Description

Legendary blades have names. I call this one the “Grimfalder”.

The Grimfalder hatchet is designed from tip-to-tip to be a tool of the woods. It is utilitarian, tough, raw, and unfinished power that is meant to be used. This is not a tuxedo wearing martini sipping tool, but a coal forged extension of the arm meant to hack, chop, and wack through life’s challenges.

The first step in making this hatchet is to heat and bend a continuous block of mild low carbon steel into a form needed to hold the hardened blade. Rather than cut, chisel or drill a hole for the handle, I chose to use a conituous block of steel to prevent cracks and deformities. Next a notch is forge hammered in one end of the billet and a wedge shaped piece of alloyed tool steel is inserted in it to form the hard cutting edge.  The axe is heated to a yellow color and borax is sprinkled on it to prepare for the forge welding of the blade into the head. In the glowing hot fire of coal the perfect temperature, right below ignition is sought to begin the intense process of forge welding the two different metals together. This perfect combination gives hardness and durability in one seamless package. The the hatchet head is then heated and hammered into a rough shape and the edge ground to profile. Now the axe is ready to be hardened and annealed.

Annealing removes the inner stresses formed during the heat treating process, preparing the metal for normalizing.  The axe goes to second heat treatment step which is normalizing. Normalizing prepares the structure of the steel for the next step; hardening.  The hatchet goes back into the coal fire and then quenched in mineral oil. Now the axe is roack hard, but glass brittle so it needs tempering. For the final treatment the hatchet is carefully heated to a straw color. Too hot and it looses its temper. Too cold and the hatchet remains brittle. After the axe is tempered to Rockwell 58-59 (HRC) and the steel is ready for treatment, a mixture of bees wax, and linseed oil is applied to protect the tool from rusting. After final smooth grinding and sharpening the axe blade, it reaches a bright finish, becomes razor sharp and is ready to get its own unique handle.

The axe handle is tightly punched into the axe head and locked with the wooden wedge which is wedged with a steel wedge, hammered into the wooden wedge to lock the axe head vertically. Now the handle is laid in a proprietary treatment to help protect it from the elements.

The hatchet is ruggedly tested in the woods, hacking trees down, branched, buried in the dirt, and examined for flaws, loose fitting handle, and dullness indicating any flaws in the design. Finally the blade is honed once again, and the hatchet is ready for the hearty human warrior.