Multi-axially forged piston

1. A method of forging a piston comprising:

die forging a blank of steel in a first axial direction longitudinally of the piston to produce a one piece forged structure including at least a portion of a piston head, a pair of laterally spaced pin bosses extending downwardly from the piston head portion having a common pin bore axis transverse to said first axial direction, and a piston skirt having a pair of laterally opposed skirt portions spaced from the pin bosses and strut portions extending between and joining said skirt portions to the pin bosses as a one piece structure; and

further die forging the blank in at least a second axial direction transverse to the first axial direction to produce a forged recess in each of the strut portions of the piston skirt and forming outer surfaces of the pin bosses and forging the strut portions in the second axial direction such that the recesses extend laterally inwardly of the outer surfaces of the pin bosses wherein a portion of the recesses are formed to extend into the skirt portions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the skirt portions are formed with a lower edge and the recesses are formed so as to be spaced from the lower edge of the skirt portions.