine is kind of funny. A throw back to smiths keeping heat treat secrets, a black art.