Take me to school on axe/ maul handles.

[bryanr2]

Several months back, got interested in vintage axe and maul heads on eBay. I bought 8 or 9 Gransfors, Hults Bruk, Wetterlings single bit, a Gransfors and Western Logger double bit heads. And now I would like to get them field ready for this fall's wood harvest/ scrounge.

Which is the more desirable handle- Hickory or Ash? Can someone explain grain placement to me? What grain to avoid, and what handle grain is preferred? Ive never re-handled a tool, normally just replaced with something new at the box store, but I wanted to have some higher quality axes on hand, which made me look for vintage European axes. Is there a source on line to buy handles? or should I just go to the hardwood store?

 

[sledge&wedge]

Several months back, got interested in vintage axe and maul heads on eBay. I bought 8 or 9 Gransfors, Hults Bruk, Wetterlings single bit, a Gransfors and Western Logger double bit heads. And now I would like to get them field ready for this fall's wood harvest/ scrounge.

Which is the more desirable handle- Hickory or Ash? Can someone explain grain placement to me? What grain to avoid, and what handle grain is preferred? Ive never re-handled a tool, normally just replaced with something new at the box store, but I wanted to have some higher quality axes on hand, which made me look for vintage European axes. Is there a source on line to buy handles? or should I just go to the hardwood store?

I can't give you tons of info, but my limited experience tells me that I have broken far fewer hickory handles than I have ash handles. The general rule of thumb on handle grain is that it the grain should run ALONG the handle, not across it. The more end grain you can see on the gripping surface of your handle, the "lower" quality handle you are looking at in most peoples' opinions. I would say a lot of people will tell you to buy un-varnished or un-finished handles if you can, so you can choose your coatings/preservatives yourself. This is a good topic... Hopefully you get one of the older dudes here to chime in with their experience. I'm young and dumb, but I've used a lot of tools in my few years on this Earth.

 

[dor-moor hands]

I prefer hickory it seems to be more forgiving if you miss. The grain of you look at the butt end with blade down the grain should be up and down as straight and close together as possible. You don't want any heart wood in the handle as it tends to be weaker. Pretty obvious in hickory. I only use a wooden wedge the extra metal ones you see split the wood wedge. There is a great video on you tube of an older forest service guy hanging a handle and sharpening. Good luck I think axes can be even more addictive than chainsaws

 

[dancan]

Some pics of the axe heads would be nice .
LeeValley tools can get replacement GB handles but I'm not sure if the eye is the same now as on the older ones , look for the real old mom and pops hardware stores , you might get lucky .
Hickory is the first choice but ash will work fine .
I find that some of the replacement handles look like they were routered out of a piece of stairtread .
BTW , sand off the varnish if coated with and soak in boiled linseed oil .

 

[bryanr2]

Thanks for the info. I will get some pics of them over the weekend. All down in the garage. I'll get on the prowl for the hickory handles. Ive got a gal of linseed oil from finishing the handle on my Mueller Spliting maul.

 

[Ronaldo]

Most manufacturers prefer Hickory over Ash because Hickory has a longer , stringier grain. Both are strong and will work, if you do over strike the Hickory fibers will tend to "hold" the head of the maul or axe and not allow it to go flying (dangerous).

 

[lindnova]

Check out Wranglerstar on youtube. He has some good videos on how to choose, make and set handles.

 

[svk]

Google "House Handle Co". I know a few members have purchased from here. You can call them with what you need, prices are fair, and you can pay a couple extra bucks for a hand selected handle. Also the choice of bare or finished handles.

 

[Tiewire]

Try this place. https://www.househandle.com
Sorry svk as I'm a slow typer I didn't see your post until I entered mine

 

[svk]

I'll add house handle has just about every imaginable size compared to the average hardware store which just stocks the basic sizes.

 

[babybart]

Check out Wranglerstar on youtube. He has some good videos on how to choose, make and set handles.

I subscribe to Wranglerstar, lot of interesting stuff he does! I have an ash and 2 hickory "blanks" I milled that I wanna try to make into handles this winter, can give a side by side comparison then if I can actually find the time to do what I plan to....

 

[hardpan]

I'll add house handle has just about every imaginable size compared to the average hardware store which just stocks the basic sizes.

Great site. Thanks for posting. When I was much younger there was an old hermit nearby that shaped, steamed and bent handles for just about anything and sold them locally, a ton of old time skill/knowledge and he made a fine product. The mowing scythe handles were real special. If I was smarter I would have watched him closer, gone a long time now.

 

[sledge&wedge]

Google "House Handle Co". I know a few members have purchased from here. You can call them with what you need, prices are fair, and you can pay a couple extra bucks for a hand selected handle. Also the choice of bare or finished handles.

@svk you were one of the first "older dudes" (oldER, not OLD) I thought of when I made my first post in this thread. I remember you having quite a bit of knowledge on handles from some random browsing I did a while back so I figured you'd be all over this one.

 

[benp]

Like @svk suggested...spend the extra $ for the hand picked.

The local fleet store carries House replacements. The quality of these particular handles are less than......acceptable. No way in hell I would go through the effort of replacement with one of these.

Example.....




They were all like this or very similar. Lots of heartwood and not one good grain in the bunch.

I realize/hope this isn't representative of all of their goods.

That being said, I'd have no problem ordering a hand picked one from them if I called them up and talked with them.

 

[svk]

Like @svk suggested...spend the extra $ for the hand picked.

The local fleet store carries House replacements. The quality of these particular handles are less than......acceptable. No way in hell I would go through the effort of replacement with one of these.

Example.....




They were all like this or very similar. Lots of heartwood and not one good grain in the bunch.

I realize/hope this isn't representative of all of their goods.

That being said, I'd have no problem ordering a hand picked one from them if I called them up and talked with them.

You ever get a chance to re-hang that Council maul yet?

 

[benp]

You ever get a chance to re-hang that Council maul yet?

Nope.

I was there looking for handles for it. I just raffed.

I have come to the acceptance that wood handles and I do not co-habitate well.

 

[svk]

I broke my camp axe while cutting firewood in the BWCA a few weeks back. Otherwise the mauls see so little use now that I have a fiskars that they actually last a while.

 

[benp]

I broke my camp axe while cutting firewood in the BWCA a few weeks back. Otherwise the mauls see so little use now that I have a fiskars that they actually last a while.

I figured out a while ago how I broke the council maul and its a common factor that the Fiskars breezes through. It wasn't an overstrike.....like some assumed and will assume. Good for them....I don't have to worry about them bugging me to try their fancy smancy maul once they find out who I am.

I split 12 to 6 on a round. Majority of the time things don't line up. The Fiskars has blown through ragged/angled edges on the 6 o'clock split. That's what broke the council. An angle coming off of the 6 o'clock hit and caught the handle. Bang.

 

[svk]

I figured out a while ago how I broke the council maul and its a common factor that the Fiskars breezes through. It wasn't an overstrike.....like some assumed and will assume. Good for them....I don't have to worry about them bugging me to try their fancy smancy maul once they find out who I am.

I split 12 to 6 on a round. Majority of the time things don't line up. The Fiskars has blown through ragged/angled edges on the 6 o'clock split. That's what broke the council. An angle coming off of the 6 o'clock hit and caught the handle. Bang.

Although IIRC that handle was pretty shoddy so probably died an earlier death than a clean blank would have?