My late friend and collaborator, Gib Guignard, forged this fine little camp axe for me many moons ago from a hammer head. I used it frequently as shop axe for rough shaping as well as for routine camp chores. Unfortunately due to the wages of time on my poor old bod, I set it aside until one day I took a fresh loolk at it and the following is what it became.
I added a bit of file work to the head and then gussied up the red ocher and bear grease stained hickory handle with a rawhide grip, brass tacks, and a beaded and hawk belled horsetail drop. It then sat around for a while since I "felt" something was missing. Then on my way home from town (Durango, CO) one day I stopped for a breather at pull out along the Animas River. While walking around I spied this piece of drift wood and it the light bulb of inspiration went off. I took it home, added a small forked piece of antler to hold the handle up, oiled the wood up, then added some brass tacks, and beaded dangles with tin cones and mule hair tufts.
