Redemption

Breathing Life into something new

Now that the Shop is back in action and running, a friend of mine wanted me to build him a pair of axes/hatchets that he could have on a wall with his children’s names engraved on each for display. 

As he began to describe what he was looking for I just so happen to be in my shop at the time and grabbed some paper and began sketching a mockup. I’ve seen a few axes where people had done some rather intricate carvings where they created the appearance of a composite handle, but was a phenomenal stain job. Having the different colors provided me with a highlight area for engraving names, initials, etc. 

As with most of my axe projects, the handle is truly where I spend most of my time. For this project, my client wanted something smaller than my normal 28″ axes/hatchets. As such I had to sort out what kind of head to use and where to source one. Considering the budget as well I wanted to remain as close to his number as possible. This pretty much cut out any chance of me being able to source a vintage head and the reshaping process. 

It just so happens a individual I’m connected with on Facebook, has shared with me a project that he was doing with Damascus axe head he had got out of Michigan. The more I looked into it, I figured for the price it was a gamble I was willing to take. 

Once I received the steel, I made quick work of a handle in Fusion 360 based upon some ideas I had sketched out and as well as some inspiration I gathered from others doing similar in Pinterest.