Hello Everyone

Arms & Armor Highlight items for April, yes I said items, will be the #058 Classic Medieval Dagger and the #130 Crusader Dagger. Your choice or both for $135.00 each. Check out the newspage for details and some new items and custom pieces.

Really busy at the moment so I have to go but more on that soon :)

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Can't wait to hear why you're so busy at the moment. Sounds like big news :D

Can't wait to see what the surprise will be this month!!! :D :D :D

June's Highlight Item was just posted on the Arms & Armor site.

Yes A & A strike again a blow at my bank balance. :p

The axe looks very very tempting and the price is hard to resist ........... Hmmmmmmm: Another E-Mail to Craig is very possible.

I wonder what other surprises he has in the pipeline ? It's good to have a few things from A & A in the lower price range as well as the medium price range. :D Although A & A does have some more expensive things in the high or high-medium range the value for money is way up there IMHO.

Link to special page to save you guys some time: http://www.arms-n-armor.com/news.html

A question for Craig,

Is the head blackened? If this is so will the final version be likewise? What time period does this axe represent?

Thanks,
Jeremy

Are these axe heads forged or cast? I may need two or three! :lol:

Hi Guys

The heads will be black Jeremy on both the Highlight item and the stock piece when it is ready. It helps keep the price down. You of course can order them with no paint and finish the steel up yourself if you like.

R.E. they are cast in tool steel. Save reason as above, hand forging axes at that price would mean paying ourselves far east wages and my wife would not approve ;) They hold up pretty well and would equate to a medium to low cabon steel from the period as far as durability and such.

Keep well
Craig

OOps forgot time frame.

Axe heads in several varieties will ebb and flow in history with styles reappearing over time. There are a couple of periods where something like this could be seen. The ones we looked to as examples for this are of late Roman through early Viking period. The particular one in Peterson was found with a sword that had Carolingian influences.

Best
Craig

Just recieved two of these today.

Darn nice for the cash involved.

Have not tried throwing them, but I think they would throw well enough. Handle seems to be well formed and sturdy. Its all secured together by a wooden wedge which, based on what I've seen from old farm axes, might work loose over time. I suspect the handle is Ash, but don't know for sure, ovalized. Cleanly executed overall.

Craig (and/or Joe),

Any predictions to how well the axe might hold up to HEAVY use? (e.g. splitting wood)

For this price, I'd be up for trying one out as a working axe, but only if you guys think that it could handle the repeated shock. I wouldn't think less of the piece if it isn't. After all, there are differences between purpose built weapons and tools. This looks similar enough to some working axe designs that I thought I'd ask, though. :D

Evenin Guys

I am not sure heavy use in the context of lets split a cord of wood kind of work would be applicable. The leverage and handle length are not the best for heavy splitting but as a camp axe it should do pretty well. Tool steel head will hold a bit of an edge especially against softer woods and would work well for camp duty type jobs i.e. loping branches splitting kindling the odd stake pounding, that type of thing. The head shape is close to the axes they used for blazing trails in the colonial period. The longer beards are not the best for heavy chopping but are good for controled shaping and such.

You also see a few heads like this in boarding axes from the age of sail.

I have tried throwing them a bit and they seem pretty good.

Best
Craig

Hello Jean

Yes we could quench the edge. I am not sure how hard we could get the piece I would have to try ait and see. Probably into the period range of hardness for some of these pieces but I doubt getting close to the 50's range.

One could weld on a cutting edge to get that if it was needed but I do not think even modern axes are hardened to that point.

Best
Craig