Alright, so I got this itch, you know? Been seeing all this cool viking stuff around, and the battle hammers, man, they just look brutal. So I thought, why not try and make one myself? Seemed like a decent weekend project, something to get my hands dirty with. Didn't have a proper forge or anything, so this was going to be a bit of an adventure from the get-go.
Figuring Out the Bits and Pieces
First things first, I had to figure out what this thing was gonna be made of. For the head, I needed some serious metal. I poked around the workshop, found this chunky old block of steel. Not sure what it was from originally, but it felt heavy enough. Probably not the best quality steel, but hey, it’s what I had. For the handle, I wanted some solid wood. Found a nice piece of ash that I'd saved from an old project. Strong stuff, good for handles, or so I’ve heard.
Wrestling with the Hammer Head
Okay, making the head. This was the part I was most worried about, and rightly so. Without a forge, I was looking at a whole lot of cutting and grinding. A whole lot. I sketched out a rough shape, something that looked vaguely hammer-like and vaguely viking-ish. Then I got out the angle grinder.
Sparks were flying everywhere, man. Took ages to cut out the basic block. Then even more time trying to shape it. Wanted that sort of squared-off look, maybe a bit of a spike on one end, but decided to keep it simple for a first try. Just a big, menacing block. I tried to drill the hole for the handle first, which, in hindsight, maybe I should have done after some more shaping. Getting that hole straight was a nightmare. My drill press isn't exactly top-tier, and the bit kept wanting to wander. Ended up a bit wonky, but I figured I could work with it. Lots of grinding, filing, more grinding. My arms were killing me by the end of it.
The Handle – Thought It’d Be Easy
So, with the head roughly beaten into submission, or rather, ground into submission, I moved onto the handle. Took that piece of ash. I wanted it long, you know, for good swinging leverage. Started shaping it with a drawknife, then moved onto rasps and sandpaper. This part was actually pretty therapeutic after all that metal grinding. Just shaving away the wood, feeling the shape come through. I made sure to make the top part, where it meets the head, a bit thicker, so I could wedge it in tight. Sanded it smooth, but not too smooth. Wanted a good grip.
Putting It All Together
This was the moment of truth. Getting that head onto the handle. I slid the handle through the hole in the head. It was a snug fit, which was good. But to make sure it wasn't going anywhere, I needed wedges. I cut a slot in the top of the handle, then hammered in a wooden wedge, and then a couple of small metal wedges crosswise. Banged those in as hard as I could. It felt pretty solid. Gave it a few test swings – carefully, mind you. Didn't want the head flying off and taking out a window. Seemed to hold. It wasn't perfectly aligned, if I'm being super critical. The head was a tiny bit skewed. But for a first attempt, I wasn't going to lose sleep over it.
Finishing Touches, Or Lack Thereof
I thought about adding some leather wrap to the handle for grip, maybe some carvings. But honestly, I was pretty beat by then. And my carving skills are, well, let's just say they're non-existent. I did give the handle a good coat of oil, though. Brought out the grain in the ash nicely. The head, I just left it as is, with all the grinding marks. Gave it a kind of rough, battle-worn look, I told myself. It ain't winning any beauty contests, that's for sure.
So yeah, that’s the story of my viking battle hammer. It’s heavy, it’s clunky, and it’s definitely homemade. But I made it. Every dent and scratch tells a story of me wrestling with it in the workshop. It was a fun process, learned a fair bit. Mostly learned I need more patience and probably better tools if I'm gonna do this stuff seriously. But for now, I've got a pretty mean-looking paperweight, or you know, something to scare the squirrels with. Pretty satisfying, all in all.
