Anyone hung a 1-1/4 hatchet on 20" handle ?

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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I was wondering if anyone had done this and how well it worked out, because I'm interested in doing this with my project hatchet ( a HF special I bought a few years ago to experiment on and kept using since I still haven't found a vintage, and because I was so impressed with it's edge taking and retention ability ) and I'd also like to see what one would look like ( if I do it and like it I may not need to find a vintage riggers axe head )
 
I often use a 350g (0.77lb) head on a 24" handle. Works great for "scouting" tasks when traipsing around the woods. I say go for it.
 
Absolutely, go for it. I have put carpenter hatchet heads on 18" handles, 2lb heads on boy's axe handles. Don't overdo it, but in general a head on a slightly longer than normal handle is good to great. More safely and more physics working for you. If it looks cool and functional it is good. If it looks ridiculous then you have gone too far.
 
I modded a couple 1 1/4 lb import hatchets and hung them on 19" handles. Very handy, but have to be careful with the extra weight and length physics that can work against you as well. I wouldn't let a novice use one.
Pics are chopping deer legs and compared to surplus Swedish military axe.

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I think a riggers hatchet handle would work great for a #1.25 head. I have one head I'm thinking of doing that with myself. I've also got plans to put a #2 head on a 22-24" handle, as the hatchet length handle (14") on it now doesn't work for me.

I have an old HF yellow handled hatchet that I am not ashamed to say I love. It was $2.99 i think at the time and my son used it to cut honeysuckle bushes in rocky places. Miraculously it survived years of that and became our all around first choice hatchet. I messed up the toe on it a year or so ago when I hit a steel wedge splitting a log, but it is still a good hatchet after that, just even funnier looking.
 
BG_Farmer said:
I think a riggers hatchet handle would work great for a #1.25 head. I have one head I'm thinking of doing that with myself. I've also got plans to put a #2 head on a 22-24" handle, as the hatchet length handle (14") on it now doesn't work for me.

I have an old HF yellow handled hatchet that I am not ashamed to say I love. It was $2.99 i think at the time and my son used it to cut honeysuckle bushes in rocky places. Miraculously it survived years of that and became our all around first choice hatchet. I messed up the toe on it a year or so ago when I hit a steel wedge splitting a log, but it is still a good hatchet after that, just even funnier looking.
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My 11$ Hf hatchet really seems to have a decent steel to it as well ,and I'm fairly happy with it .if I see good results after putting a 20" handle on it ( as a proof of concept,unless I like it enough not to need anything else) I'll know that a riggers axe on a 22" curved fawnsfoot handle should be a great combination . it should serve me well until I can find me a nice old riggers axe head to restore and hang . I'm sure a new Vaughan would probably be just as good, but I wouldn't get the nice natural patina / character and I'm pretty sure I can get one for much less than the 30$ that the Vaughn costs ( I just need to keep looking, cause I do live in California where the riggers axe eventually bred the framing hammer )
 
yes i do, and it's very valuable, go for it! i use this kind of hatchet, when out in winter, when no room for a big axe and a small hatchet, and have to process bunch of fire wood.
 
I just did a 1.25 lbs Kelly Woodslasher on a 19" house handle. It came out closer to 18" all said and done. I find it is a nice size for a camp axe. It can be choked up on for finer or more accurate work, it's just big enough for two handed grip for splitting and still light enough for one handed use. I will say you want a nice swell on this sized handle as useing two hands they will be basically right on top of each other.

Still I feel like a handle in the 22-23" range especially with that head might behave like a smaller version of a boys axe. I'm probably going to move the handle over to a Wards that I have which is basically the same head and cut/slim down a boys axe handle for the Kelly. What can I say though I enjoy tinkering with my axes as much as I do using them :-)

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Working on another right now that will be going to my best friend when complete. It's an old U.S. stamped head with a hand forged feel to it.
 
Hacked said:
I just did a 1.25 lbs Kelly Woodslasher on a 19" house handle. It came out closer to 18" all said and done. I find it is a nice size for a camp axe. It can be choked up on for finer or more accurate work, it's just big enough for two handed grip for splitting and still light enough for one handed use. I will say you want a nice swell on this sized handle as useing two hands they will be basically right on top of each other.

Still I feel like a handle in the 22-23" range especially with that head might behave like a smaller version of a boys axe. I'm probably going to move the handle over to a Wards that I have which is basically the same head and cut/slim down a boys axe handle for the Kelly. What can I say though I enjoy tinkering with my axes as much as I do using them :-)

24299969383_99bdc0bda8_h.jpg


Working on another right now that will be going to my best friend when complete. It's an old U.S. stamped head with a hand forged feel to it.
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Yeah I think that 20" or longer would be better,that way it starts to really become and look like a small axe instead of a longer hatchet. ( another reason why I want a longer handle on it is because it's 3/4 lb heavier but only 2" longer than my sub zero hatchet and that doesn't seem right )
 
Hickory n steel said:
Yeah I think that 20" or longer would be better,that way it starts to really become and look like a small axe instead of a longer hatchet. ( another reason why I want a longer handle on it is because it's 3/4 lb heavier but only 2" longer than my sub zero hatchet and that doesn't seem right )
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At some point 14" was settled on as a standard for hatchet handles. If you look back though you can find examples with handles with 16, 18, and even 20" handles with fairly little effort. I also came across an add for a Boston Company selling a camp axe with options for a 1, 1.25, or 1.5 # head paired with your choice of a 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24" handle. Do a search for CAC Damascus Camp Axe and it should be fairly easy to find.
 
Hacked said:
At some point 14" was settled on as a standard for hatchet handles. If you look back though you can find examples with handles with 16, 18, and even 20" handles with fairly little effort. I also came across an add for a Boston Company selling a camp axe with options for a 1, 1.25, or 1.5 # head paired with your choice of a 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24" handle. Do a search for CAC Damascus Camp Axe and it should be fairly easy to find.
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I saw one of their ads on here before, but still that's cool, thanks !
 
a friend of mine has a mint cac axe hatchet it is the nicest hatchet I have ever seen ill post a pic later if I can
 
Sweet water said:
a friend of mine has a mint cac axe hatchet it is the nicest hatchet I have ever seen ill post a pic later if I can
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Yup, I missed out on one in pretty rough shape. Probably the best looking profile I've seen on an axe. They advertise them as using razor blade steel which refered to what was the highest quality at the time I believe. The nail puller was also a very interesting design. I would love to own one but unfortunately it seems they are rather rare. Still kicking myself for not buying that one when I had the chance.
 
So it just occurred to me that the new Condor Cloud Burst axe fits in this category. The handle length is specified at 23" and while I didn't see a head weight given the dimensions are right in line with an average hatchet head. I was looking at the shot show video this morning to get an idea of what a longer handled hatchet would look like. I'm probably going to take the Kelly above and make a hanlde in the 22-24" range for it. I can't get the idea out of my head, so that's probably a future project once I wrap up what's on my plate at the moment.
 
Sweet water said:
a friend of mine has a mint cac axe hatchet it is the nicest hatchet I have ever seen ill post a pic later if I can
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Excuse my ignorance but what is cac? I tried Google and didn't come up with much. I'm on the lookout for a 1 1/2ish head to hand on a 21".
 
Grimalkin said:
Excuse my ignorance but what is cac? I tried Google and didn't come up with much. I'm on the lookout for a 1 1/2ish head to hand on a 21".
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It was a company that marketed axes to hunters, trappers, and campers back in the early 1900's. They seem extremely hard to come by, but a good reference for what was once available in my book. A 1.25 - 1.5 lbs head is easy to come by, the handle is a different story.
 
Hacked said:
So it just occurred to me that the new Condor Cloud Burst axe fits in this category. The handle length is specified at 23" and while I didn't see a head weight given the dimensions are right in line with an average hatchet head. I was looking at the shot show video this morning to get an idea of what a longer handled hatchet would look like. I'm probably going to take the Kelly above and make a hanlde in the 22-24" range for it. I can't get the idea out of my head, so that's probably a future project once I wrap up what's on my plate at the moment.
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Go for it :thumbup: I'd love to see the results ( for some reason I prefer my handles to be even numbers, so the 23" doesn't sound right, but the 22" sounds awesome )
 
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