Liam Hoffman Blacksmithing HB-SHB Bearded Belt Carry Camp Axe. 12" length. Hand forged in North Carolina
Liam's axes are hand forged from a block of 4142 chrome/moly alloy steel in the Blue Ridge mountains on the Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee line and heat treated to 55.5 HRC. The heads are hung on straight grained hickory handles made from cabinet grade kiln dried lumber. Each handle is hand fitted with a drawknife. The flat, Scandi ground edge is set at 30 degrees for optimum carving performance. With an ergonomically sculpted handle curved and shaped to compliment the axe head in performance, this is a tool that will be a joy to use for many generations. Sheaths are hand made with thick vegetable tanned water buffalo leather. 100% made in house. Overbuilt and ready to use, because overkill never fails.
- Head Length: 5.25"
- Cutting Edge: 3.125"
- Handle Length: 9.375"
- Overall Length: 12.0"
- Blade Material: 4142 Chrome/Moly Alloy Steel
- Handle Material: Hickory Wood
- Sheath Material: Leather Belt Sheath
- Weight: 1 lb. 6.2 oz.
- Weight with Sheath: 1 lb. 9.0 oz.
- Designer: Liam Hoffman
- Handmade in the USA
*There is a $10.00 Shipping fee added due to the weight of this item.
ABOUT LIAM HOFFMAN from his website:
Growing up in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina I was accustomed to playing outside in the woods and creeks, opening up my mind to creativity. I have always been very hands-on and creative. I would make paper dye with wild violets and mold bowls from clay dug out of the creek banks. My mother and her family are very artistic and creative with design. My father is a hard working farmer. I believe I have both these attributes, and that when these traits are combined they fit perfectly the description of a blacksmith: hard work mixed with creative spirit.
I began blacksmithing in the fall of 2008 at the age of thirteen, starting out with nothing but a fire pit and a trailer hitch for an anvil. Over the last decade I’ve worked my way up by purchasing new equipment one machine at a time and learning about the craft and science of moving steel. My parents were extremely supportive in helping me pursue my passion. They gave me a push start by building a small brake drum forge for my fourteenth birthday. My dad took on the project of building a small 200 square foot shop over a two-year period. Once this foundation was established, I had my business well under way before graduating from high school.
I always get asked how and why I got started in blacksmithing at the age I did. One might think that I saw a blacksmith at a local fair or read about it in school and ran home to try it out. There was no conscious reason why I started, it's just called being a 13 year old boy. There is nothing else to it. Once I started heating up and hammering on steel, I knew it felt right. Only afterward did I discover what I was doing was called blacksmithing. Today I’m twenty-five years old with over 11 years of experience, author of my book FORGED a Guide to Becoming a Blacksmith and I’ve had the pleasure to teach private lessons to students from as far away as Australia. In June of 2016, I traveled to NYC to appear on History Channel's Forged in Fire. There, I forged a Kora sword and became the youngest to win Forged in Fire against ABS Master Bladesmith, Josh Smith. *Full article here*
I believe that high school hindered me in a way since I discovered my vocation at such a young age. Getting an education is imperative, but at the same time it felt nearly obsolete for me and it’s becoming more apparent every day how this traditional schooling isn’t working for so many folks with an aptitude for trades. I was already working 35 hours a week after school and on weekends, making both school and work life challenging. Add to that several years in Boy Scouts, achieving Eagle Scout at seventeen. I truly believe in hard work for building character. The secret to success is passion and hard work, of which I’m fortunate to have plenty for blacksmithing. Our goal today is to create a tool that your great grandfather would call quality. Made by people, not machines. We’re creating legacy tools to be passed down generation to generation.
