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Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > My new dane axe Reply to topic
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
Joined: 11 Jun 2007
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PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 4:19 am    Post subject: My new dane axe         Reply with quote

After a long research and waiting for the smith to have some time for me, she is finally here. Big Grin The maker is Alojz Krišto from Croatia. The head of the axe weighs about 800 grams according to Alojz, but I don't know exactly how much it is overall. Anyway, it is very fast and agile for an axe, especially in two handed grip. The construction is historically accurate 3 piece construction, eye and main body are two pieces of some lower carbon steel, unhardened, and the edge is hardened D2 tool steel. The axe head is left black from the forge, except the edge, and I'm still undecided if I want it polished or not. I know polished might be more historically accurate, but I really like dark grey and bronze colors produced by the heat. Haft is at the moment short, 30" ash haft, but as soon as Alojz gets a longer piece of ash, it will be replaced with one of about 4 feet. Here are the pictures:

















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David Huggins




Location: UK
Joined: 25 Jul 2007

Posts: 490

PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 4:32 am    Post subject: New Dane axe         Reply with quote

Very, very nice Luka, and congratulations to Aljoz too. It looks great.
and he who stands and sheds blood with us, shall be as a brother.
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Elling Polden




Location: Bergen, Norway
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PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 5:06 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Very nice weapon!
I would really like to have a sharp broadaxe to play with; Earlier test cutting experiments have show them to be quite devastating, even with short, fast blows...

"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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Carl W.




Location: usa
Joined: 07 Aug 2008

Posts: 182

PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 8:12 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Luka - (very) nice axe! Please give a measurement, maybe from point to point or other.

fwiw I'd leave it unpolished, especially if you like the colors. Why do you say it might be more historically accurate to be polished?
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 1:07 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you people... Happy I will do some test cutting when I can and post videos here. Length from tip to tip is 22cm and also about 22cm from top back point of the haft to the edge.
Carl, about the polish vs black finish, I think the consensus is that we can't know exactly what the finish of these axes was, but since they were high status weapons it seems reasonable that they were bright polished to show the capability of the smith and since high polish was valued in that period.
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Tim Lison




Location: Chicago, Illinois
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PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 2:15 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

That look great Luka! I really like axes like this and one with a historical construction is a real treat! I look forward to hearing your impressions of it's handling when you do your cutting! Enjoy it!
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Jeremy V. Krause




Location: Buffalo, NY.
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PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov, 2011 6:03 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Very nice Luka,

This really looks like a fine weapon. It's great to see accurate dane axes being made!
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Sun 01 Apr, 2012 7:26 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I got a longer shaft, 120cm long. Now it feels perfect.

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William P




Location: Sydney, Australia
Joined: 11 Jul 2010

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PostPosted: Sun 01 Apr, 2012 8:12 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

it really is a great axe, the haft as well looks really good, nice annd smooth
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Johan Gemvik




Location: Stockholm, Sweden
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PostPosted: Sun 01 Apr, 2012 2:12 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Perfect head and edge shape
Excellent shaft wedging
Heat treatment dark colours of the head in contrast to the honed edge look really good like that.
-Simply a perfect axe any collector or museum could be proud of!

I agree, the longer shaft suits it best. Now all we need is a chopping demo video. Can any melon face that beast and live?

"The Dwarf sees farther than the Giant when he has the giant's shoulder to mount on" -Coleridge
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Sun 01 Apr, 2012 2:41 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks! I hope to make some cutting experiments soon, I didn't have time to do it yet and it was a late winter here...
About the wedging, it looks different now, same style, but two wedges crossed in a shape of a cross.
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M. Livermore





Joined: 20 Aug 2008

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PostPosted: Sun 01 Apr, 2012 2:57 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

That really is a nice axe, Luka. The geometry of it is very pleasing.
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Jean Thibodeau




Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada
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PostPosted: Wed 04 Apr, 2012 1:51 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yes very nice axe and too many people focus on only swords. Wink Laughing Out Loud

Sword are great but they always seem to me to be the backup weapon on the battlefield or the weapon one carries for general purpose self defense when in civilian gear. Also, the prestige weapon with symbolic value as the badge of the professional warrior or noble/knight/rich man, and also a sign of wealth with the better quality weapons.

Looking forward to some test cutting results with the axe. Big Grin Cool

You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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William P




Location: Sydney, Australia
Joined: 11 Jul 2010

Posts: 1,523

PostPosted: Wed 04 Apr, 2012 2:10 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jean Thibodeau wrote:
Yes very nice axe and too many people focus on only swords. Wink Laughing Out Loud

Sword are great but they always seem to me to be the backup weapon on the battlefield or the weapon one carries for general purpose self defense when in civilian gear. Also, the prestige weapon with symbolic value as the badge of the professional warrior or noble/knight/rich man, and also a sign of wealth with the better quality weapons.

Looking forward to some test cutting results with the axe. Big Grin Cool


the sword may be the arm of the wealth this is true
but the daneaxe was the true master of the battlefield, and even today it, not the sword is the unofficial symbol of the vikings (after all, norways coat of arms is carrying a daneaxe,) and the daneaxe was the signiture weapon of the varangian guard, their nickname being the axe bearing barbarians.
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Mon 21 May, 2012 8:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I finally weighed it... It weighs 1.40kg, so about 3lb2oz... Ounce more or less...
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Oct, 2012 8:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Here are some of the results of cutting with my axe:











There was more but I don't want to fill this thread with pictures of bottles cut. This is a good sample. Anyway, it was very enjoyable, I think cutting with this axe was the most effortless cutting I have ever done. Only cutter I have that comes close to this axe is Hanwei Tinker Great Sword of War.
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Jeremy V. Krause




Location: Buffalo, NY.
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Oct, 2012 9:08 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

WOW Luka,

That's great! I am, for some reason surprised, you were able to get such clean cuts. I must have really been underestimating the devastating power of this type of weapon. I thought, due to the shape and weight distribution it would make a cut into such medium but then get stuck and knock it off the stand.

What kindo f grip did you use, far back on the shaft or a bit closer in?

Really impressive
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Johan Gemvik




Location: Stockholm, Sweden
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Oct, 2012 10:04 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

This is turning into one of my favorite threads. That is one very nice axe.
"The Dwarf sees farther than the Giant when he has the giant's shoulder to mount on" -Coleridge
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Johan Gemvik




Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Joined: 10 Nov 2009

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PostPosted: Tue 30 Oct, 2012 10:12 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeremy V. Krause wrote:
WOW Luka,

That's great! I am, for some reason surprised, you were able to get such clean cuts. I must have really been underestimating the devastating power of this type of weapon. I thought, due to the shape and weight distribution it would make a cut into such medium but then get stuck and knock it off the stand.

What kindo f grip did you use, far back on the shaft or a bit closer in?

Really impressive



The theory with the hollow blade sides is that it reduces contact with the cut medium, making it a better cutter. The photos seem to verify this, at least with bottles.

"The Dwarf sees farther than the Giant when he has the giant's shoulder to mount on" -Coleridge
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
Joined: 11 Jun 2007
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Oct, 2012 11:28 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks for the compliments guys. Yes, the reinforced edge plus thin body makes for very smooth cutting. I hold the grip about the middle with a right hand and left hand low towards the butt end...
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