I recently acquired a few axe heads that either had no handles or ones that needed to be replaced. I was wondering if anyone has any helpful techniques to offer on hanging a new handle to both a felling axe and also to a broad axe or broad hatchet? Specifically which types of wood: hickory, oak, hornbeam, etc.. are suitable? is it better the wood be dried or green? to cut a slit or not in the top of the handle to help the wedges expand within the head? wood or steel wedges are better or both? Or even some more experimental techniques like Jim Rogers talks of by submerging the end in red hot sand and then slipping it into the head so the wood will expand within the head as the moisture seeps back into the end of the handle.Many questions come to mind as I prepare to try to fit a new handle to my vintage axe heads. Any insights are a great help as I know literally nothing about this technique. Also would adze heads be fitted similarly? Thanks tb

TB - sounds like you already know so much about this...

But the topic reminded me of a story I once heard...

There was an old man in Gander, Newfoundland, who was having all the items on his farm appraised so to be sold at auction. The appraiser was given a list of the items with a description of each, and was quite shocked to come across an axe which the old man claimed to have been in his family for five generations. The appraiser asked to see it, and when shown he said "Why, this axe looks allmost new! How can it be as old as you say?" The old man gave the appraiser a knowing smile and said, "Young man, the key to keeping a good tool is maintenance. Why, this axe has been through four heads and sixteen handles!"

Actually ,I only know what I have read or heard and have never even replaced a single handle. Being a perfectionist ,I always like to get as much info from as many sources before I make a physical effort. Besides I love using axes and plan to use them often , which means eventual broken handles, so I need to be able to hang a new handle and do it with excellence. tb

timber brained,

The best handles are split from a log rather than sawn, for the same reason the best pegs are split rather than sawn. Continuous grain.

It's easier to shape the handle with the wood green or semi green, but make sure the wood is dry before you fit it to the head. Because I am not terribly patient, I prefer to just use dry wood rather than wait to finish a handle until it dries.

I like hickory for felling axes and hatchets and virtually any hardwood with the appropriate shape for a broad axe. Hickory is very resilient and strong, and it doesn't transmit vibration as bad as other woods.

Saw a kerf in the head end of the handle for a softwood wedge (hardwood will work loose). I also drive a metal wedge or two nearly perpendicular, but not quite, to the wooden wedge. Don't glue the wedge.

For felling axes and hatchets, when you sight down the bit like a gun sight, your eye should fall somewhere within the fawn's foot at the other end of the handle.

As far as the shape goes, find one you like that is comfortable and copy it.

I don't make my own felling axe handles as the local hardware store has pretty good ones for $15. They have decently straight grain and a full, well shaped fawn's foot. Of course, I always look through all of them and pick the best.

And don't forget-- there's more than one way to hang an axe and this is just mine.

Have fun and good luck,

Gabel

gabel has it... dry wood. I use ash as that's what my area does best.
take the axe head to the handle, figure out which end is up and down, measure for any difference in the size of the hole.
place the hole on top of the handle and reach inside and trace the hole onto the handle. take a rip saw and cut down just outside the line(this is the time to shoot for the other end of the handle). then take a drawknife and get closer to the lines. finally bring the top(the very end-1/4") of the handle just under the line, and begin fitting the head. rub some lumber crayon inside the axe head to show the tight spots quickly. there is no substitute for patience at this point. work the head on(I use a file here), keeping the bit pointed toward the other end of the handle. A scoring axe, when set on a flat surface with the bit pointing straight down and the end of the handle touching the same flat surface, should have the center of the bit on the surface. THis means that the section of handle that passes through the head is tipped a bit in relation to the rest of the handle. Then when you swing the axe, the center of the bit is hitting the wood first.
The adze is the same, in reverse. the whole handle goes through the head, and then gets fitted.... but you can still trace the profile that you need to end with onto the end of the handle.

You're assuming again.......that these are "experimental techniques".
Just cause you've never heard of them before doesn't make them experimental...........

Jim Rogers

Sorry Jim. Did not mean to use your name in a wrong way. You are right I did assume that it was experimental just because I had not heard directly from somebody that did it and had it work out well. I apologize for misquoting you, as I definitely did not want to upset you. You have been particularly helpful to me in the past few months. I guess I have a bad habit of infusing my attitude and opinions into my postings that are better left out. Sorry. Sincerely tb

Hi all:

In our family it was the tradition to hand down the handle style in the form of a flat board that holds the historic shape and can be traced to a new rough blank.

Our handles had a quite a bit of swing in the belly of the handle as it exits the head of the axe, and then curved prominently at the end with a carved hand grip or fawn's foot as mentioned.

I use white ash, but really like wild cherry if it can be obtained.

It sounds like all the information from those ahead of my post is good and can not be improved upon in my opinion, I just thought that I would add my little touch on the blade of the handle for your interest.

The turn at the end gives the handle(r) good control of the axe as you swing it, and once you have used an axe with this feature you will not want to return to the boughten straighter axe handles
NH

NH

NH, is it possible you can post a picture of the handle you described, as I have recently acquired a 13" axe head from Canada and was going to attempt to cut my own handle for it. What do you think of the broad axe handles that are on the market(ebay-from arkansas)? Have you seen them? tb