Forging a Viking Age Broad Axe

groundguy Says:

Jun 17, 2010 - masterful! thanks for the video and i will be a avid follower from now on. Please keep them comming :D

stavros500 Says:

Jul 7, 2010 - I wonder how they made the first hammer (not wood)

jimerick1 Says:

Jul 8, 2010 - the sounds of the hammering that ping sound. it get me gousebump, i love it

Tynanboyle96 Says:

Aug 1, 2010 - The Last of the vikings.

ASiLAYdyingKYLE Says:

Sep 1, 2010 - what OZ is your hammer

chialeux514 Says:

Sep 30, 2010 - Very nice work ! However, I'm just wondering how practical such an axe might be in real use. The axe seems to me a bit cartoony. You said the Bayeux tapestry was your reference. Keep in mind these were all very stylized and simplified, representations. If you wanted to reproduce, say, a spear as depicted on the same tapestry and you had never seen one, the piece you might end up with would be no more than a quarter-inch thick or so. Thanks for posting !

DarrellatWareham Says:

Sep 30, 2010 - warehamforgeblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/t-shaped-broadaxe-new-details.htmlProvides some more details on the archaeology of this type of ship building tool.

Rich5578 Says:

Dec 3, 2010 - What you call a 'slitting chisel' I've always known as a 'hot set' as in it's for cutting hot metal (not hardened or tempered), you can also get a 'cold set' which is hardened and tempered and as the name says is for cutting cold metal. Same reason why you can buy a 'cold chisel' from a tool shop.

DarrellatWareham Says:

Dec 3, 2010 - 'Rich'What I mean is specifically a 'slitting chisel'. Two 1/8" dia pilot holes were drilled. The chisel I used is made of air hardening tool steel, 1" wide by 3/16" thick. It was driven down from both sides, using the holes as a guide. I consider a 'hot set' to be a narrow wedge *on a handle*. I think this is also what you are referring to? (We learn in isolation, language is slippery some times!)

MrSaxonwarrior Says:

Dec 7, 2010 - Hi Darrel i wanted to show you a video of a young chap trying to say hes making a Saxon viking pattern weld sword this guy has no idear how much work went in to a viking sword making .youtube.com/watch?v=62iHEaE8uzICould you reply back to me please and tell me what you think. Danka Darrel

impavitus Says:

Dec 16, 2010 - how clean does the metal need to be to accomplish the forge weld? I was tempting that today but did not get fusion. Also, do you use borax as a flux? Thanks

DarrellatWareham Says:

Dec 18, 2010 - In the research, and later, I found at least three existing artifact samples. I must admit that I did not specifically ask about the practicality of this tool at the Viking Ship Museum. We did talk generally about the use of broadaxes (yes) against adzes (no) based on tool marks on the original ship timbers.Does make this seem like a real working tool in the Viking Age

DarrellatWareham Says:

Dec 18, 2010 - There are a number of things that can screw up a forge weld. NOT CLEAN is the easiest to provide for - and one thing that certainly can result in a failed weld. Personally, I will put the faces to join on to the belt sander and rough grind all the fire scale off to bare metal. I use cheaper 'washing' borax - and plenty of it. It does mess up the fire, but I find it better to have too much - than not enough!

HowToHistory Says:

Dec 22, 2010 - I appreciate the amount of effort that must have gone into this project. Have you actually tried to use the axe? If so, how did it perform?

ConorC96 Says:

Mar 17, 2011 - Could a fire pit be used as a forge?

deathofkindness Says:

Apr 16, 2011 - massive respect...

lsk300mag Says:

Apr 21, 2011 - like to see clearer video but cool thanks for making it

TheGarcia350 Says:

May 12, 2011 - he made an axe...wow!

Antiks72 Says:

Jul 25, 2011 - epic beard is epic.

MrZeus232 Says:

Aug 3, 2011 - He looks like viking even without axe.

Arelak Says:

Oct 24, 2011 - How hot does it have to be to make an iron or steel axe (forge). 

shawtyshawts Says:

Nov 4, 2011 - Was this recorded on a cell phone? But that is great work, very impressive

TheKordox Says:

Jan 14, 2012 - Hello Today I will forge weld a three-pronged blade length of 500 mm head. Your video is an inspiration to do it. Keep your fingers crossed. I'll know how it went.

levishort36 Says:

Jan 23, 2012 - I want this video on my GD900 Crystal phone.

Shunmite Says:

Mar 23, 2012 - what a huge axe! i want to learn forging too