Hand Making Axe Handles

[RI Chevy]

OK. Good. That was what I was thinking.
I noticed on GB website, that their carving hatchets used a lighter weight wood for the handles. Beech I think. It looks more meaty than stringy. More like heart wood.

 

[ajschainsaws]

Any progress on your bamboo handle @ajschainsaws ?

Not yet Iam chomping at the bit too get into this handle Iam at home but back up too work tomorrow so by the weekend I will have got a left handed wonky handle done hopefully

 

[ajschainsaws]

I never even considered axe handles until this but now I want to try. I just tinker with woodworking as a little hobby but it's very relaxing for me. Built our dining table, a picnic table with my chainsaw mill and a few other projects. I really enjoy working with the hand tools. Very simple and peaceful. I really enjoy the craftsmanship of threads like this.

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Great statement working with wood is very relaxing nothing like looking at something you’ve made yourself

 

[ajschainsaws]

Same here. I'd like to see what those guys could do with more time. I'd also like to build a forge and start learning but I just don't have the space to dedicate to it.

Yeah that would be an awesome thread

 

[heritageguy20051]

I was thinking along those same lines a bit regarding using different woods for handles.
I was thinking about the little hand hatchets, and the fact that they don't really seem to need the dense, heavy, long grained, strong hard wood handles. I was looking through some of the box elder rounds I have.
I wonder how an exotic wood handle would do on a small hand hatchet? Or even black walnut, or some other different woods?

Box Elder is a nice wood for projects. The pink in the grain really looks nice. I made some recipe card boxes with it. I also thought about walnut for handles. It's just such a nice wood.

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[ajschainsaws]

I would love to see a 36” piece of Osage orange hanging off a nice large puget style double bit

 

[ajschainsaws]

Box Elder is a nice wood for projects. The pink in the grain really looks nice. I made some recipe card boxes with it. I also thought about walnut for handles. It's just such a nice wood.

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Yeah that would look nice , box elder is quite strong
Walnut would like nice too

 

[RI Chevy]

Some rounds I split from the tree that I cut down.
This stuff would have been awesome. I had no idea what I had at the time.
Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[heritageguy20051]

That's what makes doing it yourself so great. There really is no limit. Try anything. If it doesn't work, try something different. Worst case scenario, it's all good firewood and you gain knowledge from it.

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[ajschainsaws]

Some rounds I split from the tree that I cut down.
This stuff would have been awesome. I had no idea what I had at the time.
Hindsight is 20/20.

Look at those colours imagine a floor like that

 

[heritageguy20051]

Some rounds I split from the tree that I cut down.
This stuff would have been awesome. I had no idea what I had at the time.
Hindsight is 20/20.

That's really nice! We all have trees that haunt us so don't feel bad.

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[RI Chevy]

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Lol

 

[heritageguy20051]

I helped a buddy cut up a huge red oak for firewood a few years ago. Would've been an amazing tree if I had my chainsaw mill back then.

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[exSW]

I had a Red Elm sawed for cribbing. 40" butt that went 16' then split into two 24" mains for another 16'. The fork sawed up pretty cool. Shoulda made tabletops out off it. Instead it's holding up one corner of the barn.

 

[jakethesnake]

Well I looked around for some of my hammers I made. Found one. No hatchet either.... I really don’t know where stuff walks off to but it’s likely I’m the one that doesn’t put it back. Anyhow this is a hickory hammer handle. Bout 16”.

 

[jakethesnake]

I didn’t bother piling the handle or staining it. I believe I got that stick out of a broken shovel handle. Fit and finish is primitive but it fits my hand just right. I didn’t stain it as I know I’ll just have it looking all kinds of oily and greasy that one is relatively new. Like this past fall. There’s more around but definitely no handmade axe handles yet. I may give it a whirl with a chunk of maple. Just more or less to see if I can succeed or if I make a s hot handle that breaks in a week. I’ve got a 5 pound plumb axe and an old one at shop with no markings. I was actually gonna just buy a handle but I think it may get me off to make one at this point

 

[RI Chevy]

Cool ball pean hammer. Just made me remember that I have a little small one that I broke about 30 years ago that I need to rehandle. LOL

 

[jakethesnake]

Something sorta neat about making your own handles is you can make them whatever length you want. I like a good long handle so when I miss I really smash my hand or finger well. If u gonna smack a finger Just we’ll smash the devil out of it

 

[RI Chevy]

Lol. Funny. If your gonna do it, you may as well do it right! Lol

 

[ajschainsaws]

started shaping up the bamboo at last