I’m a professional woodworker and I own Dryad Gaming Co., a small workshop that creates hardwood accessories for tabletop games. I have a fully outfitted workshop, but from time to time I like to challenge myself to build something completely different, and with limited tools. This is a sort of creative exercise for me. After playing the fantastic God of War game on PS4, all I could think about was how cool the axe was. I saw a few people build the Leviathan axe on YouTube and Instructables, but they were either out of foam for cosplay, or actual steel axes. 

I wanted to do something different and make it out of 100% wood (even the fabric handle wrap is wood). So, pretty much only using a band-saw, belt-sander, Dremel, and pyrography tool (three-quarters of which cost less than $50), I got started. There were times when using my advanced tools would have been quicker (my laser engraver is a lot faster than my pyrography tool), but I actually find it quite nice to do things slowly and more ‘by hand’. Besides, I knew I wanted to show off the end product, and also show that even a very basic woodshop can make cool things! While I do have a professional workshop, this project, like so many others, certainly doesn’t need much more than simple tools!

This story is an excerpt from HackSpace magazine Issue #14. Interested in regular updates from the world of making? Become a subscriber.