Viking Axe

Sunny weather meant some time outside and so I've managed to put a handle on my new Stefan Ronnqvist axe. These axes don't come with a handle, so if you do a google search for this type of axe you come up with all sorts of different designs. One thing they all seem to have in common though is a very curved shape.

This is the picture from Woodland Craft Supplies where I bought the axe.

This one is from Country Workshops, who also used to sell them.

And this is a lovely one that I saw on the Bodger's forum.

This is what I've come up with and I haven't really managed to get that curved look that you see on all the others. To be honest I just drew around the handle on my Gransfors carving axe and went from there. I'm not terribly happy with the result. It looks like it should have that curve, but I think it will have to do until I can find a branch with a natural bend. It feels a bit thick at the moment, but i worked on the principle that it would be easier to take wood off than to put it back on again, so I'll just adjust it in use. I also made a bit of a mess when wedging it as it was difficult to hammer it in with no real support directly underneath. Next time I'll put it in a vice. All good practice though and it will be a fun experiment. Now to put it to some serious use.