dancho Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 My latest axes. These are replicas of axes which were in use in 10 century AD around Kiev (the center of Russia at that time). I forged them of wrought iron and then deep carbonize the blade for 10 hours. This gives me up to 1.2 % of carbon on the edge. Bogdan Popov (Kiev, Ukraine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Mayo Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Nice axe and welcome to the forum Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I've always liked that axe design, how about posting the steps you take, so I can copy it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancho Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 , how about posting the steps you take, so I can copy it!! It goes something like this. Bogdan Popov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 It goes something like this. Bogdan Popov Thank you very much for sharing one of the many reasons I enjoy this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 brilliant - love the thumbnails of the steps - love to see stuff like this too so thanks for posting :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Nice thumbnails, thanks for posting them and the axe too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkerironworks84 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Cool axe! I like the rough scale look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Curious about the step at the bottom of the blade. Was it decoration, or did it have a purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancho Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 Curious about the step at the bottom of the blade. Was it decoration, or did it have a purpose? from my observation it comes naturally when you draw the blade downwards to form the "beard". You can flatten it out or may leave it as it. Many ancient russian axes had this. It looks quite beautifull. Why bother to get rid of it? But it is possible it could have some function. I will try to send some pictures later to explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Buchanan Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 this really reminds me of early viking axes.... which really is understandable as rusk was held by vikings..... right ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancho Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 this really reminds me of early viking axes.... which really is understandable as rusk was held by vikings..... right ? All broad axes with "beard" look quite similar and after 7 ct AD they were spread all over the Europe. However in this specific type of axe there is very specific butt as you may see - with long back side and round eye. This butt found mostly around Kiev region and it appears as early as 7-8 ct. AD on narrow blade axes -- long before any kind of scandinavian inflluence was present in the region. Actullay, there are lots of signs that this technology came not from West but from the East (Caucasus, Iran) and later was combined with western broad blade. Another prove that Russia is on the edge between east and west with all outcoming sequences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorgeeek Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 My latest axes. These are replicas of axes which were in use in 10 century AD around Kiev (the center of Russia at that time). I forged them of wrought iron and then deep carbonize the blade for 10 hours. This gives me up to 1.2 % of carbon on the edge. Bogdan Popov (Kiev, Ukraine) Russia did not exist in 10th Century - Muscovy Rossiya ( Russia) was created 13th Century around the new founded city Moscow - Kyivan Rus existed from 8th C to 13th Century - this was Rus not Russia which is now Ukraine with Kyiv its capital city - these axes have a strong resemblence to early Viking axes for the reason that the Rus people were in fact Varangians or Scandanavian Vikings who built settlements in northern reaches of modern Ukraine, Byelorus and Russia from as early as 8th century. Their intent was to trade and of course ransack Bryzantian Constantinople which in order to reach they had to traverse the full lenght of river Dniper to the Black Sea in their long boats. They soon found the Slavic city Kyiv and "bought" it for themselves. They also began ruling Kyiv and thus began the Ruricid dynasty. I believe these axes were part of their arsenal of modern weapons which were handed down to the Slavs of Rus. The word Russia is English for Rossiya not Rus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhunter Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Very nice and somrthing Ive not seen before good work and thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorgeeek Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 My latest axes. These are replicas of axes which were in use in 10 century AD around Kiev (the center of Russia at that time). I forged them of wrought iron and then deep carbonize the blade for 10 hours. This gives me up to 1.2 % of carbon on the edge. Bogdan Popov (Kiev, Ukraine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancho Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 The last axe to start the spring Bogdan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 That is a very cool design, that is what my next project is going to be. Thanks for the info. Chad Jorgenson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake pogrebinsky Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Exellent job,Bogdan,(as usual). I,for one,really do appreciate all the logic of the archaic forging technology that you so clearly demonstrate. The changes brought by the industrial revolution were,in many ways,detrimental to both the process(for the smith),and the quality/aesthetic of the product. I've just finished an axe that could be the anti-thesis of your style:Modern alloy,much welding,much grinding,HT'ing,and the rest.It clearly was a process very wasteful of fuel and time,really underscored the difference in approach between the philosophies.For me,anyway. So thanks much for all your hard work in researching the past methodologies,very educational. All the best,Jake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancho Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 The changes brought by the industrial revolution were,in many ways,detrimental to both the process(for the smith),and the quality/aesthetic of the product. Thank you Jake for you words! They mean a lot for me. You are absolutely right about industrial changes. It seems to me like we started to loose the art of blacksmithing not 50 years ago but much much earlier -- 200 years or such with the Industrial Age. That's why I call my approach "Postindustrial blacksmithing" since we might be in many ways well back to tribal patterns soon. In their good ways, of course, like sensible resourse use and social organisation. Not child mortality rate and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid Neilsen Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 They are very lovely. Well done and interesting too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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