Custom single bit handle? Anyone make them?

Nice!!! Do you ever use a spoke shave? I just bout one but haven't used it yet.

There are few tools I enjoy using more than a good spokeshave.

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My Granddad always tells me how when he was a boy he used to like to hang around his uncle's wheelwright's shop. The only tool was allowed to use was the spokeshave.
 
Nice!!! Do you ever use a spoke shave? I just bout one but haven't used it yet.

Yes, that is spoke shave work. The key to getting crisp corners is to finish with the spoke shave. That's what gives you the faceted look of a good octagon haft.

Spokeshave has to be very sharp, adjusted properly and there is a bit of a learning curve involved in using one. Practice on some expendable wood pieces before you go right to town on a tool handle.

Exactly right. But you'll have to make final adjustments on the wood you're working. Tiny depth adjustments are key. That's why you need a shave with adjustment knobs like the Stanley #151 or equivalent. Wood carving tools can help with some of the finer curves.
 
Peg, I REALLY like what you did with that D. B. handle. The head looks a lot like a Puget Sound, but not exactly.

Thanks, Bernie. It's a PS falling axe but I've never been able to identify the maker. The stamp is only partially visible. Looks like an arc of tear drops - perhaps the top of a crown.

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I use a spokeshave every day for some type of woodworking project. I have a lot of spokeshaves but my two favorites are the Stanley No 62 reversable made from 1877 -1923. It has two blades that alow you to push and pull without reversing the spokeshave in your hand. It is a very difficult tool to set the blades up. My other favorite is a E. C. Stearns No 13 universal. The bottom adjusts for flat, concave, or convex surfaces. Also difficult to set up.
 
I use a spokeshave every day for some type of woodworking project. I have a lot of spokeshaves but my two favorites are the Stanley No 62 reversible made from 1877 -1923. It has two blades that allow you to push and pull without reversing the spokeshave in your hand. It is a very difficult tool to set the blades up. My other favorite is a E. C. Stearns No 13 universal. The bottom adjusts for flat, concave, or convex surfaces. Also difficult to set up.

The idea of a push/pull spokeshave is kinda neat. I guess this allows the user to go back and forth over high spots without having to reposition the tool.
 
Here is a Stanley #62. Unfortunately not mine.:(
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Presumably you could make these cuts without having to turn the shave around
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or turn the shave around, or move the blank around, or change your position.

Bob
 
What I really find my Stanley #62 best at is when the grain changes direction, and for me the grain always changes direction. With the 62 all you have to do is flip your wrist and go the other way with the other blade.
 
Forgot to mention, I also find the Stanley # 56, 56 1/2, and 57 coopers spoke shaves useful for haft making.
 
I use a spokeshave every day for some type of woodworking project. I have a lot of spokeshaves but my two favorites are the Stanley No 62 reversable made from 1877 -1923. It has two blades that alow you to push and pull without reversing the spokeshave in your hand. It is a very difficult tool to set the blades up. My other favorite is a E. C. Stearns No 13 universal. The bottom adjusts for flat, concave, or convex surfaces. Also difficult to set up.

Just added both of these to my list of tools to look for for shaping longrifles stocks, thanks!
 
Nice job on these! Handles from scratch are a lot of work especially when entirely done by hand. How you'd adequately price stuff like this (and not lose your shirt) escapes me. What's your secret?

I ended up selling the axe for $160
I made $100 after buying the axe head.
Had about 8 hours into the handle and hanging it. Not to mention the price of the lumber. The best thing you can expect is to not wear a shirt when making handles. HaHa
 
I ended up selling the axe for $160
I made $100 after buying the axe head.
Had about 8 hours into the handle and hanging it. Not to mention the price of the lumber. The best thing you can expect is to not wear a shirt when making handles. HaHa

Proudly put a new shirt on. Custom work is entirely a labour of love but the rewards are great if you do it solely for your own use. A buddy of mine has been in the commercial firewood business for the past 3 decades. Over time every step of his operation has become mechanized (skidder/boom truck/gang saws/pallet forklift etc) and he took me aside one time and said: "whenever you have to handle a piece of firewood with your hands you know you're not making money".
 
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