Axe handles in southern Ontario (GTA)

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Stefan138

Joined
Dec 15, 2012
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I am wondering does anybody know of where I might be able to purchase an axe handle in the GTA or in southern Ontario? I recently bought some old axe heads and there's a real nice one that I'd like to put a handle on but there are no stores here that carry handles that would fit it. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
I go to Home Hardware for handles. Haven't found handles for double bits - ending up making it myself.

Good luck!
 
Finding decent handles is a curse these days. I was in a Home Hardware store in Cambridge a few days ago (Saturday 23 Nov) and they still had about 1/2 dozen locally-made? handles in stock. They are unfinished and a little bit on the thick side but the grain is perfect. I noticed there were even 1 or 2 Pulaski/ddb bit handles in stock. I bought one of these about a month earlier simply because I haven't come across decent handles in about 20 years. There is no maker or origin marked on these and staff at the store knew nothing about them. Cambridge is about 45 minutes W of Toronto on the 401. Take the hwy 24 exit south and then turn left on hwy 8. The store is about 2 miles away and on the left.
Good luck!
 
Hit and miss: Princess Auto and Canadian Tire. Within a radius that I can hit during my lunch hour, I have 2 Princess Auto's and 3 Canadian tires. Only one of the PA has handles and only one of the CT carries them - and only in 14, 28, and 36". At least half of the stock at that Canadian Tire are actually nicely grained and usable despite the polyurathane finish. The handles from PA aren't finished, but they are very thick and better suited for mauls. I know both chains have a few stores in the GTA. Lee Valley also carries a couple replacement handles, which is where I found a nice pulaski handle which I used for a heavy double bit, pricey but pretty near perfect.

I've rolled the dice and ordered handles from amazon.ca - one was great, the other was no good and not worth the shipping money to return it. I wouldn't buy online again.

I have a local store called Timberland supply, which is mostly a chainsaw dealer - they carry a number of axes and handles, but I find the prices to be unreasonable for the quality on the product. You might have luck at a similar store in your area.

Also, I've only rehung a couple, but none fit perfectly off the start. Scoring, rasping, sanding required - sometimes removing a lot of material.
 
Us Canucks mostly have to put up with Garant-supplied handles. They switched from using 1 1/2" thick blanks to using 1 inch stock in around 10 years ago and consequently the butts and shoulders are now finished only 7/8 inch thick instead of 5/4" like in the old days. I don't like the cheesy feel of these at all!
You're correct about Princess Auto; where these inexpensive handles come from I don't know but they are hickory and they are super-sized (thick!) and if you inspect a bunch of them you can usually come up with one or two that are straight-grained. These ones benefit greatly from overall thinning with a spokeshave before you start using them.
 
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