Smoke axe Update

[B.Barker]

Forged out this head eight or ten years ago and threw it into a drawer. I pulled it out about a year and half back and started filing on it. It's something I work on when the mood hits me. This way it will stay with me longer. It's not a copy of the Butler axe but is inspired by it.

[Mike Lyons]

That’s a beautiful axe Brian. 

[BOB HILL]

 Dry nice work, Brian. Thanks for sharing.
Bob

[Tim Crosby]

 Man that is a Beauty, you've got some time in it that's for sure. The facets on the bowl look Great, Nice work no matter how long it took. Are you going to put a cap on it?

 Tim

[hanshi]

Wow!  Very nice indeed.

[Marcruger]

I sure do like that one.   :-)   God Bless,   Marc

[B.Barker]

Thanks everyone. Tim it will have an end cap on it when finished. There really isn't all that many hours in it, it just gets an hour here and an hour there so it makes it look like a long time.

[B.Barker]

Made some more progress on the axe. I stripped off the aqua fortis stain that was on the handle and restained it with Kibler's ferric nitrate. I wanted a color with more red in it. I have the head all engraved and ready for antiquing. Still need to make an end cap for it and finish engraving the bands.

[Nordnecker]

The more I look at that, the more I like it. Great project!

[Chowmi]

Really nice work! 

I have one I will work on someday, and yours bring me to a question (I know next to nothing about them...).
I see it looks like your silver bands are not inlaid. Was that common?  I had planned to inlay mine, but that was just an uninformed assumption.

Can’t wait to see your finished axe!

Norm.

[B.Barker]

I've seen them done both ways on originals. I just prefer the slide on style myself.

[B.Barker]

Still isn't finished but close.


roll number generator

[Tim Crosby]

 That! is Great! Some fine and I do mean Fine engraving.

  Tim

[Nordnecker]

Please educate me. Is that a band of leather in the eye of the axe head? Is the cap there just to cover the hole through the haft? The bowl screws onto the head? Are these typical of a smoke axe? I really don't know. I think it looks great.

[B.Barker]

Thanks Tim, I've been planning on doing this axe for about ten years. Just now getting to it.

Nord, yes there is a piece of leather between the head and handle. It acts as a gas seal and also keeps the head from getting sloppy loose when the wood shrinks from lower humidity. I prefer to use brain tan over any other kind of leather. The caps on pipe axes were for decoration and this one also seals off the hole at the top of the handle. Some axes have the hole through the end caps and are plugged with a decorative plug. Pipe bowls on axes were made many different ways screw in, brazed on and one piece.

[Greg Pennell]

Man, that thing is awesome!  Great work, Brian!

Greg