Induction Forged Viking Style Hammer

A few months ago, James Austin came by my shop. James is well known for his historically accurate Viking axes and has traveled all over the world teaching others how to forge them. Many of his axes require extensive forge welding to create the wrapped bodies and sockets that define traditional Viking construction.

While we were talking, James asked about my induction forge. He was curious whether it could be used for forge welding axes. I told him I was confident it could — that the only real limitation was imagination.

A few days later, I found myself thinking about that conversation and decided to challenge myself. I would build a Viking-style hammer using only the induction forge. The design I had in mind featured a wrought iron body with tool steel faces forge welded onto it. It seemed like the perfect project to push my skills and demonstrate the true capabilities of the induction forge the next time I saw James.

I started with a piece of wrought iron I had found on the beach in Bandon, Oregon, and cut it into two 2-inch sections. After flattening them, I realized I wouldn’t be able to forge weld them properly in the induction forge without building a new coil. So I built a 2-inch coil large enough to accommodate the billet.

I tack welded the two pieces of wrought iron together with a MIG welder and forge welded both ends in the induction forge, intentionally leaving the center unwelded because I anticipated punching the eye for the handle later.

Once the wrought iron body was joined, I forged a slice of truck axle to serve as the hammer face. I attempted to cut teeth into the tool steel and mechanically lock it onto the wrought iron before forge welding. After two unsuccessful attempts, I tack welded it with the MIG welder and proceeded with the forge weld. It took multiple heats at welding temperature and strikes from different angles before I achieved a weld that was clean and solid.

Next, I drew down the opposite end for the peen. I cut a groove into the wrought iron body and forged another piece of axle to fit. Again, I tried cutting teeth into the steel to hold it in place prior to welding, and again it failed. So I tack welded it and went through several more forge welding heats.

Punching the eye for the handle was relatively straightforward, but the unwelded section in the center split farther than necessary. I drifted the eye to size and drew out the cheeks. At that point, I had a functional hammer. Several additional heats were required to refine the shape, flatten edges, and clean up the lines.

There’s something deeply satisfying about taking on a challenge that stretches beyond your current skill set. This project pushed both my abilities and the capabilities of my induction forge. I learned a great deal — not just about technique, but about what the tool is truly capable of when you’re willing to adapt and experiment.

Of course, there are things I’ll improve next time. I’ll fully weld the wrought iron body before punching the eye, and I’ll take greater care fitting the tool steel faces for a tighter, cleaner joint. Better fit-up will improve both the weld itself and the look of the finished project.

I look forward to showing James the finished hammer and sharing what I’ve learned about the potential of the induction forge.