Florentine Axe and Hammer Project

[Ringulf]

So I was looking at this great old felling axe that I felt needed a new life, that said I decided an axe and hammer project would be a great way to release the inner dwarven smith in me!

The two heads are cut from the same single axehead and ground to the form you see in the pictures below. I have cleaned them up a bit after being reground with the emery wheel on my rotery and whire wheel afer that.
I applied that great vinegar and dishsoap mixture and am letting them sit for a while to get the greying.

I will be starting on the hafting later on today, but I thought I would share with you all, another way to take something old and nearly useless and turn it into something....well...new and nearly useless!
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Let me know what you think, I wanted to get some opinions on the nicest way to haft them.
I was thinking about a kind of dwarven looking coach whip like the warhammer stuff but am not quite sure of the best way to finnish the top and bottom properly.

[Peter Remling]

Love the axehead, still on the fence re: the hammer head. I do have to say the design is inspired.

When I read the text I thought you were going to use a Double bit and cut out a portion of one of the blades for a head and a thin piece of the second for a spike back.

Very different and I'm awaiting the pics on the completed version.

[kaelln]

I'm the opposite of Pete, on the fence about the axe, but just love, love, love the hammer head!

[Ringulf]

I am pretty sure I am going to mount the axe so that the long aggressive piont is up like a Sweedish axe rather than down like a more bearded style.

Unfortunately the only design flaw, if you can call it that, it is more just a preference, is the fact that I have to use a modern tapered handle and reform it a bit to make it look more medeival.

I chose a 28" boys single bit hickory handle. Again opinions are solicited but my thought was to do them in green and brown with carved celtic knotwork at the throat and butt with a few runes. I can do the coachwhipping in leather or carve it into the handle I guess either would look nice, I have done the leather braiding and it looks pretty but again the fastening on top and bottom of the leather grip is my bugaboo (winding it with cord perhaps?). I would actually be much better at carving it, then I can vary the stain between the green and the brown to make it look nice.

What do you think?

[Ringulf]

When I read the text I thought you were going to use a Double bit and cut out a portion of one of the blades for a head and a thin piece of the second for a spike back.

you know I think you have just given me my next florentine project Pete!

I could take a double bit head and make two identical spike hawks from it!

Damn so many ideas never enough time!

[R.D.Metcalf]

I love both these weapons!! You did an excellent job ressurecting that axe into two very worthy weapons, indeed! Two things I absolutely adore in weaponry, are large swords and skull splitters.
Excellent work, I raise my horn to your craft, sir!

Ironic though it may seem considering my tag line, either one of these would be my preferred weapon on horseback, with a slight lean towards the axe, Check out the following link the axes displayed here are late period but no less "Viking": http://norskevaapen.no/

I thought the hafts very interesting and useful for a fighting axe

[Ringulf]

Ah! I have always admired that late period, backswept Norwegian axe! Believe it or not the serpentine Langlets were something I was actually concidering using for this project! I think they would add a bit of extra weight to the head but most likely not enough to preclude me using it one handed.

Makes a dandy spot for the runic inscription though!

[Eledhwen]

Ai! I have a serious weakness for warhammers. Just love 'em. Very, very nice.

Eledhwen

[E.MacKermak]

Just our of curiosity, what are you using to cut those?

Very nice job.

[Ringulf]

Well without getting to explicit for her sake let me just say it can be both fun and frightening to have a girlfriend with a plasma cutter.

Of course I could also say that if I were to say any more the dwarven armorers guild could haul me up on charges and pluck out my beard!

Yeah and lots of grinding.

Haft is on the axe carving burning and staining almost finished I think I am going to attempt the actual coach whipping for the handle but not right away.

[Willrett]

They look great I cant wait to see the hammer.

[Peter Remling]

The knotwork is great and I love the color stain !

[theowl]

That's rad. How is the head attached?

[Ringulf]

I sunk the head down so that the slit was about half way to the bottom of the drift hole, then I drove a harwood wedge into it to spread it properly, all that was saturated with wood glue from both sides to make it grip a bit tougher.

[E.MacKermak]

Well without getting to explicit for her sake let me just say it can be both fun and frightening to have a girlfriend with a plasma cutter.

Oh well...beyond my ability.