Traditional Finnish Forest Axe (hand forged)

[logjacob]

Traditional Finnish Forest Axe.
Made by old Finnish drawing.
Hand forged (by hand hammers).
Laminated steel. W108 carbon tool steel for the blade. Rockwell 58 (HRC).
Axe head length 6 inches. Blade width 4 inches.
Turpentine, linseed oil and bees wax treatment for the head.
Elm handle - 23 1/2 inches. Handle is hand shaped, linseed oiled and bees waxed.
Hand made leather blade guard.

A test peace for elm's strength in wrong direction's grain.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6816820409_ec3dff4266_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6816821951_50b880b33c_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6816813763_ed815cb365_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6816817591_f47f7c9b81_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6816815107_f0f30c3ed0_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6816812711_cf09878952_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6816811713_346241818b_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6816809257_9954902560_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6816810867_4e980aab46_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6800604161_d58f765e87_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6800604395_c6deddec52_b.jpg

[AdrianRose]

I'm liking this a lot!! I've never seen an axe handle in that shape before.

Is there any chance of a video showing this axe in action please. I'd be intrigued to see how it splits.

Cheers

Ade.

[Fletching]

Ooh, shiny! Looks like a solid woodsman's axe. :p

And nice pics too.

Why not introduce yourself Logjacob?

Steve :)

[JonnyP]

Lovely lovely work on the head, but I am not liking the look of the handle not going with the grain of the wood.

[JEEP]

Beautiful piece :happy-clapping:

[rossbird]

With Jonny on this, love the head, but the grain is a problem for the handle.
However that is the easiest part to alter:)

[Ben Casey]

I like it

[logjacob]

Hello Everyone. Yes for sure the direction for the grain should be perpendicular. It was made special wrong. It will be test one for elm bending possibilities. If I will brake it - i will replace it with correct grain. But I think it will be hard to do anyway.

From Wikipedia:

Elm wood was valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins. The elm's wood bends well and distorts easily making it quite pliant. The often long, straight, trunks were favoured as a source of timber for keels in ship construction. Elm is also prized by bowyers; of the ancient bows found in Europe, a large portion of them are elm. During the Middle Ages elm was also used to make longbows if yew was unavailable.

[luresalive]

very nice, never seen one like that before although the blade profile looks very thick, maybe good for splitting , not sure how well it would perform on carving/shaping duties.

[CanadianMike]

I love the look of it, quite different than the norm!

[JEEP]

It's a very classic 16.-17. c. style axe head. I really like it.

[rossbird]

Hello Everyone. Yes for sure the direction for the grain should be perpendicular. It was made special wrong. It will be test one for elm bending possibilities. If I will brake it - i will replace it with correct grain. But I think it will be hard to do anyway.

From Wikipedia:

Elm wood was valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins. The elm's wood bends well and distorts easily making it quite pliant. The often long, straight, trunks were favoured as a source of timber for keels in ship construction. Elm is also prized by bowyers; of the ancient bows found in Europe, a large portion of them are elm. During the Middle Ages elm was also used to make longbows if yew was unavailable.

Thanks for the explanation logjacob, hope you will let us know how the testing goes.
Again, it is a great looking axe.

[treefrog]

That's a beautiful thing. Never seen anything like it to be honest.

[andy202wr]

Mm, shiney blade. Nice shape to the head, diferent.

[LandRoverMatt]

Looks really nice ! specially as the pictures look really good

[bigstu]

love this timeless