Kult of Athena's Coliseum Battle Axe -- myArmoury.com

Corey Skriletz

I know this is a very cheap axe...which is why I've been eying it, as moths actually fly out of my wallet when I open it. However, I really don't care about the haft, I'm more interested in the head. I am also aware that this axe isn't exclusive to Kult of Athena (it litters the internet), but I had that link on hand. I would like to use the head for a different project, does anybody have this axe? If so could you tell me about its quality and post a picture of you holding the axe so I can get an idea of its size? Thanks.

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...Battle+Axe

P. Cha · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 1:09 am Post subject:

Cheap chinese stainless steel head. Sold at bud K. I believe the term run awaaaaay may apply here.

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 1:12 am Post subject:

I'm not looking for a whole lot of quality here. I just need a cheap axe head for show before New Years. But it needs to be pretty big, big enough for a two-handed axe.

P. Cha · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 1:33 am Post subject:

If it's just for looks, fine I suppose...but this axe head will be a bit small for a 2 handed axe IMHO. It's also thin and pretty cheap looking so not really a good show piece either.

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 1:46 am Post subject:

Oh! Well it's good you told me that. Thanks! Thank you, especially, for your prompt response.

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 4:46 am Post subject:

About 10 times the cost but how about this one by BKS at KoA:

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...+Cross+Axe

Or this one " only " 5 times the price but probably reasonably decent but of a similar style with a backspike:

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...Battle+Axe

Or look at these directly from BKS:

http://imakeswords.com/axes.htm

This one only twice your price point but of very good quality by A&A:

http://www.arms-n-armor.com/pole213.html

A&A Hungarian axe also really interesting:

http://www.arms-n-armor.com/pole104.html

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 6:16 pm Post subject:

Thank you Jean. I am looking for a large, even-bladed axe head like the BKS Trifoil Cross Axe - BKS181 you linked me to, but I would prefer one without a shape of any sort cut out of the blade. Or did they cut shapes out of axe blades in the 12th century? Unfortunately these are all way out of my price range. I have been working with my friend's forge. So far I have been making a fairly good billhook. I was thinking about doing an axe head next, but I have no idea how I would make the socket.

Gregory J. Liebau · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 7:27 pm Post subject:

This is not a stainless steel axe. It is a relatively good quality, stout blade. Used one for chopping wood and such for quite a while before I modified it for Varangian reenactment some years ago. I mounted the head on a pole and ground the silly stuff off of it. Looked quite good, but was rather small for the size of the shaft I had it on. I plan to buy another and modify it more appropriately. Cheers!

-Gregory

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 8:01 pm Post subject:

Gregory: I didn't get the link.

Gregory J. Liebau · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 8:52 pm Post subject:

I'm talking about the one you asked about in the first place. Cheers!

-Gregory

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject:

Oh I see. What silly stuff are you referring to? Also, you don't have any pictures of you holding the axe so I could get an idea of the size, do you? Or at least a measurement of the blade? Thanks.

David Hohl · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject:

If you're making your own, the way you forge an axe head is to wrap a flat piece of steel around something the shape of your handle, and weld the two halves together. Conventionally both sides would be the same size, so that you'd be 'wrapping' at the middle of the piece, and welding two pieces together for the entire head of the axe, but I've seen some done where you only wrap a little bit around the socket and weld it to the side of the axe head. If that description didn't make sense, these images show you a couple options:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29577744@N06/3254734635/

http://m1059.sgded.com/~dfoggkni/uploads/mont...240546.jpg

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 11:32 pm Post subject:

That is very helpful, thank you. The axe at the bottom left-hand corner of the second image, how does that attach to the haft? And in figure B IV: is that a piece of metal between the two halves of the head? Thanks again for posting this.

David Hohl · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 11:46 pm Post subject:

That's a socket axe, I think. Those first appeared during the bronze age, and would be attached, often by lashing, to an L-shaped haft, such as a piece of forked tree branch. If you're portraying 12th century I'd say you needn't worry about them.

David Hohl · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 11:48 pm Post subject:

Oh, and the small piece of metal constituting the edge of the finished axe is a piece of harder steel: the hard steel holds a sharp edge, and the softer steel of the rest of the head absorbs the shock much better than the brittle edge steel.

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Mon 28 Nov, 2011 11:51 pm Post subject:

Fascinating. I can't thank you enough for this. I imagine I will be going through a lot of propane and scrap metal on this project.

Gregory J. Liebau · Posted: Tue 29 Nov, 2011 9:27 am Post subject:

Hey Corey,

I cut the brass spike off the top and also cut the spike off the back of the axe, smoothing out the socket and just leaving the crescent head. This isn't a very good picture. I was rather young, sixteen or so... The shaft looks to be about 5'6" long, judging by the picture.

Cheers!

-Gregory

Corey Skriletz · Posted: Tue 29 Nov, 2011 12:14 pm Post subject:

Well that doesn't look so bad, especially considering that my shaft's going to be about three feet. And those are the exact modifications I had planned on making to the head. Thank you for posting this. Maybe I'll get it after all.

P. Cha · Posted: Sat 03 Dec, 2011 2:25 am Post subject:

Gregory J. Liebau · Posted: Sat 03 Dec, 2011 10:26 am Post subject:

I actually did follow the link, but I did not bother reading the whole description. My apologies - it's definitely a stainless blade, but it's also the same axe I had. I know, I owned it. Even bought it at KoA, if I remember correctly. If mine had a stainless blade it was a relatively lower ferrous sort (I believe that's correct) because it eventually developed some slight spots of rust, leading me to assume it was mild. It required very little attention, though, so it being stainless makes sense.

It was still a strong blade, particularly because it was rather small and stout. I don't think it being stainless really set it back, because I certainly never knew! I'll still buy another one, in any case. Good little product.

-Gregory