Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The strategy of creating a dramatic shape change by welding a smaller size
bar to a larger one is common in traditional smiths' work. The alternative is
to start with one bar having sufficient mass for the larger component and then
draw or work down the smaller section from it. With forge welding ability an
expected part of the trade, with a selection of bar stock available, using one
size bar for the grip and second for the blade makes sense in terms of produc-
tion efficiency.
Overall
Brick Axe A
is a sweet, veteran tool, skilfully forged and neatly fin-
ished. Except for the heavy rust pitting, I think it exists in largely its original
form. When new, I would expect that the surface was left 'as forged' with a black
oxide coating from the fire and a careful hammered texture. The junction of
blade to grip may have had some clean up with the file, as these transitions are
often difficult to forge with the expected level of finesse. The blade profiles
where likely filed to refine them before heat treating the cutting edge and the
edge ground to final form after hardening and tempering. To quote Moxon
(1678, 62): 'He that will a good Edge win, Must forge thick and Grind thin'.
Brick Axe B
This is a more robust tool that shows considerable reworking of the blades.
The hammered texture of both is what I associate with in-use repair rather
than original manufacture. We have discussed the need to have a blade ham-
mered out thinner as material loss in grinding begins to make a thick and
clumsy cutting edge. Likewise if the cutting edge is steeled, there comes a time
when the tool will no longer hold a good edge. All of the steel has been sharp-
ened away. The tool then gets sent to the local blacksmith for a functional,
if not aesthetically pleasing repair: welding on a new piece of steel and then
hardening and tempering the edge.
Weld lines show the added material on
Brick Axe B
on both sides of each
blade (Fig. 32). This suggests that the additional material was pinched onto
what remained of the original blade, rather than being lapped on.
Given the historical expense of steel, it does not make sense that these add-
itions be entirely of steel. In fact, when viewed at an acute angle, it is poss-
ible to see a colour change as a band across the cutting edge. This suggests
an added edge of heat-treated steel. So the obvious weld lines I would argue
show additional iron added to compensate for material loss due to repeated
grinding and drawing out of an edge. Eventually there was no longer much
mass to work with. Yet there was still significant value in what remained, value
enough to retain it and weld additional blade stock to it and then finally steel
the reconfigured shape.
All in all, this tool has been reworked enough that it is hard to draw conclu-
sions about its original form. The grip is nicely forged and may even have been
filed to further smooth the surface. Such additional attention to areas of a tool
