Long version (24:04 min). Fra myrmalm til bredøks - vikingøksa fra Langeid gjenfødes. This 24-minute video documents a large part of the axe-making project. In norwegian only.
Short version (4:23 min). From bog iron to broad axe - rebirth of the Langeid Axe. This four and a half minute video shows selected parts of the work. Some comments in English.
Extra Clips- specific processes:
Refining by fold-processing (1:35 min). We removed slag and voids from the iron by a folding process. The iron blooms were heated, consolidated, hammered, folded, forge welded and wrought again. This cycle was repeated 4-5 times. Håvard Kongsrud helped out as striker the first day.
Steel-making in a furnace (3:16 min). Carbon is infused into the iron, which is transformed into hardenable steel through re-smelting in a small furnace ('Aristotle furnace'). Tom Haraldsen joined us in the smithy that day.
Steel-making in a clay packet (1:43 min). In accordance with Theophilus’ description, we wrapped the iron in a carburising pack with pieces of leather and fat. When the clay had dried we heated the pack in the forge at 900-1000°C for an hour before we opened it.
Using the whetstone (1:07 min). A long whetstone of quartz schist was used to grind and sharpen the axe. This was on loan from the Norwegian Maritime Museum specifically for testing.
Test cutting (1:03 min). The axe is tested on a large pig’s leg weighing approximately 15 kilograms. The thigh bone is the hardest and most challenging part of the anatomy.
Extra Clips- surprising events:
Bellows suffering from flatulence (27 sec). A valve in one of the bellows has come loose, producing the unmistakable noise of flatulence. An embarrassing situation for pretentious blacksmiths.
Hardening test – iron bloom was steel (1:50 min). Iron is being prepared for its transformation into hardenable steel in a carburising pack. Accidental quenching with water reveals that it is already hardenable – the entire bloom is steel! Thus we already have the steel we need for the axe edge. Halvor Hjort Guttu paid us a visit in the smithy that day.
The blade of the axe fell off (28 sec). Somewhat hurriedly the axe was hafted to make it ready for test cutting - like the original, without securing the head with a wedge. After a couple of test cuts on water filled plastic bottles, the axe was tested on the pig’s leg ... and the blade falls off the handle.
Teaser- for promotion on social media:
Abrupt ending (17 sec). A quick run through of the axe making.
Includes ending (22 sec). A quick run through of the axe making.