Traditional axes in modern steels?

[Infi-del]

Curious... is anyone making traditional axes (traditional meaning a head with a socket hung on a wooden shaft) out of modern premium steels? For example... is there such a thing as a medium sized forest axe made of CPM 3V?

 

[Square_peg]

No. I'm not sure there's a need and I'm certain there's not a market.

You could ask a blacksmith to make one for you. I would expect to pay at least $500, more if you expected a high degree of finish. Exotic steels are more difficult to forge and to heat treat.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Also it's mostly unnecessary since simple carbon steels are able to achieve requisite hardness/toughness for axes. They're a tool that doesn't make sense to go beyond a certain hardness with because the kind of edge damage they often are subjected to is the sort that any edge would be damaged by no matter the steel, and above about 58 RC you have a more difficult time fixing up an edge when it does take damage. The hassle created by the more difficult maintenance generally outweighs the benefits that come with sufficiently tough steel above that hardness.

 

[Charlie_K]

For some knives, certain modern steels make a lot of sense. For axes, hatchets and the like, not really so much.

 

[Infi-del]

Well that sucks... I would have liked one.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I mean, you could still have one made. Just expect it to cost you and have no especially meaningful advantages.

 

[Charlie_K]

I mean, you could still have one made. Just expect it to cost you and have no especially meaningful advantages.

He could go the hotdog/bun route of having things done. A billet of CPM 3V to serve as the cutting edge, wedged into the front of a 1055 billet as it's formed and drawn out.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

He could go the hotdog/bun route of having things done. A billet of CPM 3V to serve as the cutting edge, wedged into the front of a 1055 billet as it's formed and drawn out.

That's more labor than just making it all out of the same material. The material itself would be extraordinarily difficult to properly forge weld due to the differences in their properties, among numerous other issues. It would frankly probably be easier to machine most CPM steels from a billet than it would be to properly forge them without first doing a lot of experimentation to dial in the process.

 

[BP_]

cardman makes a darn nice axe. If I could afford one I’d already own it. You might check him out if you’re looking for a “modern” axe. I had him make me a knife out of 5160 and it’s an absolute beast. Made very well, F&F on point, and nice leather to go with it.

 

[EngrSorenson]

I've been putting lots of hours chopping, carving and splitting with axes and hatchets this past couple of years and I can say without a doubt, axes don't require anything better than a simple 1060 carbon steel. It's durable, tough, easy to sharpen, and if I ever accidentally crushed one with a steamroller I could go buy another without taking out a second mortgage.

The most beautiful thing about the axe is that the past 10,000 years of development has rendered a few very efficient versions of the tool; no improvement required.

If you are interested in a wicked (in my head I sound like a Mainer) axe, you might check out FortyTwoBlades new axe design, the Woox brand "Forte" axe for sale on his website. It might scratch some of that itch to have something unique while providing you a very practical tool. (I really want one, but the wife keeps telling me to wait. She hates coming up with ideas for gifts for me.)