Sometimes You Just Need an Ax

So, I found myself needing a new caving ax. My previous version was hot forged out of a leaf spring and hafted into the handle in a rather primitive style. During the Easter trip home I hit the flea markets with my father-in-law with the intentions of picking up a antiuqe, vintage, or just plain rusty ax head I could modify for my purposes.

Thanks to my my bargain hunting buddy's quick eye, and a five dollar bill I came into possession of this high carbon lovely patina bearing beauty.

It quickly occurred to us that twice the blades meant two axes if I was careful while rough cutting.

I chunked a two dollar cutting wheel on the 4.5" angle grinder and I had two ax head blanks.The primary concern is overheating the cuttig edge, but a nearby bucket of water keeps the heat in check. An occasional quick dip was all that was needed.

The general idea was a pair of bearded axes.

Some additional shaping with with a grinding wheel and a 40 grit flap sander yeilded a couple of pleasing shapes.There was little attention given to the surface finish, as the intention is to induce rust pitting, followed by a vinegar etching. The rust is encouraged by soaking the steel in a bleach and salt water solution. It is pointless to do any sharpening before this step. The cutting edge would just get eaten away. The additional swirls, scratches, and imperfections make me smile, so I skipped the polishing. After a few years of handling the steel should develop a nice warm patina that invites you to handle and use the the tool without fear of hurting it. I like my gear to be attractive, yet still rugged.

To that end, the first piece and the smaller of the two, got a hand cut oak handle. A red oak trim board could have been obtained easily enough, but that would have underminded the intended idea and aesthetic.

I found a suitable piece of oak in a pile of five inch thick branches that were rescued last month, before they could make the trip to the dump. After the general shape was carved the head was mounted.

The final shaping and sanding process was followed by a ferric acetate wood stain. This sounds impressive, but it is pretty simple. Soak some fine oil free steel wool in vinegar for at least twenty-four hours. When you brush this solution on a tannin heavy wood like oak the tannins react with the iron and turn a deep grey black. If the wood you want to stain is not tannin rich, brew some strong black tea and brush it over the wood. Let it dry, and then apply the vinegar solution.

I followed that up with a commercial walnut colored stain and seal in one that I had lying around. The result is a deep brown with heavy black sinews.

The unique bone shape is an artifact caused by a nasty looking knot at the base of the handle. Once I carved around it I fell in love with the extra detail. The grip is extremely comfortable and feels natural. The heft and balance are perfect whether battoning or carving up close. There is a slight twist along the length that makes the aim instinctive. The steel isn't as high carbon as it could be, but it has held an edge well under pretty heavy use. Overall I couldn't be more pleased with the results, and now I have a nice ax to carve the handle for his big brother.