You will also need to find a large hammering rock, which you will use to shape the source rock. Look for a hammering rock that you can hold comfortably in your hand, with an even rock face. Using this method will create a knapped axe head, where the axe head is shaped by hitting it with another rock. [2] X Research source
You will also need a hammering rock to slowly peck away at the river rock until it is shaped into a suitable axe. A quartzite rock would make an ideal hammering rock for your river rock axe head. This will create a pecked stone axe head, where the river rock is chipped at very slowly, or pecked, with another rock.
You will need a piece of “green” wood that is at least two to three feet long. Look for a piece of wood that is not too wide or too narrow. The handle should be wide enough to accommodate the axe head, but narrow enough to hold in your hand. You can try out the length of the wood by holding it in your hand. You want the axe to be long enough to hold comfortably and swing behind you.
You can attempt to hit off a large slab that can be used as your axe head or hit down the source rock until it becomes the right size for the axe head. Be careful as you hit the source rock, as shards of rock will likely fly around. It is better to work slow and steady here so you do not have chunks of rock flying around you. For safety purposes, you may want to wear safety gloves and safety googles to protect yourself from flying rock shards. The goal is to have an axe head that is the size of your palm or a bit larger. Be patient, as it may take several hours to hit down the source rock until it is the ideal size for the axe head.
It can take several hours to peck away at the river rock. You should work outdoors in a comfortable area. Be careful of small pieces of river rock flying toward you as you peck the rock. If you work slow and steady, they should not be a major hazard.
Hold the axe head so it is vertical, resting on the wide side of the rock. Use the hammering rock to form a narrow end of the axe head by hitting the rock in small, short movements. You want this end to dip down so it forms a narrow edge. This edge will become the cutting edge of the axe head.
Pour a handful of water on the stone and start to rub the wide, flat side of the axe head against the stone. Use both hands to rub the stone back and forth, making sure to keep the polish rock wet with water. Polish down all sides of the axe head so it appears even and smooth on all sides. This could take a couple of hours so be patient and take your time. You may also want to use a smaller rock to polish the cutting edge of the rock. Make sure the axe head is wet as you use the small rock along the cutting edge of the rock, rubbing until the cutting edge appears smooth and even. This will mean it is also sharp enough to chop through wood and other plant matter.
You may want to try to knock or hit away at the top of the handle slowly with the sharp stone, making sure the wood is soft and “green” so it does not break. If you are using a knife, you can carve out a symmetrical split in the handle, making sure the width of one both sides of the handle are the same. Once the split is large enough to fit the axe head, gently slide the axe head into the split.
If the top of the handle is very thick, you may want to thin it out using a knife or a sharp stone. This can then make it easier to bend the wood. You will need to ensure the wood is very soft and flexible to use this method of attachment. You may want to work slowly and bend the top of the handle in increments so it does not break.
You should twist the cord so it is strong and durable. Do this by looping one piece of cord over the other to form a twisted cord. The twisted cord should be long enough to wrap around the axe head several times. Wrap the cord tightly around the axe head, crossing the cord over so it forms an “X” shape on the axe head. Do this twice and then tie the cord around the handle several times.
To use this method, you will need to use a sharp rock and a piece of wood to hammer in a hole a few inches from the top of the handle. You can also use a knife if you have access to one. You want a hole that is wide enough to fit the axe head. You can measure this by holding the axe head against the side of the handle and marking the width of the axe head on the handle. You will then need to heat up a long piece of wood in a fire until it is burning and smoking. Blow on it until you have a hot point on the wood. Run the hot point around the hole on the handle to smooth out the hole and shape it so it fits the axe head well. Once you have a well shaped hole, place the axe head into the hole, sharpened edge facing upward. Use a piece of wood to knock the axe head into the handle. Hold the axe head with one hand and make a few swift knocks on the axe head with the piece of wood until the axe head is in place. You should check that there are small gaps of space between the sides of the axe head and the hole in the handle. Small gaps are good, as this will prevent the handle from splitting when you use the axe.
If the piece of wood that you are striking is sitting horizontal, swing the axe slightly off of a direct vertical drop. You may use an anvil, which is a wooden block, underneath the object that you are striking. This will help keep the object from bouncing and increase the efficiency of your axe.
Depending on how large your stone axe and how forceful your swing, debris can fly with enough velocity to seriously injure someone.
You never know what may fall against your axe so always keep it protected.
If you need to remove the axe head, replace it exactly as it was because you may break the handle if you put it in backwards. You may create a crease to easily find the front of the axe. A crease is a small scratch mark near the front of the axe stone. If you can’t see it, it may be easier to feel. Make sure you create a crease that’s easy to distinguish. You will need to be able to find it if your axe head is knocked out or removed.
You must maintain the correct angle edge on a stone axe because it will break if it’s too low. If the angle is too high, your stone axe won’t cut.
You want to oil your handle to help prevent any damage.
