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Greg Griggs
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 Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 8:45 am Post subject: Saxon Huscarl Axe by Eric McHugh |
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After many hair-raising hours, Eric finally finished Patrick Kelly's Huscarl Axe. Think everyone will agree that it's a monster, but an absolutely beautiful monster. 
Only have one pic at this time, but I'm sure PK will have more in short order. Here are the stats as he describs them:
Haft five feet in length, about ten inches across the edge, traditional three-piece construction consisting of a mild steel socket and body, with a higher carbon steel edge.
I'll let Eric put his thoughts in on this one, if he has a mind to, but from what PK describes, it is as close a re-creation as possible to the available references.
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 9:05 am Post subject: |
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Looks great.  The axe I mean.  
Oh, Patrick seems to have lost weight and in great shape: Good thing with the size of that axe. 
Teasing aside, I'm looking forward to seeing more pics of this one from various angles and a few statistics.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Jeremy V. Krause
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 10:12 am Post subject: |
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I think that axe is probably the coolest thing put on this website in months. I want one, bad. . .
Jeremy
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Jeremy V. Krause
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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No comments on this spectacular axe? This may well be one of the first authentically produced war axes in centuries.
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Jeremy V. Krause wrote: | | No comments on this spectacular axe? This may well be one of the first authentically produced war axes in centuries. |
You might need to wait more than 6 hours for more commentary....
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Eric McHugh
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 2:40 pm Post subject: Thanks. |
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Thanks. I appreciate it.
This is a reproduction of an axe that I documented in Uppsala in 2004 with Peter Johnsson. We had the privilege of holding this axe and documenting every mm of it.
I need to make small correction. I fully intended to make this a three part axe, but I'm just not skilled enough to do the welding on the blade. After a pile of mistakes, I forged the eye out of mild steel and then forged a blade section that is shaped exactly like the original, and then forge welded those two sections together. So, I guess it is a two part axe that is shaped like the original.
I appreciate Patrick for his patience. Delivery was delayed because of numerous mistakes and attempts. This project was a bear; it is not easy to move that size piece of steel at welding temperature around your smithy. It gets a bit hairy at times, but overall, it was a good experience.
Find me on Facebook, or check out my blog. Contact me at eric@crownforge.net or ericmycue374@comcast.net if you want to talk about a commission or discuss an available piece.
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Jeremy V. Krause
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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Eric,
I appreciate your forthcoming nature regarding your comments with the construction of this piece. It is really nice and I hope that you are committed to pursuing an absolutely authentic construction. How do you feel about the use of iron in the socket/blade body portion? Would straight up iron be dramatically different than mild steel to forge?
thanks very much,
Jeremy[/i]
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: Thanks. |
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| Eric McHugh wrote: | Thanks. I appreciate it.
This is a reproduction of an axe that I documented in Uppsala in 2004 with Peter Johnsson. We had the privilege of holding this axe and documenting every mm of it.
I need to make small correction. I fully intended to make this a three part axe, but I'm just not skilled enough to do the welding on the blade. After a pile of mistakes, I forged the eye out of mild steel and then forged a blade section that is shaped exactly like the original, and then forge welded those two sections together. So, I guess it is a two part axe that is shaped like the original.
I appreciate Patrick for his patience. Delivery was delayed because of numerous mistakes and attempts. This project was a bear; it is not easy to move that size piece of steel at welding temperature around your smithy. It gets a bit hairy at times, but overall, it was a good experience. |
Congratulations on the 2 part axe that looks like a 3 part axe.
Is the edge heat treated harder than the rest of the axe ? Edge hardening only ?
Sort of reminds me of the axes Albion used to sell that were made in India: I have one of those and it looks reasonably good but yours inspires more confidence in the overall quality and the way it is put together.
It's even more desirable being based on precise measurements of a period original.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Thomas Watt
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, that thing is just beautiful!
I really, really like it.
Looking at the photo makes me want to hold/have it...
Looks like a good whack with that would really ruin the other fella's day!
Have 11 swords, 2 dirks, half a dozen tomahawks and 2 Jeeps - seem to be a magnet for more of all.
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Hugo Voisine
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice axe. I would like to see more pics, including full-length shots and some close-up of the head...
« Que dites-vous ?... C'est inutile ?... Je le sais !
Mais on ne se bat pas dans l'espoir du succès !
Oh ! non, c'est bien plus beau lorsque c'est inutile ! »
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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Heck, I'd like to see a shot of that monster chopping through something! That is one fearsome weapon!
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Greyson Brown
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Very scary looking. And the axe is impressive, too. If you talk to Patrick before I do, tell him congratulations for me. I know he was really looking forward to this piece.
Jeremy - I'm not Eric, so he may have different opinions on the matter, but it is my understanding that true wrought iron is very easy to forge weld (the lower carbon conent avoids the problem of burning your material). There would still be a couple of down sides to using iron, though. One is that the piece will still be the same size. I think Eric has mentioned before that he uses a gas forge, and those can be a bit restricting. If he wants to come use my coal forge, he can, but the conditions will probably be less than idea for welding, as I do not have a real shop. Either way, he'll still have the problem that, " it is not easy to move that size piece of steel at welding temperature around your smithy."
The other serious issue with using true iron is that it has been quite some time (at least to the best of my knowledge) since anyone in this country has commercially produced wrought in any kind of real quantity. That means that, even if you can find it, it ain't-a-gonna be cheap.
-Grey
"So long as I can keep the path of honor I am well content."
-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company
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Eric McHugh
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Jean Thibodeau wrote: | | Is the edge heat treated harder than the rest of the axe ? Edge hardening only ? |
Yes, that is correct Jean, the edge is hardened and the body and socket are soft.
| Jeremy V. Krause wrote: | | It is really nice and I hope that you are committed to pursuing an absolutely authentic construction. How do you feel about the use of iron in the socket/blade body portion? Would straight up iron be dramatically different than mild steel to forge? |
Not to sound defensive, but I AM committed to making an authentic axe. I mean the market is filled with axes that are simply metal plates arc welded to pieces of pipe. With this axes, I was striving to use original construction methods within the scope of my abilities, but more significantly, the axe has the shape and character of the original. To me, this is more important than the construction method. I mean if I hadn't mentioned that it was a two part axe, no one would have known the difference. Visually, however, it looks like the original, and as far as handling...well it feels and handles authentically.
As far as using iron, it is a bit difficult to find iron in large quantities. I have a small supply but nothing large enough to make an axe eye. Modern mild steel is good steel and not bad to forge weld. In addition, its characteristics are close enough to iron for my purposes. Hope this helps
Find me on Facebook, or check out my blog. Contact me at eric@crownforge.net or ericmycue374@comcast.net if you want to talk about a commission or discuss an available piece.
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Steve Maly
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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To borrow a lyric from The Tubes: "She's a Beauty!"
"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." ~A. Maslow
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J. D. Carter
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| Posted: Fri 17 Aug, 2007 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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Just the thing for striking an offensive blow from behind the shield wall or slinging over ones shoulder for that long trek to Byzantium & the new Varangian gig. Congratulations to both the creator and its new caretaker. What a beautiful beast.
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Robin Smith
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| Posted: Sat 18 Aug, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: |
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Greg, tell P he needs to get it engraved "Souvenier du Senlac"  ? No but seriously, its been hard to reach P as often these days since he started the new gig, so if you talk to him first tell him it looks great...
Rob
A furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine
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Jeremy V. Krause
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| Posted: Sun 19 Aug, 2007 10:34 am Post subject: |
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| Eric McHugh wrote: | [
Not to sound defensive, but I AM committed to making an authentic axe. I mean the market is filled with axes that are simply metal plates arc welded to pieces of pipe. With this axes, I was striving to use original construction methods within the scope of my abilities, but more significantly, the axe has the shape and character of the original. To me, this is more important than the construction method. I mean if I hadn't mentioned that it was a two part axe, no one would have known the difference. Visually, however, it looks like the original, and as far as handling...well it feels and handles authentically.
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Hello Eric,
I certainly respect the work you are doing with your axes and I understand your committment to historical accuracy. My comment above was not phrased correctly. What I meant to ask is are you going to attempt to reproduce the three part construction.
I do own the fact that I tend to be kind of anal (I couldn't think of a better term sorry) with the construction of historical weapons. If it is possible I will always want to spend my money on the most authentic piece featuring both exacting reproduction of construction and completely authentic handling characteristics.
But as I have written previously- this is an absolutely stunning axe.
Jeremy
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Vegard Stomsvik Pedersen
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| Posted: Sun 19 Aug, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful axe!
Wish I had one...
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Peter Törlind
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| Posted: Sun 19 Aug, 2007 1:37 pm Post subject: Axe... |
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Nice one
I was planning to buy a Gränsfor replica http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/produkter/index.html "The battle axe" (a bit smaller only 1,2 kg and 85 cm) but this one is much nicer...
Gränsfors is a Swedish company that creates the best axes in Sweden today, they also manufacture a replica series that are really nice, see more info here http://www.gransfors.com/downloads/pdf/GNY-eng.pdf I have a couple of their normal axes and the Broad Axe and they are nice choppers!
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Stephen S. Han
Location: Westminster, CA Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Posts: 211
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| Posted: Sun 19 Aug, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't think it was possible for Patrick to look anymore intimidating...
Nice axe. I'm a just a wee fella, so it wouldn't look good on me, but it's quite appropriate for someone of Patrick's size.
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