Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions looking fo info on how to make a Hewing Axe handle

Well Tim I hope someone knowledgeable pipes in here, you have provided the image of an axe that I am not so familiar with. Have you maybe perused the timber guild forum itself? Maybe there is something here right under our noses that would be practical.

Look, make a pattern of the handle you want and with that pattern in hand go out to the woods looking for a piece that matches. The right piece would not only have the form of the pattern but will be substabtial enough that you can get the handle out of it without including any of the sap wood, (unless you find a hickory wood handle), or pith. For a hewing axe strength is less critical than that there is no spot on the handle where the grain runs out the edge which will fray and give you splinters.

The bad news is you are going to have to rough out the handle, coat the end grain with paraffin, find a dark, shaded place outside not overly dry and let it season for a year, bring it inside and season it further for another two years and then fit it to your axe head.

This is my favorite time of year to fit axe handles as it can be a relatively dry season. Conversely, it is my least favorite time of year to use an axe for the same reason.

Greetings,

Don Wagstaff