Integral Hidden Tang Wrought Iron/W2 San Mai Tactical Belt Axe

ScottRoush

ScottRoush

Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
1,818
I'm thinking I need a shorter name for this?

The idea for this came from a tactical hawk I did for a neighbor who was deploying to Afghanistan as a scout sniper. I didn't have the steel at the time for a full tanged hawk, so I came up with a riveted construction and W2 head.. which actually came out pretty well and stood up to horrendous abuse testing. He wanted something to remind him of home so I used Lake Superior salvaged old growth maple and some locally found leaf spring for the tang. This is that one:

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This got me interested in trying to do a full tang and I started this WIP: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/904505-W2-Forged-Integral-Hawk-WIP Which some of you may have seen in my other thread.

Anyway.. the gist is that I forged the head and tang from a huge bar of W2 and then forge welded wrought iron sides onto the head and drew the tang down for a morticed, hidden tang construction. I opted for this because I thought it would help to put more weight into the head as well as feel awesome in the hand. And it does... here is how it came out.

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So I think there is a lot of potential for doing these in terms of styling. I was kind of conservative with this one as I want it to be a 'no non-sense' user that will perform (lots of pictures of testing in my WIP). But I think it will fun to do these with fitted guards/ferrules and butt caps (sub hilt??) just like a knife.
 
pretty damn cool, if you ask me.
 
Thanks Lorien.

I forgot to mention the specs... 14" total length, 1.25 pounds, balance 1" below the head.

This will come with me to Arkansas unless I find a buyer before then....
 
Love the head shape of that tactical hawk - looks like it is aggressively leaping forward. Badass and beautiful all at once. I like the second one very much as well. I hope for your sake it gets snapped up right quick, but if it doesn't, I'll enjoy pawing it at Little Rock.

Roger
 
That first one float's my boat. it is so different and out of the box thinking with it's construction nice job.
 
hey you guys aren't allowed to like the one that was easier to make! lol...

No I agree.. the first one has more compelling lines. But this is something I plan to work into the second generation hidden tang version.
 
I'm going with the crowd...the first one is just to looking all around, but I have to say that a full tang version surely gives a sense of security...
 
Thanks again...

Yeah.. that was the reason I went that way. Even though I'm confident in the construction after testing... I got enough 'nervous' feedback from the tactical arena that I thought I should give it a try. I really think the hidden tang is much more comfortable too .. and without the hand shock.

If I go with the two piece construction again.. there really is no reason why I couldn't forge weld the head onto the tang.. and even back it up with rivets.
 
I came back for a second, closer look. That first one looks almost perfect to me, as a weapon. Not that I have experience with that, but it looks to me about right for the job.
The two piece construction is very cool and I would personally feel more comfortable with it were it mine if the bit was welded to the shaft in addition to rivets.
Tool steel head and spring steel shaft, with mortised hardwood handle; that sums up to me the ultimate type of build. I think you should try this with micarta one day.
 
I love the outside the box thinking, to me the second one is more my thing. A nice carpenters axe feel, with the added versatility of the spike. I like the cleanliness of the second handle too. More of a user than a tactical to me, and I like the clean look of the head more as well.

Great job :thumbup:- if I had any funds it wouldn't be going anywhere but in my soft city boy hands (God I hate admitting that now- I miss my calloused hands). :p
 
I REALLY like the second one, Just the whole integral thing and the finish on it...they both really have alot of character. Great job and I really hope you do more of them.
 
I kept up with the build on this one Scott,very interesting.I like them both and feel they both have their merits.I like the looks and lines of the first one, and the constuction of the second one.Figure out how to combine the two and that would be awesome!
 
Thanks folks..... I agree with everybody!

Lorien.... I have two current projects similar to these.. sort of a hybrid of the two... that will done in a single piece of L6. And.. one will have micarta and one will have TeroTuff.

It's more work to do the hidden tang... but the payback is big in terms of comfort I believe.
 
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