Homemade ice axe

I made this in my wood shop class and I think it's pretty decent. I'd like to hear what others have to say.

Nate Berman wrote:I made this in my wood shop class and I think it's pretty decent. I'd like to hear what others have to say.

It may depend on how it is used: does the pick geometry work on hard ice; can the shaft stand up to use as a belay anchor?

I hear the park rangers at Mt Raineer used to lay axes with wooden handles on thei sides and jump on them. Broken means no permit to climb.

But it wouldn't be the first home grown axe to be used in the wild. :-)

I like to see homemade tools still being made. Very cool!

Sounds like the Raineer Ranger(s) in question might have lost site of some of mountaineering's roots where homemade gear was the norm. Before the sport was overrun with white privilege, wealthy aristocrats, and nationalist expositions.

Nate the axe looks great. Nice shop project. Way better than a bird house or a baseball bat. What species did you make the handle out of?

looks rad, nice one

The handle is made of Red Oak.

Super cool! Did you make the head?

Nicely done. Thanks for posting.

Rick Blair: yes I did make the head. We made the blade, part that goes into the shaft, bent the adze, and welded it all together.

Thats awesome

Great project. Looks well constructed. We just made napkin holders when I was in wood shop...

Looks good. Cool project for sure! I don't see why it wouldn't work. The design looks quite reminiscent of the wooden axes of the past. How much does it weigh? I wonder if you could make something lighter with a laminated wood or if oak provides the best strength to weight as far as wood goes. Or maybe bamboo? Didn't Chouinard make axes out of bamboo at one time? If you want another project maybe the below links will provide some psych. Good luck.

mountainproject.com/v/anyon…

mountainproject.com/v/custo…

it weighs a lot. I'm not sure the exact weight but way more than a store bought mountaineering axe.