Sunday, July 23, 2006

Norse / Saxon fighting axe

What I've been doing # 1

This is actually a bit older, being one of several axes I created last winter. I had been contacted by Disney Imagineering to produce a number of reproduction objects for a presentation at Epcot in Florida. They were launching the new Norway display by having an exhibit of Viking Age artifacts on loan. They were then using the artifacts as the prototypes for the standing display.

This axe ended up slightly different from the artifact sample I was working from. The slightly upsweep to the top edge is more typical of late Anglo Saxon axes. The overall length is 21 cm, the width at the edge is 9 cm, and the weight about 600 gms. The thickness at the eye is 4 cm. The head is forged from a single block of mild steel, which was then water hardened. This is also a punched eye - which is the correct method for Saxon and Viking Age axes. (Medieval to Settlement era axes in contrast are folded and welded). This gives a distinctive profile to the head, not normally seen in modern 'replicas' (often made from folded sheet and arc welded).

The head has been fitted to a contoured ash handle, 26 cm long. The weight and handle make it suitable for single hand use - but there is enough length to permit two hands as well. The blade is sharpened with a combat grind (way too thin for wood!).

This is a highly accurate replica, bracketing the time from 600 - 800 AD.
The asking price for this axe, complete, is $300 CDN.

Drop me an e-mail at : info@warehamforge.ca if you are interested.

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February 15 - May 15, 2012 : Supported by a Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant

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