Can you get more Neander than an axe?

ken werner

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Central NY State
Well the old axe handle I made in 2004 was getting pretty worn down, mostly from some bad hits over the years. It failed catastrophically yesterday, fortunately with the head broken off embedded in a chunk of firewood. I buy my firewood split, but usually split it further before burning to have more choices loading the woodstove. Old handle on the left, replacement as a WIP on the right.

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So I took a piece of white oak, and using drawknife, spokehaves and rasp [oh yeah I did use a bandsaw to get near the overall shape] I came up with a new handle. You can see some of the ray flecks. Finish is BLO.

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That is great Ken. Can I assume you used dry oak to shape your handle because you will be fitting it immediately? I guess what I asking is, knowing how much easier it is to shape wood when it is green do people rough them out while they are green and then fit them when they are dry or just shape and fit them from dry wood?

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Bill, it's a piece I rived out of the log last winter, and it has been leaning up against my shop outdoors since. It was going to be a continuous arm for a Windsor chair, but I didn't like how it turned out for that application. So it isn't quite dry, but it also isn't very green. since the axe lives in my unheated and somewhat damp basement garage, I don't think I have to worry about it drying out too much. I don't know what others do, but I used the materials and methods I had available.
 
it will be courious to see how white oak handles the stress of splitting wood.. hickory is the norm for handles like this .. looks good though ken.. wont be long now and you will be driving horses to work:)
 
Hickory is the standard, but the last one I made was ash and it lasted 8 years, so we'll see about the white oak. What's your guess Larry? I tried it out and it feels good.

Reminds me of the old joke:
Old timer: "Son, this is the best axe I've ever owned, it's lasted me 50 odd years."
Youngster: "Really?"
Old timer: "Yup, it's been through two heads and five handles, sure is the best axe ever."
 
using the factors that you have had more practice at swinging the axe,, that means less misses so there for the x factor is increased and white oak staves on barrels are tough so i would say your good for 10 to 15yrs:) after all these calculations, but some weather conditions will alter the outcomes:)
 
Very nice Ken, i was going to say i always thought ash was the way to go now i learn its hickory never thought of oak taking the blows. Be interesting to see how it holds up.

I know a while back during my paving reno and new gate build i had to refit the handle on my short builders 4lb hammer and used some Jatoba i had to make a nice long hammer handle. It works but i aint sure such a dense wood is right either. It dont have the elastiscity that ash has so when i used it as a stake pounding hammer i snapped the hammer head off once. But i think it was more of a case of me trying to make a 4lb hammer act as a sledge hammer. :) lol.


But Ken you sure got a way with the spokeshave and drawknife. Nice shape to the handle. :thumb:
 
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Reminds me of the old joke:
Old timer: "Son, this is the best axe I've ever owned, it's lasted me 50 odd years."
Youngster: "Really?"
Old timer: "Yup, it's been through two heads and five handles, sure is the best axe ever."

:rofl: I'll have to share that one with a few people who I know would relate.

The handle looks great, Ken. I agree with the previous comments about your skill with a drawknife. :thumb:

On the hickory vs. ash vs. oak debate...I always make my axe handles out of pine. They don't last very long, but I feel like a he-man animal every time I break one. :D
 
My dad was telling me that an old blacksmith had told him that he really liked cottonwood for hammer handles. Since then he's used it for some of his farrier hammers for a few years and really likes it - it has a "flat" feel that gives it kind of a deadblow like feel. I reckon that wouldn't be as desirable for an axe where you want some bounce (although I could see it for a carving/hewing axe maybe).

I do wonder if oak would "zing" to much if you used it a lot. If you happen to get a 4 hour stretch with that axe, let us know how your hands feel... tingly?

I recently picked up an old carving axe head ($2.50 and its looking pretty good so far..) and have been debating what sort of a handle I want on it so pretty timely here :wave:

Either way great form on the handle :thumb:
 
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