Hello there,

Does anyone have experience with the war axe that Cas Iberia offers on their website?
http://www.casiberia.com/product_details.asp?id=XH2079

How is the handling, the steel quality and so on? Does it come with a decent sharpness? I like the shape but am not quite sure if this is just some wallhanger or if it's a worthwhile piece.

Hello, Björn, and a warm welcome to myArmoury. I haven't actually seen that axe, but I have one of their viking axes. Mine handled more easily than a modern wood-splitting axe, and the steel seemed OK, but I had an issue with the head actually staying on the handle. That model looks a little sturdier, so you should be all right. Are you looking for a sharpened axe? Mine wasn't particularly sharp, although I sure wouldn't want to be hit by one!

Max

Thanks for your welcome, Max. :) Well, normally I like my blades sharpened but if it's not entirely blunt I can sharpen it myself. I wonder if the metal shaft is hollow. I guess so because otherwise the weight would be much higher I suppose.

Well, the website says that the shaft is "tubular," so I assume that means that it's hollow. My axe was sharpened, it just wasn't very sharp! So you should be able to do what you want with it in that respect.

Max

I have the matching mace. I am not sure if it is hollow or not. took the leather thong off and looked solid on mine. The website for the mace states it is though.... It was a fair construction. I have better results with it than many of its competators were the flangs bent or some even broke.... I do not think the head is one piece.... I fear it uses screws..... so far I have had it for 5 years and it has had no major issues even after detroying an old metal and plastic answer machine (I just lost it.... well actually I figured it would be funny to see what it would do to some lightweight metal that was shaped not flat and the machine was terrible to start with). I have used it with a pell quite a bit without any padidng and no loosening. Never owned the axe but have played with it before. Seemed nice enough. I plan on buying it someday. I have seen them for 80 dollars before so not much of an investment.

RPM

Ok, so far it doesn't seem bad. I've read the description on the website again and according to that the shaft must be a steel tube just as the mace's. That's a bonus point for the axe... sturdier and better balance.

What about this brass object on the top, does it have some function like holding the axe blade or the mace head in place? Or is it just decoration? In that case I would rather saw it off... doesn't look very decorative in my opinion.

Hello Björn! I'm a longtime lurker, first time poster, and I actually own this axe. I haven't gotten to use it all that much, but I can give you my impressions. I tried to take some photos to demonstrate some of this, but discovered that my camera is completely messed up - sorry!

First off, this axe is very hefty. I suppose this is to be expected with the steel shaft, but I honestly feel quite clumsy using it one-handed. With two hands, control vastly improves, but the handle is clearly designed for one hand, and the shaft really isn't long enough for two-handed use to be practical, in my opinion.

To be fair, this clumsiness could easily be due to my fairly slim stature; my larger, more muscular friends find the axe very much to their liking. So, make of that what you will - personally, I would feel much more confident in a fight with a lighter, wood-hafted axe than this beast.

The construction is a hollow, outer black steel tube with a solid steel rod running down the space in the middle. As for the brass object at the top, it definitely looks like it's screwed on or otherwise attached (that is to say, it's definitely a separate piece) though I couldn't get it loose by hand. Not sure if it's purely decorative or if it actually serves a purpose. The matching pommel/buttcap (not sure what to call it) on the bottom does unscrew, however - this reveals that the handle portion is actually made of wood, with the wire wrapping on top. The central metal rod, mentioned earlier, passes through the center of the wood like the tang of a sword, with the bottom end threaded for the pommel/buttcap to screw on.

Aesthetically speaking, I think the axe is very nice. All of the parts fit together well, and I think the wire wrap is especially attractive. One thing to note, though, is that the brass wire which overlays the silver has become a little loose even with my very limited use.

So, overall, I definitely like the axe - it feels very solid in the hand, it's visually very nice, and I'm confident that it would demolish anything I swing it at. It looks like you can find it fairly cheaply, too, so that's a big plus (mine was a gift). But, in terms of handling, I have to say that it isn't a good fit for me. Just too hefty and clumsy for me to wield effectively. Your experience may be different, though.

Hope this helps - If I get my camera working again, I'll be sure to take some photos for you.

I don't have any experience with that axe, however I do own this axe from Arms and Armor. I can recommend it without reservation and you can read a review of it here on myArmoury in the reviews section.

First of all, thank you Charles, for your detailed description! This certainly helps me getting a better impression of the axe. I can imagine that it is quite hefty... while the weight doesn't seem that high the balance is another thing. And a full metal axe is certainly not a light weapon.
I must say that the wire wrapping is something I don't like on weapons at all. Is it possible to get it off and change it for a leather wrapping?

Thanks for your recommendation, Andy. Indeed the A & A one does match my taste even better. The only thing is, I really hate the shipping costs and the customs duty when buying things from the US. It gets so darn expensive that I couldn't get myself to order anything outside the European Union so far. :(