How to Forge a Viking Axe Using Traditional Techniques: A Step-by-Step Guide

So you want to make a real Viking axe. Not a wall hanger. Not a cheap replica. An actual, swing-it-in-the-woods, split-a-log, feel-the-weight-in-your-hands axe. I get it. That’s exactly why I started this whole reenactment thing years ago. Here at Viking Rewind, we don’t just talk about the past—we try to live it. And forging your own axe is about as close as you can get to gripping the Viking Age by the handle. Let’s walk through it together.

I’ll be honest: this isn’t a weekend project. You’ll need a forge, an anvil, some basic blacksmithing tools, and a whole lot of patience. But the payoff? A tool that’s yours, made by your hands, using methods our ancestors would recognize. Sound good? Let’s get started.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

First, let’s talk gear. You don’t need a full medieval smithy, but you do need a few essentials:

Forge – A coal or propane forge works. I use a small coal forge because it gets hotter and gives better control for forge welding.
Anvil – Any decent anvil or a heavy chunk of steel. A flat surface and a horn are nice to have.
Hammer – A 2–3 lb cross peen hammer is my go-to. You’ll also need a lighter hammer for finer work.
Tongs – A pair of flat-jaw tongs for holding the steel. Make sure they grip tight.
Steel – For a traditional Viking axe, use mild steel for the body and high-carbon steel (like 1095 or a leaf spring) for the cutting edge. This is called a “steel bit” welding.
Quench bucket – Water or oil. I use canola oil—less cracking.
Grinder or files – For shaping after forging.
Wood for the handle – Ash or hickory is traditional. Ash is light and tough—Vikings used it a lot. If you’re also looking to round out your Viking armory, the step‑by‑step guide to building a Viking shield shows how to complement your axe with authentic protection.

If you’re new to blacksmithing, practice making a simple knife or a hook first. Axe forging is more complex because of the eye and the welded bit. Trust me, I’ve bent plenty of steel before I got it right. Viking Rewind is all about learning through doing, so don’t stress if your first attempt looks rough.

Step 1: Build the Axe Body (The Eye)

Start with a piece of mild steel about 1 inch thick, 4 inches long, and 2 inches wide. Heat it up to bright orange in the forge. You want it hot but not sparking—around 2100°F if you have a pyrometer. If not, aim for a color like a glowing sunrise.

Now, this is the tricky part: you need to create the eye (the hole for the handle). Traditional method? You don’t punch a hole. Instead, you fold the steel around a drift (a tapered rod). Here’s how:

Draw out a taper on one end of the billet. Lay it on the anvil and hammer it into a wedge shape.
Bend the wedge around the drift. Place the drift (I use a piece of round stock with a slight taper) on the anvil, lay your hot steel over it, and hammer the sides down. Fold the steel around the drift so the two ends overlap or meet.
Forge weld the seam. Heat the folded area to a near-welding heat (yellow‑white, almost sparkling). Sprinkle a little borax flux, then hammer the seam closed. This joins the layers into one solid piece. You might need a few heat cycles—don’t rush. If the steel cracks, you’re too cold or hitting too hard.

Once the eye is solid, drive the drift in and out a few times while the steel is hot to open up the hole. The drift should be slightly larger than your planned handle thickness. Now, shape the body—pound it into a rough wedge, thin on the cutting side, thicker at the eye. Set it aside to cool slowly. (I bury it in ash or let it air cool.)

Step 2: Forge Weld the Steel Bit

This is where the magic happens. The cutting edge of a Viking axe was usually high‑carbon steel, welded onto a softer iron body. That gave a hard edge that held sharpness and a tough body that wouldn’t shatter.

Take a piece of high‑carbon steel, about the same width as your axe body and maybe 1/4 inch thick. Clean both surfaces with a wire brush. Heat the axe body to welding temperature (bright yellow, almost white). Also heat your bit piece. Sprinkle flux on both surfaces, then place the bit on the edge of the axe body.

Now weld it. Quick, firm blows from the center outwards. You want to squeeze the air out and fuse the metals. Work the whole edge. If you see sparks or flames, that’s good—you’re at the right heat. If the bit starts to slip, reposition with your tongs. I usually do two or three weld passes, reheating each time. Let it cool slowly again.

Step 3: Shape the Axe Head

Now you have a rough blank. Time to make it look like an axe. Heat the whole head to a dull red and start hammering out the profile.

Thin the bit edge – Hammer the cutting edge into a gradual curve. Don’t make it razor thin yet—leave some meat for grinding.
Form the beard – Many Viking axes have a “beard” (a lower curve that extends below the eye). To make that, hammer the bottom of the blade downward while supporting the eye. Take your time.
Smooth the eye – Use a drift or a round file to clean up the inside. Make sure the hole is uniform.

I like to check the balance by holding the head on a finger near the eye. It should feel heavy but not clumsy. Adjust by hammering more material off the poll (top) or the beard.

Step 4: Heat Treatment (Hardening and Tempering)

This step separates a user from a decoration. You need the edge hard, but not brittle.

Normalize – Heat the head to non‑magnetic (around 1400°F) and let it air cool three times. This relieves stress.
Harden – Heat only the cutting edge (about an inch back) to cherry red. Quench in warm oil—150°F is good. Keep it moving. Don’t quench the whole head unless you want cracks.
Temper – Immediately after quenching, clean off the oil and put the head in a kitchen oven at 400°F for one hour. This softens the edge slightly so it’s tough enough for real use.

Check hardness with a file—it should skid off the edge, not bite. If it’s too soft, re‑harden and temper at a lower temperature.

Step 5: Grind and Polish

Now put on safety glasses. Use an angle grinder or a bench grinder to clean up the forge scale. Shape the bevel—a smooth curve from the body to the edge. Don’t overheat the steel; dip in water often. I finish with hand files and sandpaper up to 400 grit. A polished edge is nice, but a satin finish is more authentic. Leave some hammer marks—they tell the story.

Step 6: Fit the Handle

Your handle should be ash or hickory, roughly 30 inches long for a hand axe. Cut a slot in the top that matches the eye. Drive the head onto the handle—tap it down with a mallet. For a tight fit, you can split the handle top and drive in a wooden wedge. Let the wedge push the wood into the eye. Trim flush.

Viking Rewind tip: Soak the handle end in water overnight before wedging. It swells and locks everything tight. Then oil the whole handle with linseed oil—several coats, letting each dry.

Step 7: Finish with a Sheath

A leather sheath protects the edge and you. Cut a piece of thick leather, wet‑form it around the blade, stitch it up. I add a simple belt loop. Done.

Final Thoughts

That’s the core method. Each step takes practice. My first axe looked like a deformed spatula, and the handle fell off after three swings. But I kept at it because that’s what Viking Rewind is about—keeping the old ways alive through sweat and fire. You don’t need perfect tools or a fancy shop. Just a fire, some steel, and the will to make something that lasts.

If you need a concise reference, the step‑by‑step axe forging guide walks you through each stage with photos and tips.

Now go swing it. Break some wood. Then make another one. You’ll get better. And you’ll understand why our ancestors loved these tools so much.