Some Guy on the Internet

Wow! Nice score. That anvil looks great.

That will look very sharp. I just saw an axe with some silver inlay. The silver kind of blended in with the steel. Browning sounds like a great way to make it stand out. Can't wait to see pics!

Progress pics? I would absolutely love to see them! Have you ever thought about doing some wire inlay? A little silver against the black and bronze color would really pop.

Wow! That is beautiful. Thanks for posting and giving us something to aspire to.

Right on! That is one of the things I love about smithing as well. Need a tool? Look through the scrap pile and make one. Plus, getting rid of a problem coon is A-OK in my book, too. Good luck with your hat.

I agree. Looks good! How much does it weigh?

Seriously? $20 for all of that? Nice!

My in-laws live near Duluth so I debated a little dual-purpose trip, if nothing else, to keep that nice setup from becoming a lawn ornament. I've never understood why people paint anvils. Shrug. It takes all kinds, I guess.

You didn't happen to pick that up in Duluth did you? If so, I saw an ad for that very anvil and have to say you done good. That is a very nice anvil/stand combo!

Very nice! I need to make one of those. I, too, really appreciate the step by step pictures. Thanks for putting in the effort.

Very cool.

Heck yeah! Nice work. I've been thinking about making a small adze and the ball pein conversion never occurred to me. How well does it hold an edge?

Holy cow! I am very impressed. I love the pictures of the progression from bar to axe. Thanks for posting these.

I have heard that bituminous can sometimes be gotten in Duluth, but the guy I heard that from was less than impressed with the quality. I don't know any of that first hand, so take it all with a grain of salt. On a different note, I've heard nothing but good about the Northern Minnesota Metalsmiths (the club itself, not just their coal). Might be worth contacting them; if you can't buy their coal, they might know another source.

I've used a Shop-Vac as a blower (using an air gate to control the airflow) and it works well. However, it is LOUD. Could be I'm just overly sensitive, though.

Very cool. I will be happy as all get out if my first axe turns out half that well. Nice pictures, too. Handles are pretty easy to change, so that's almost a minor problem.

I like it. Looks like a very handy size, too.

I just bought a very plain 4 inch vise that was missing the same parts. This project has me thinking I should try to fancy up the parts I'm making. Thanks for the inspiration.

That is a beautiful piece.

Very nice! I really like your work.

Very cool project. I don't know enough to add anything, but I'll be watching to see how it turns out.