Axes were among the most useful toos and weapons wielded by craftsmen and warriors of the Viking times, and were crafted with great care and pride by the Viking blacksmith.

Forging a Bearded Viking Axe will teach you how to use traditional blacksmithing skills and hand tools to forge an axe with the strength, keen edge and beauty of pieces produced by the Vikings over a thousand years ago.

DVD Aprox. running time 51 minutes

James Austin is a professional blacksmith and educator in Oakland, California. From 1982 to 1988 he served a traditional apprenticeship and three journeyman's years in Bavaria after which he returned to the San Fransisco Bay Area to found his own blacksmithing studio. His approach to smithing is rooted in the historical techniques which he learned in Germany and the traditional tools he has gathered and forged for himself.

His focus is on the creation of top-quality, historical and artistic metalwork measured by traditional standards.