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Hand Making Axe Handles

XP_Slinger

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Figured I’d start a thread for making handles instead of cluttering up the other axe thread. Some of you know I’m working on a handle for my Plumb 2lb cruiser and it’s going good so far. If I remain patient and go slow, this will have the best fit I’ve achieved thus far.
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XP_Slinger

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Are you using hickory for the handle? I am thinking of trying to use some hedge apple to make one. I am hard on axle handles lol!
Yes I’m using hickory. I’m going to knock down a white ash today and see if I like how it shaves better. Hickory is stringy and pulls out very easy when it’s green.
 

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That’s some awesome info! Thanks for posting! Certainly clears up some speculation such as apple not being ideal for a handle. According to the test results it is just as strong as white ash. This list really opens the door to using types of wood I had never considered.
 

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Just did some more reading else where, it seems that the strength of hickory heart wood vs sap wood is a highly speculative topic. I’m gonna make a handle out of heart wood because it is very nice looking wood. I would speculate that it will last my lifetime. I also learned that the best pieces of hickory to make a handle out of are those that have 20 or less rings per inch. This fact is the opposite of what I had assumed. I figured the tighter the rings the stronger the wood which is not the case when selecting a billet for a long axe handle.
 
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ajschainsaws

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Yeah I thought it would be a good read for everyone who enjoys axes , I was sure some of the other timbers would be way out of the running but it shows what can be used
 

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I bet the big difference between some of these is how much shock goes to the hand and such. I was surprised to see white ash comparatively low on the scale compared to hickory. Yet ash as we know is a choice wood for making handles.
 

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Some might call this unnecessary but I made a brand for my handles. I think it’s a nice touch on a hand made handle. Gotta do some practicing and record how long to heat it, as you can see the first attempt was way too hot. This was just a store bought handle I’m using as a shape template so nothing lost in making that over burned mark.
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