Axe Handles for beginners : Old Lumberjacks were wrong !
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- čas přidán 2. 12. 2023
- In this video, I share some facts and opinions that will help beginners in choosing an axe handle to put an axe head on. There's a ton of options to choose from today. Whiskey River, Hoffman, House Handles, Beaver tooth handles, and you can still find good hardware store handles. Regardless of where you source your handle, this video will help you make the right choice when choosing it.
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Great stuff. Ive also found, in hardware stores especially, that you want to check the kerf is cut centered on the toungue and look down the handle go make sure it has not warped from leaning in the rack at the store. Ive run in to this plenty. Love the videos. Thanks
Absolutely. Gotta look for cracks also. Thanks for the input. 👍
Thank you! This information is totally spot on. Getting ready to make my first handle on a Plumb carpenter axe. Will be super helpful. I have a piece of really old oak that I think will look good. Again, appreciate all the advice!
Awesome I work in the garden department at ACE/Scarborough lumber and we sell a lot of handles now I can help our customers make a better selection for their needs!
I appreciate all of the wisdom that you share with us out here! Keep up the great work my friend.
Best regards,
Shawn
Good info and great discussion on key differences on choosing the right axe and why.
Excellent video again man. When you did the intro I had my number one reason in my head as runout. The points you articulated I took for granted and for a beginner I 100% agree with you. I also think it's significantly easier to have a handle with continuous grain and minimal runout when it's straight. Likely explains the observations you've seen with sledge handles.
Another great video! Thanks for posting!
I can't remember the last time I saw a hatchet or claw hammer handle that was split from bad grain orientation if ever.
I honestly don't really worry about grain orientation or even run out on these handles.
great info completely true about the fit of the head to the handle unless your a natural it takes time and you have to make that time and effort available you can do it quickly but unless your very good your going to make mistakes
Nice video I agree with most everything you said. I will say for beginners they should be aware of the run out at the palm swell. When they whale on that swell with a hammer or even a dead blow they can snap it off. Something to think about. And another small not on “runout”, the real problem (in my opinion), is when the run out terminates within a short distance on the handle on both ends. So say there run out on one side of the head right in the middle and that ring run diagonal across the handle and 5” later it runs out the other side then That handle is trash. If a growth ring runs out in the middle of the handle and you can follow it up through the tongue then it’s fine. That’s just from carving the couture of the handle. Sorry that was so long winded. Might be a little much for beginners but it’s a pretty easy concept. Thanks for the video bud!!
Good point on the run out at the palm swell. 👍
Great video man!
Thank you sir.
Did perpendicular grain orientation to the head have any advantages in felling and bucking to reduce shock and increase whip?
On the grain orientation argument, I think of it as taking a piece of something like 3/4 plywood... Hit the edge with something, it can tear out, hit the face, it causes less severe damage.
Maybe il try carving a handle for my next restoration, I think oak would be nice
Another great video bro
The very first axe handle I carved was sideways grain . But 0 grain run-out. That's been years ago and still my favorite axe . It seems to me that it actually absorbes more vibration.
I think your right.
Thankyou for the good information, I wonder if you could address an issue I have run into twice. That is an hourglass shape inside the eye, I have found these almost impossible to hang and now set them aside to possibly discard unless there is a way to hang them in a reasonable amount of time. Thanks.
I'll put it on the list. That's an older eye for axes. Sledgehammer and splitting maul have hour glass eyes. If you have an hourglass axe eye it's probably old and hand forged.
I know the traditional handle wood for ax's and hammers is hickory, but I've found Chinese elm ( ulmas parvifolia) to be much stronger. Been using it for over 25 years and have yet to break a Chinese elm handle.
Thanks for the input. I'm going to check it it.👍
Could you talk about different timbers that can be used to axe handles, I live in New Zealand and the hickory we get from the USA is often not a good quality and I’ve heard about oak and other hardwoods that work great
I love hardcore hammers axes, but with there duel use rigging hatches and double bit axe they always use curved handles. I wish they used straight handles on some of there tools.
Spot on.
Brother I've put heads on over 20 times on several occasions. However I am looking for a very tight fit with curl at the bottom of the head everywhere. It's called dry fitting for a reason.
Curls at the bottom of the eye is bad, not good. In fact, it is not possible to get curls if the bottom of the tool eye is properly deburred. A crisp, sharp corner on the inside of the bottom of the eye is a major failure point for handles.
@bastionheadwoodworks huh I file the bottom of the heads to insure there isn't a sharp point digging in. But I always when fitting my heads get curl at some point.
@@MountainMenMilitia I use a rotary file on a die grinder to establish a smooth rounded shoulder on the inside of the eye. I never get curls, just a slight compression line. This distributes bending stresses more evenly, reducing the "hinge point" effect as much as possible.
Rite on ,awesome vid. My thing is the handles are wood so they're not gona last forever. So why bother debating whats right and wrong. I cant wait for my handle to break or wear out. Then i can make a new one. Hahaha
My most used axe is a 3.5lb Kelly perfect on a 25” French’s curve handle. I don’t understand why everyone wonts 36” felling axes I’ve worked with an axe Dailey for years and I’ve never needed anything longer then 28” you have more control and strength with the shorter handles
I'm not sure when and why the 36" became popular. 🤔 now I need to know.
I could be wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that longer handles became more popular as people started to harvest to big timber out west and required longer handles that had more reach. They were even putting 40” handles on double bits.
@jasonsiegler6670 makes sense. I found a 4.5lb stiletto dB with the original 40" handle stamped stiletto/ turner day. One of the craziest finds.
Rock on!!
☝🏼Curved or straight is fine but must have girth to get it tight.
not trying to be a dick just to offer an alternative and possibly useful interpretation:
I wouldn't at all suggest handle length to be based on head weight but rather intended use, infact regardless of head weight.
a 34"/36" handle really ought to be on a dedicated felling or possibly splitting axe. for anything that'll have any bucking or limbing as part of its job description 28"-30" is all that's really appropriate or needed, even if you're a real tall bastard.
possibly shorter, even. basque axes are only 25". that's something I want to experiment with myself.
I hear people suggest 31"-32" for a splitting axe. (if memory serves Buckin' and Steven Edholm respectively.) I guess I haven't split enough wood to form a notable opinion. used 36" and 30" both seem perfectly fine to me.
of course as with most anything it boils down to a matter of preference and circumstances.
and indeed, grain orientation is fairly low on the list of priorities. certainly on a straight handle as of course perpendicular grain on a terribly curved handle translates to runout, whose effect on strength is much greater. as well the shorter the handle the more flaws are acceptable. for my money all but the most egregious flaws are totally acceptable on a say 14" handle.
straights the way to go. i windmill like when im spiking railroad spikes at work
My maul definitely breaks the weight to length ratio. Dad used a damn rail track as a teenager. Even heat treated the edge.
It's absolutely stupid 13.4 lbs the damn head is hilariously long.
No, I can't fking use it for shit.
Sounds bad ass.
By chance were you in 1/17 infantry?
Yes sir , B co also.
@@old_iron_axe_and_tool yep same here 3rd platoon. I thought you looked familiar man. Keep up the good work, love the channel.
Just tell me who makes a descent ax that won't break the bank?
Council Tool. If you possess a modicum of mechanical skill you can easily transform ( fine tune) their newer sport utility models into high performance, yet budget friendly axes.
yup, totally agree on the council tool axe's. they're great value for the money. the edges on council tool axes come almost done to be fine tuned by the end user for their intended purpose.
To be fair, I’ve broken off a lot more sledgehammer heads than axe heads, so grain still might matter, and the manufacturers are just getting lazy?
I think sledgehammer eyes are weaker than axe handle eyes. Also sledgehammer are often 2 times heavier than an axe head. They can see way more impact to. Now, all these reasons would make me want the best strongest handle I could find. Maybe they figured that it doesn't matter what handle you pick, It's gonna break.
Drew in by the title, I watched this video in its entirety...I personally knew and know "old lumberjacks".
...
No disrespect intended to the old timers. I just used it as a catchy title. I live in a active and historic logging comunity and grew up with 3rd generation loggers. My first summer job was setting chokers for my dad. But with that, some times the old ways were wrong.
@@old_iron_axe_and_tool yes sir...
You mostly have good info here, but one thing you said is pure nonsense. There is no discernible difference in the hardness or toughness of directly adjacent heartwood and sapwood in hickory or ash when working them with hand tools. The outermost few growth rings just beneath the bark often are softer, weaker, and of lower density than the rest of the wood, however.
Oh man, let's talk about. What species of hickory and test are you going to refer to? Or is it an opinion of yours that you've adopted from the forums. I've formed my opinion after experiencing the issue first hand multiple times.
@@old_iron_axe_and_tool I thought I had posted a lengthy reply to your response here. Did it not post, or did you remove it for some reason?
@@bastionheadwoodworks I didn't remove it.
@@old_iron_axe_and_tool First, forums are garbage so I don't read them. Second, without microscopic examination it is virtually impossible to determine the subspecies of hickory with any certainty if you didn't see the bark, leaves, or nuts of the tree the wood came from. Third, the "test" I would refer to is that I have hung hundreds of axes, and carved over a thousand handles, most of which I split from logs myself. I've also made countless kitchen utensils and bowls from hickory, pecan, ash, and many other hardwoods using most every kind of hand and power tool. In addition to being a professional craftsman, I'm a woodworking teacher and some of the topics I teach about are identification, physical properties, and working characteristics of hardwood species. This is literally my area of expertise. Finally, as an authority on the topic, I might suggest that if you come across any more hickory where the sapwood is noticeably easier to remove than the heartwood -- something I have never seen in my considerable experience -- don't use it for handles as it is some kind of weak, aberrant growth.
I will trade ya fly rods for an axe.
The old lumberjacks were wrong? For the men that grew up before digital technology of the Internet and did this for a living? Bold statement from a newbie .
Works for you now, not for them then.
Respect your elders. They weren't looking for the new thing, they worked with what their experience showed from the time they were in. It's ok to stand on the shoulders of giants, just don't crush the experience derived from it.
Haft.
1 foot of handle per 1 pound of head weight is ridiculous. A 5lb head would need a 60 inch handle, heck, a 3.5lb would need a 42 inch. What about a boys axe? Won't argue about the rest of it, close enough, but handle length is a very personal thing. It needs to be matched not only to the head, but also the intended use and size of the user. My best chopper is a 3.5lb on a 28" handle.