Making an ax

[Cap'n Morgan]

Making axes in Oakland, Maine 1965. Hand work at its finest...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f3_1454971475#VVjfulr8UEi59ZuU.99 (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f3_1454971475#VVjfulr8UEi59ZuU.99)

[mold maker]

More cottage industries have disappeared in the last 10 years than in history.

[Frank46]

Anybody ever have to have added an extra leaf spring or get the rear springs rearched?. I had a 1970 dodge dart years ago and over the years the springs had lost the factory arch. There was a place near Shea Stadium that did this work. They removed the factory leaf springs and added and rearched them. Was really neat how the did this none of this was done by machine except the gizmo they used to rearch the springs. They were nice enough to let me watch rather than sit in the waiting room. They selected a piece of spring steel heated it in a huge gas fired over that sounded like a jet engine. They did the curls on the ends for the pins, heat treated in another huge vat of oil and disassembled the old factory springs and heated them in the oven and put them in the oil bath. Took about an hour and a half. Some of the gear heads may remember either doing it or having it done. Shop is probably gone now. Frank

[jsizemore]

Thanks for sharing.

[Blackwater]

Now THAT is how you make a REAL axe! No "compromise" steel to be tough but still shapenable, like they're usually made today. It takes too much human work and talent and experience to make axes that way now, though some blacksmiths still make one every now and then for those who know the difference and can pay for it.

Not many realize that for most of our history, steel was something that was continually re-used and recycled many times over. The old 'smiths who made the old PA and KY rifles were just proud to get any kind of steel they could lay their hands on! And with that, and whatever kind of local hardwoods they could lay their hands on, they made some of the most beautiful rifles ever created by the hand of men. No temp guages, it was all by eye. Few measuring tools either, unless they mad 'em themselves.

Now THAT is self sufficiency. My grandad was an old farmer, but in his day, one made everything possible himself, and he always allowed that he was only "fair" at blacksmithing. He raised his own veggies and meats, and harvested and cured or canned them on the farm. About the only things they bought was material to make dresses with for the girls (4), and shoes, and flour, sugar and salt. The rest was pretty much all home made. Most of us would starve quickly if our supply chain became broken for any reason. Even a minor inconvenience like a hurricane of flood, and the stores empty out VERY quickly! Then, if it weren't for aid workers and stalwart souls, they'd starve there, too. And Lord help if they had to make anything on their own!

Steel is a strange substance, and you really have to understand it to make it work FOR you. I understand just enough to have made some pretty decent knives, but those old blacksmiths were some of the highest rated artisans of their time, though even then, many didn't appreciate them. But they weren't doing it to be appreciated. It takes a special type of man to be a blacksmith. They're unique artisans in many ways. Good men, in all cases I've met. People who really CAN control their lives the way they do has no reason not to be a good, solid person. They surely have nothing to prove to anyone. Their work speaks for itself.

[jonp]

I've been through Oakland many times but never knew this. Thanks for the great video

[RayinNH]

Not many realize that for most of our history, steel was something that was continually re-used and recycled many times over. The old 'smiths who made the old PA and KY rifles were just proud to get any kind of steel they could lay their hands on! And with that, and whatever kind of local hardwoods they could lay their hands on, they made some of the most beautiful rifles ever created by the hand of men. No temp guages, it was all by eye. Few measuring tools either, unless they mad 'em themselves.

Here you go Blackwater, a video just for you, well, and everyone one else reading this thread.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lui6uNPcRPA

[DCP]

Truly becoming a lost art. Thanks

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Making axes in Oakland, Maine 1965. Hand work at its finest...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f3_1454971475#VVjfulr8UEi59ZuU.99 (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f3_1454971475#VVjfulr8UEi59ZuU.99)

The bit I noted was that one of the craftsmen was about to move to Connecticut, where he could earn twice the hourly rate pushing a broom in a factory. Even by 1965 the clock was ticking on that kind of craftsmanship. Nowadays Europeans and Americans won't pay each other a living wage to produce things that way - and nobody but themselves forced them not to.

Fifty years ago I used to know a rural blacksmith who had basic machinery to much that standard. But when someone needed some chain hooks forged and hammer welded, he called his retired father over from the house, and the old man did the job to about the standard we could in our fingers with modeling clay. But the whole business is gone now, superseded mostly by the technology of ordering in a new part from the makers. The computer revolution has played its part. This morning I ordered up a minor trim part for my laptop, and it took five minutes.

Last summer I visited the national museum in Dublin, which is particularly good on Viking artifacts, since they practically invented the place. One surprising feature of war axes, like the swords. is just how light they were. The image of the Vikings with enormous muscles swinging massive cleavers is myth, for even the sagas show combat being won by speed, and very often (like western gunfights) by starting before the other fellow knew you were going to. In some of those axes rust had revealed the welded insert of higher carbon steel which was hard to make and expensive at the time.

[MrWolf]

Wow. I was in Kindergarden back then. I had no idea mass production like that was still going on. Impressive what craftsmen could do but in today's world it is immediate satisfaction or it takes to long. Most don't care about quality as it is usually "good enough" and buy another when that breaks vs repair. Most are not made to be repaired.

[Blackwater]

Thanks, Ray. Have seen that one several times, but it's always good to review it once again. I've known some really great artisans in my time, and some were just plain marvels to a wannabe like me. Some could draw, some could paint, and some could do other things, but the guys who were good with hand tools always intrigued me the most, maybe because I knew it could be related to guns and shooting. People today, including me, just have a very hard time relating to people who HAD to work that way because it was the only way known at the time.

As BinS said, things have certainly changed, but not everything has been for the good. So many things we have today, like knives for instance, aren't nearly as good as they once were. We have some really outstanding knives being made now, but the standard of acceptance seems to go lower and lower for things like this, and people just want something cheap that LOOKS good. And heaven forbid that you even TALK about a non-stainless blade! Yet, carbon steel still has many traits that make it superior to stainless for some applications. And there's the old forged vs. cast argument, and then we get into what metallurgists have developed now for the casting processes. Makes for good conversations, but I've always been the kind to think, "It is what it is," and can go either way, but I'm coming to appreciate non-stainless alloys like O-1, W-2 and 1095, etc. more as I've aged. Easy to sharpen, holds an edge well. Only thing you need to do is care for it like the old timers did. Most just don't want to do that. OK, but I still like my non-stainless blades.

And for an axe, I don't think there'll ever be a better way to make a really top grade and dependable axe except by putting some high carbon steel for the bit and a tougher, lower carbon for the rest of the head. That way, you get the best of all possible traits from each part of the head. Toughness where it needs to be, and sharpness and hardness where that's needed. That wouldn't matter to many today, but to those who had to actually pony up the energy to USE those type implements, it could mean a LOT over a day's period. Today, we regard pretty much everything as "disposable," and don't really appreciate many of the finer old arts. I can see both sides of this, and I just simply choose to like the old ways better. I'd long wanted to start forging knives and swords when I retired, among other things, but my back didn't allow that, and looks like it never will now. I guess that's at least part of it, if not the bulk of it. We all get disappointments in life. That's just one of mine.

[duckey]

That's was a good watch. I wonder if there are cottage industry videos from China or Tawain back in the day?

[TXGunNut]

Anybody ever have to have added an extra leaf spring or get the rear springs rearched?. I had a 1970 dodge dart years ago and over the years the springs had lost the factory arch. There was a place near Shea Stadium that did this work. They removed the factory leaf springs and added and rearched them. Was really neat how the did this none of this was done by machine except the gizmo they used to rearch the springs. They were nice enough to let me watch rather than sit in the waiting room. They selected a piece of spring steel heated it in a huge gas fired over that sounded like a jet engine. They did the curls on the ends for the pins, heat treated in another huge vat of oil and disassembled the old factory springs and heated them in the oven and put them in the oil bath. Took about an hour and a half. Some of the gear heads may remember either doing it or having it done. Shop is probably gone now. Frank


Spring repair shops haven't changed much, last I heard. In fact many OE leaf springs are made in shops that look a lot like an old blacksmith's shop.

[duckey]

Palmer Springs in Portland ME. Has been around for a long time.

[lead-1]

Two very good videos, I like watching these informative videos. I have a friend whose dad used to build muzzleloaders piece by piece just as back in the day, and they sold for big money to folks from all over the country, beautiful works of art.
I had no idea how much time he really had in his pieces of art.

[Virginian]

Truly becoming a lost art. Thanks
Agreed!

[Wayne Smith]

Snow and Neally, Bangor ME. Still in business and very good axes.

[DIRT Farmer]

If it wasn't for modern improvments i would be dead 10 years ago, that being said being a part of hammer forging a barrel is a dream yet acheavable. A friend makes axes for the bush craft trade, has a constant back order. Some people still are willing to pay for qulity.
The tomahawks I throw are hand forged and stay sharp fairly well, work good for butchering and trail work.

[bedbugbilly]

Great video - thanks for sharing!

[03fatboy]

That was well before my time,but I can really appreciate the craftsmanship and the talent.

Thanks for sharing

[Artful]

Making a viking sword


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyUkYJeZtW4

Part two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNhem4hmwoE

Part three
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAJtvi4Z1A4

Part four
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3bT0oUYVoE

Love it

Nova program on viking sword
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6woycxQzA0