SHOW ME YOUR AXES

[Sloughfoot]

The handle on my midweight Hults Bruk maul feels a bit short. When they're back in stock I might replace it with a 2" longer Osage Orange.

 

[dangerousatom]

Here's a hand forged throwing hatchet/tomahawk I made a few years ago from a 24oz ball peen hammer head.

 

[Wilhelm]

Here's a hand forged throwing hatchet/tomahawk I made a few years ago from a 24oz ball peen hammer head.

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Are You blacksmithing actively?

Ever tried making something out of ISO 12.9 grade bolt steel?

It is great for round stock when making sturdy tooling & stuff (cold milling & turning, even welding onto soft steel).
I don't know how it would behave being worked glowing hot though.

 

[dangerousatom]

Not actively, I was at a forge a few years ago for a family get together. It was an 8 hour thing along with knowledgeable people for tips so I had time to screw around with it until it was right.

From what I remember its all about heat control. If you get good steel too hot it will go brittle if not brought down properly. Supposedly the cutting edge of that tomahawk is harder then the rest of it because of the way we cooled it down. It holds a razor sharp edge good enough to shave the hair off your hand.

 

[Wilhelm]

Not actively, I was at a forge a few years ago for a family get together. It was an 8 hour thing along with knowledgeable people for tips so I had time to screw around with it until it was right.

From what I remember its all about heat control. If you get good steel too hot it will go brittle if not brought down properly. Supposedly the cutting edge of that tomahawk is harder then the rest of it because of the way we cooled it down. It holds a razor sharp edge good enough to shave the hair off your hand.

I have a basic understanding of steel hardening/quenching and tempering.
I had a class in highschool regarding steel alloys and involved machining.
Unfortunately most got forgotten as I did not use that info at all at my job.

Even in factory intended form 12.9 grade bolt steel is quite hard due to its alloy composition.

I welded a 12.9 grade bolt shaft onto one of my worn down hatchets, just ground the blade back into shape with a 9" angle grinder afterwards.
I considered quenching the blade, but decided to give it a chance "stock" - it is holding up quite well to abuse.
I need to take pictures of it, sharpen it, and keep tracking how it behaves.

Due to a project I was obsessed with (and that spiraled out of sane control) I have a bunch of cut off 12.9 grade bolt pieces and was just wondering what I could do with them other than utilizing them as round stock when possible or scrap them which would be a waste.



My hatchet fix

Post in thread 'SHOW ME YOUR AXES'

Jan 25, 2025

My attempt of restoring some blade life on a decades old hatchet by welding a 12.9 grade bolt piece to the ground back blade.


After a fair amount of grinding it came out to this.
Need to use it and see whether I have to try quench the blade or not.

• Wilhelm

• 
• 

 

[Wilhelm]

Curious how good the bolt worked out for the ax edge. Is the steel too soft or too hard or too brittle?

It has been a couple months since I did the fix and the hatchet got used and abused.
The blade is holding up very well all things considered.
I will try remember taking pictures of it tomorrow and give it a first sharpening since the fix got done.

The 12.9 grade bolt steel blade is hard enough to withstand abuse, yet not too hard to be brittle.

I have kinda become obsessed with 12.9 grade bolt steel.
So much so that working some 10.9 grade bolts doesn't tickle my fancy much, even though it is a good alloy.

 

[Woodslasher]

I got this unusual little hatchet head for £15 / $20 plus postage. It weighs 1lb 11oz. The eye is circular and 3/4" in diameter. Its smooth, rounded shape fits nicely in the hand. It arrived with quite a sharp edge. It looks quite old. I can't find any info about the manufacturer.

I'm thinking that it is a travel or pack axe. It would be carried in a leather sheath (now missing) and when needed a stick would be cut from a tree or hedge, tapered and stuck in the eye as a handle.

Has anyone seen a similar hatchet?

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Shepherds axe is kinda what it looks like to me.

 

[Wilhelm]

Google says 39-44 HRC for ISO 12.9 grade bolt steel, depending on level of factory quenching & tempering.

Just an FYI

 

[SimonHS]

Shepherds axe is kinda what it looks like to me.

Yes, I think you are right. It looks very similar. I had never heard of those before. Thanks!

Shepherd's axe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[davidwyby]

Now I need one

 

[SimonHS]

Now I need one

Over here you would get arrested for carrying a walking stick with an axe on the top.

 

[davidwyby]

I’m thinking a little more utilitarian. Roofer hammer/hatchet, small head or something on a 36” handle

 

[Wilhelm]

Here is the first impression of my hatchet blade fix.
Close to 10 months of nearly daily use.


A couple minutes with a small angle grinder flap disk.



And a couple minutes with a Husqvarna flat file to get the bur off.



I am not going to quench this hatchets blade.
The welded on ISO 12.9 grade bolt steel is exactly what this hatchet needs.

There is a a small nick in the blade after grinding, it will get ground out on future sharpening's.