Broad Axe Restoration Concerns: Original Handle and Proper Edge Geometry

[mhutch]

I promise I'm not gonna be that guy who starts 3 new threads every day but bear with me here.

Came across a cool little broad axe today that I just couldn't pass up. I posted a few pics in the "Followed Me Home" thread here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1190276-It-followed-me-home-(Part-2)/page28

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about this one and want to get to work. I pulled the original handle off trying to be as careful as possible but it was pretty dry and a couple chips came off. This is the biggest one:

That shouldn't be a structural issue should it?

Should I fill in the gap with wood filler or glue after I hang the axe?


Next issue:

From what I read, it sounds like these chisel-edged axes are supposed to be completely flat on one side and beveled on the other, like in (very bad) illustration 1. This one has a small back bevel that's even on each side, shown in illustration 2. I tried to get a good pic of it but it's very small, practically a micro-bevel. Were broad axes ever supposed to be designed that way or did the previous owner just not understand the concept of sharpening a chisel-edged broad axe properly? It seems to me that it must be the latter because if it were meant to have a back bevel I would think it would be more pronounced.
I was thinking when I sharpen the axe I'd try to convex the back bevel and make it as shallow of an angle as I can so that the blade resembles more of a true chisel edge, like in illustration 3. Thoughts from the experts?

Thanks!

 

[Oxbow]

I think it is OK to have a micro-bevel on the flat side but what you have there is too much IMO. It is not uncommon to see weird sharpening cob-jobs on single bevel axes and hatchets. They stopped being everyday use tools for folks a long time ago, and a significant number of single bevel tools got ground into half-assed double bevel tools. That bevel you have on there isn't anything like as bad as it can get.

BTW the flat side is not truly perfectly flat, it has a camber to it. If you lay it flat and look at it edge-on, the corners should show clearance. A single bevel axe isn't really like a chisel, its more like a very very flat in-cannel gouge.

 

[Hacked]

As for the handle I wouldn't worry about it, give it a good soak and fill it with nothing more than an oversized wedge. I've rehung worse without issue. Some of the old handles I see folks disregard make me cringe, glad to see you are trying to save it.