Kind of Vikingish

Church & Son

Well-Known Member
I saw a axe in a museum in Europe with the blade riveted on and it stuck in the slot in my burned out mind that says “I want to do one of those someday”. My forging has been boring lately so I needed a new kick in the pants project and this is the most intense thing I've ever done. Hours of filing! More pics when it is done, working on a blade cover/ hanger for it now………Randy

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Love it! That is really a great looking piece Randy. Please tell us more about what you used to make this. Handle material, steel etc...
 
Wow, that's cool! On the original piece, what do you suppose the purpose of a rivet design might've been? Was it a repair maybe on a family heirloom or matter of pride, or was it an early form of multi-tool (i.e. pop out rivets and replace with different blade)? Smith used different steels? Or just felt like it?

Yet another reminder that we're not that much smarter than our fore-bears as we'd like to think.
 
Thanks to all Gentlemen.
Please tell us more about what you used to make this. Handle material, steel etc..
Grafton, all the iron came from the same horse drawn turning plow. All the butt hardware and the rivets were cut-offs. Haft is a piece of White Oak from cleaning the yard, there is a pile drying in the barn. Rawhide was some I done last winter, killed with a muzzle loader. I made the copper tacks from grounding wire.

This one looks like it is fresh out of your previous life!!!
Wade we don't even want to open that can of worms BUT I was there


You mean that's NOT the museum-piece?
Brad that's as good a compliment as I've had, thanks

what do you suppose the purpose of a rivet design might've been?
Chapnelson, I've thought about that a long time and maybe that 'smith simply didn't know how to weld. I don't know but I've seen several pictures of medieval axes with rivets. Maybe easier to change out a broken blade, especially during the Bronze Age. A broken Bronze blade meant re-pouring it. I'm becoming more fascinated with that era, the overlap of the bronze and steel age.
Thanks.....Randy
 
Now all you need is a skull (A pig or cow will do) to baptize it. Well all i can say is that now you need to go ahead & make the whole outfit, sword ,shield ,helm, daggers, (at least two) No viking worth his herring would be caught with just one dagger.
 
Thank you Tai.....................Randy

... What I really enjoy about your work is the looseness and spontaneity in the hammer work. It shows really well. Some folks might call it crude,… but since there’s “continuity” through the whole package, it all ties together great! Sometime, I think I need to loosen up a bit myself. The continuity shows solidity or, “crystallization of concept“. We need to see more of that. It's so important. It all looks so sincere, well thought out, well intended and intentional. What I don’t like so much is, when a blade looks forged with hammer marks etc,… but the guard, fittings and handle are all shiny and polished. Those kind just don’t show the continuity like yours, and the overall package doesn’t tie together as well.

It’s loose, but in some ways extremely tight and that's a good thing. :)

My guess is that you either have some kind of formal training in the arts,… or you are just extremely talented,… and a natural.

Keep up the good work! Very refreshing… :)
 
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Randy
Man, Thats a great piece of work there. I agree it looks like it came right out of a museum.. WOW, just WOW! Great pics as well! Thanks for posting.
 
... What I really enjoy about your work is the looseness and spontaneity in the hammer work. It shows really well. Some folks might call it crude,… but since there’s “continuity” through the whole package, it all ties together great! Sometime, I think I need to loosen up a bit myself. The continuity shows solidity or, “crystallization of concept“. We need to see more of that. It's so important. It all looks so sincere, well thought out, well intended and intentional. What I don’t like so much is, when a blade looks forged with hammer marks etc,… but the guard, fittings and handle are all shiny and polished. Those kind just don’t show the continuity like yours, and the overall package doesn’t tie together as well.

It’s loose, but in some ways extremely tight and that's a good thing. :)

My guess is that you either have some kind of formal training in the arts,… or you are just extremely talented,… and a natural.

Keep up the good work! Very refreshing… :)

I have to agree with this. A natural.

When I first saw Randy's work I could not put my finger on it but I think you just did. There is something very REAL about it. Like craftsmen from days past are itching to work again and they are doing it through Randy's hands. A refreshing link to things that people now do not know or have forgotten.

I do not care if some of these things you come up with are deliberate or accidental, Randy, what ever it is ....keep on doing it!

Hell, I guess hogs, peanuts and tobacco are not the only gems coming out of NC.

O yeah, the BBQ is good too.

I guess we should wait and see what the sheath/blade cover looks like before we continue with this love fest. Place your bets for Kydex & velcro :)
 
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Gentlemen, I am humbled (and that ain't easy to do!)
Speechless even.




OK I'm over it. Thanks for the NON politically correct remarks. People speaking their feelings, good bad or ugly. I LOVE IT. What is this world coming to?

My guess is that you either have some kind of formal training in the arts,… or you are just extremely talented,… and a natural.
Like craftsmen from days past are itching to work again and they are doing it through Randy's hands.
There are a lot of people living in my head, some might be edumacated and talented. I'll ask.

Place your bets for Kydex & velcro
Kydex wishes it will be rawhide when it grows up. When I'm bored I count the hooks and loops on velcro just to make sure they match. QUIET or I'll throw a boot sheath at you.

Here's the hanger.
The leather is from a saddle skirt. Rawhide wrapping on the edges from the same deer as the axe and the metal hanger is from a scrap of the same plow. The cross thing is old roof flashing. Finish is black grease with dried up brown dye mixed in with varnish.......Randy

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Hell, I guess hogs, peanuts and tobacco are not the only gems coming out of NC
.
Run Faster, I hear Banjo Music!!
 
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OK the sheath/hanger is cool. Turn the love fest back on ;)

Very nice. Calm place for that blade to rest between sins.

FREEEEEEEEDDDDOOMMMMMMMM!
 
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