@tiberseptim100 New ones can be bought from any good Farrier or blacksmith supplier and ebay is a good place to look for secondhand ones. Even try looking around farm yards for old ones!
@tiberseptim100 the blacksmith will usually be in remote area. WHen he goes to bed pull up to his shop and load up his anvil. The anvil weighs about 200 pounds. So be strong. Of curse you could buy one used for maybe $100. Youmight want to do that.
MERL is the Museum of English Rural Life, located at Reading. Personally I much prefer wooden handles to rubber or plastic as they are mcuh more comfortable to use for long periods of time. As for rotting, yes if left in the damp for long periods, but I have billhooks over 150 years old with the original wooden handles still tight and in good condition...
Strange way to use a rasp with a tang... Have a look at those in the MERL collection - tang is used to fit a wooden handle (easy enough to burn a red hot tang into the wood). If making a socket handle, for balance it is better to thin the steel before folding over, this makes the handle of a larger diameter - you can use it as it is (a technique common in the Alps) or fit a wooden handle into it. Cut be an effective cutting tool the edge needs hardening and tempering...
@Billman1949 I have no idea what merl is but the reason I took the tang off was because I wanted to make a small hand axe similar to the one I had which had broken, this had a 5/8" handle fitted with a nice piece of water hose from a car heating system. Any bigger and it wouldn't have fitted. I don't like wooden handles as they break and rot.. as for cutting this steel is hard enough not to need hardening and tempering, in fact it could do with letting down a bit as it will shatter if hit hard..
My grandfather taught me something. If its not sharp enough to whittle then its just not sharp enough. I made my own bowie, yes it would shave, but the bevel was to blunt and wouldnt whittle or do much work. lesson learned.
@garyhuston That is not a battle axe, it is a knife. Knives are the single most practicable, useful and unrestricted tools in existence. They have been used for thousands of years by your ancestors, my ancestors and are very relevant to any working man. One does not have to look far to find them imperative and in everyday use. Have a look in your kitchen.
That was real nice to see. Thank you for showing it. I would love to have a go at making my own draw knife and billhook someday. I will just knock up a simple forge and fan to get a good heat. but what would you recomend for a makeshift anvil? i would love a proper one but it would cost me more than i would warrent its use. many thank and kind regards. Dave
@Woodoak5962 You could use a piece of rail, an old 56lb weight or even an old engine block. Take a trip to your local scrap yard and have a good rummage around, you will find something suitable!
Hi, great videos! I had a querie about the froe and the billhook. Do you heat treat them after forging, or does the carbon already present in the metal make them hard enough anyway? all the best!
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RYDERkN 3 weeks ago
why not just save then tang thats already there lol. Why cut it off when eventually you are just putting a tang on lol
PuYanHui 4 weeks ago
@PuYanHui see my previous answer to the same question..
garyhuston 3 weeks ago
Loved the commentary, Keep it up
Irv58 1 month ago
were do u get anvils lol
tiberseptim100 1 month ago
@tiberseptim100 New ones can be bought from any good Farrier or blacksmith supplier and ebay is a good place to look for secondhand ones. Even try looking around farm yards for old ones!
garyhuston 1 month ago
@tiberseptim100 the blacksmith will usually be in remote area. WHen he goes to bed pull up to his shop and load up his anvil. The anvil weighs about 200 pounds. So be strong. Of curse you could buy one used for maybe $100. Youmight want to do that.
amerikaiscommunist 4 weeks ago
Nice work! You did a very nice job of making an even edge is short order!
spurrit 1 month ago
MERL is the Museum of English Rural Life, located at Reading. Personally I much prefer wooden handles to rubber or plastic as they are mcuh more comfortable to use for long periods of time. As for rotting, yes if left in the damp for long periods, but I have billhooks over 150 years old with the original wooden handles still tight and in good condition...
Billman1949 3 months ago
ok....that is not a billhook since it lacks the "hook", that's more like a machete, no where near a billhook.
flamedrag18 3 months ago
Strange way to use a rasp with a tang... Have a look at those in the MERL collection - tang is used to fit a wooden handle (easy enough to burn a red hot tang into the wood). If making a socket handle, for balance it is better to thin the steel before folding over, this makes the handle of a larger diameter - you can use it as it is (a technique common in the Alps) or fit a wooden handle into it. Cut be an effective cutting tool the edge needs hardening and tempering...
Billman1949 3 months ago
@Billman1949 I have no idea what merl is but the reason I took the tang off was because I wanted to make a small hand axe similar to the one I had which had broken, this had a 5/8" handle fitted with a nice piece of water hose from a car heating system. Any bigger and it wouldn't have fitted. I don't like wooden handles as they break and rot.. as for cutting this steel is hard enough not to need hardening and tempering, in fact it could do with letting down a bit as it will shatter if hit hard..
garyhuston 3 months ago
My grandfather taught me something. If its not sharp enough to whittle then its just not sharp enough. I made my own bowie, yes it would shave, but the bevel was to blunt and wouldnt whittle or do much work. lesson learned.
kaldicuct 3 months ago
how much is anvil like that?
anticolorguy 5 months ago
@anticolorguy not sure, but probably about £400
garyhuston 5 months ago
thats a machete not an axe but great job anyway
bigaxe87 6 months ago
Sorry but no one uses a battle axe in the real world!
garyhuston 9 months ago
@garyhuston i do for demonstrations and educational purposes
shadowwolf1515 8 months ago
@garyhuston maby you dont.
akdude182 8 months ago
@garyhuston That is not a battle axe, it is a knife. Knives are the single most practicable, useful and unrestricted tools in existence. They have been used for thousands of years by your ancestors, my ancestors and are very relevant to any working man. One does not have to look far to find them imperative and in everyday use. Have a look in your kitchen.
MrEdjedj 5 months ago
@garyhuston You speak for everyone in the real world?
kaldicuct 3 months ago
an awesome work but...
WADDA HEK ?
I WANNA SEE A BATLE AXE!!!!
exelent vid my friend
AMENAZAwarriorbear 9 months ago
Short, sweet and to the point. Nicely done. Particularly like the simple utilitarian handle.
MuskratLex 1 year ago
That was real nice to see. Thank you for showing it. I would love to have a go at making my own draw knife and billhook someday. I will just knock up a simple forge and fan to get a good heat. but what would you recomend for a makeshift anvil? i would love a proper one but it would cost me more than i would warrent its use. many thank and kind regards. Dave
Woodoak5962 1 year ago
@Woodoak5962 You could use a piece of rail, an old 56lb weight or even an old engine block. Take a trip to your local scrap yard and have a good rummage around, you will find something suitable!
garyhuston 1 year ago
@Woodoak5962 Look for old excavator parts like link pins...some of those are huge and make nice anvils.
Homesteadforge 4 months ago
Cool, nice and simple.
Good work.
Lycannwolf 1 year ago
No I don't heat treat them, I just leave them to cool naturally. They seem hard enough like this.
garyhuston 1 year ago
Hi, great videos! I had a querie about the froe and the billhook. Do you heat treat them after forging, or does the carbon already present in the metal make them hard enough anyway? all the best!
RowanTaylor 1 year ago