Axe Head Blanks

Shop axe head blanks for custom builds, handle replacements, and display projects. Explore available Viking, bearded, tomahawk, hatchet, and double-bit styles in Damascus and carbon steel.

Compare each head's steel, weight, dimensions, eye size, and finish to find the right starting point for your build. Check the individual listing for its condition and any work required before use.

Each listing shows the style, steel, weight, head and edge length, and eye size. Use the guides below to match a head to the handle, the job, and the finish you have in mind.

Shop Axe Head Blanks by Style

Viking and Bearded Heads

A Viking axe head blank has a “beard”: the lower edge sweeps down well below the eye. That gives a long cutting edge on a relatively light head, and it leaves room to choke up and grip behind the beard for controlled carving and hewing.

Bearded heads are a popular choice for camp axes, woodworking builds, and display pieces, especially in Damascus, where the wide cheek shows plenty of pattern.

Tomahawk Heads

A tomahawk head blank is a light, compact head with a round or teardrop eye that tapers wider toward the top. The handle slides up through the eye and locks by friction, with no wedge, so the head can come off for cleaning or replacement.

Choose a tomahawk head for camp builds, throwing builds, or a slim, fast-handling belt axe. Check the listing for a spike or hammer poll if you want a multi-purpose back end.

Hatchet Heads

Hatchet heads are small, single-bit heads sized for a short, one-hand handle. They suit kindling, campsite chores, and carving.

A Damascus hatchet head blank combines that compact size with a layered pattern, which makes it a common pick for a gift build or a bushcraft kit.

Double Bit Heads

A double bit axe blank has two cutting edges and no poll. Many users keep one edge fine for clean cuts and grind the other more robustly for knots, roots, and dirty wood.

The head is symmetrical, so it needs a straight handle rather than a curved one. Both edges stay exposed in use, so plan for a proper mask or sheath.

Damascus Axe Head Blanks

A Damascus axe head blank gives your finished axe a layered, pattern-welded look across the broad cheeks of the head. Most Damascus steel is made by forge welding a high-carbon steel with a nickel-bearing steel. After etching, the carbon layers darken, and the nickel layers stay bright.

A Damascus axe head suits display pieces, gift builds, and working axes alike. Check three details on the listing before you choose:

• Steels: The named steels decide how the edge hardens and how bold the pattern looks.

• Etch: Many Damascus heads ship etched. Any grinding or sanding removes that etch, so plan to re-etch after shaping.

• Heat-treat state: Find out whether the head is already hardened or still needs heat treatment.

Carbon Damascus will rust if left damp, so oil the head after use and store it dry.

How Finished Is Your Blank?

A blank axe head can arrive at very different stages. Pick the stage that matches your tools and experience.

An unfinished axe head gives you full control over the edge geometry and the hardening. A hardened head lets you go straight to handle fitting and sharpening.

Eye Shape and Handle Fit

The eye is the hole that holds the handle, and it decides how the head is hung.

• Axe-style eye: Oval or teardrop-shaped. The handle passes up through the eye from below, and a wedge is driven into a saw kerf at the top to spread the wood and lock it in place.

• Tomahawk-style eye: Round or teardrop-shaped and tapered wider at the top. The handle slides up from its narrow end until it seats, with no wedge needed.

Look for an axe eye blank forged with a slight taper on axe heads, because a tapered eye holds a wedged handle more securely. Always compare the listed eye dimensions, usually given as width × length, with the handle you plan to use before ordering both.

What to Check on Each Listing

Every hand-forged axe head for handle fitting should list these details. If one is missing, contact us before you order.

• Steel: A named grade or Damascus pairing, not just “carbon steel.”

• Weight: Lighter heads suit hatchets, tomahawks, and carving. Heavier heads suit chopping and splitting.

• Head and edge length: A longer edge cuts a wider swath. A shorter edge is easier to control.

• Eye size and shape: These must match your handle and mounting style.

• Hardness: Axe edges are often hardened to the mid or high 50s HRC. The poll is often left softer so it can take blows without cracking.

• Edge state: Many heads ship unsharpened or with a rough edge, so plan to sharpen before use.

Planning a Custom Axe Head Build

A custom axe head build starts with how the finished axe will be used.

• Throwing, carving, or carrying: Choose a light tomahawk or hatchet head with a short handle.

• Camp chopping: Choose a medium bearded or single-bit head with a longer handle.

• Splitting and two-handed chopping: Choose a heavier head with a full-length handle. A double-bit head suits forestry-style work.

• Display: Choose a Damascus or engraved head where the finish matters most.

For the handle, pick hickory or ash with the grain running in line with the head, because inline grain holds up better than cross grain.

Axe Head Blanks vs Finished Axes

An axe head blank is the steel only. You supply the handle, the wedge, the sharpening, and the final finish. A finished axe arrives hung, sharpened, and ready to use. Choose a blank if you want to pick your own handle length, wood, and finish, or if you’re replacing a broken handle on a head you plan to keep.

Hanging and Care

• Fit the handle snugly: Shave the handle to fit the eye, seat the head, then set the wedge.

• Check it regularly: Re-check wedge tightness after the first few uses and whenever the head feels loose.

• Oil the steel: Oil the head after use and store it out of a damp sheath.

• Sharpen with care: Use a file and a stone or puck, keeping the original bevel shape.

Related Collections

Prefer a finished axe? Browse our Handmade Axes, and Hatchet Axes, Double Bit Axes and Tomahawks. Building a knife instead? See our Knife Blade Blanks.