First rehang help

You can simply pull the head off and rasp/sand off wood on each side to make sure the head centers correctly. For instance, a little off the front (edge side) right and back (poll side) left may help center it. Youll likely have to rasp and fit a few times to make it work.
 
Slight offset like that wouldn't bother me any, and virtually no one else (outside of this forum) will ever even notice! If you can get it apart without too much grief then SC T100's advice is sound. Often times the factory wedge cut is 'way off' from being centered and causes the head to cant slightly as the wedge is driven in. And that is not at all your fault!

You've submitted a wonderfully illustrative photo of 'spying down a haft' like you should be doing when choosing a handle at the hardware store. The handle you've got on there bugs me; end grain orientation is perfectly good but 'grain run-out' is quite pronounced which makes it a recipe for short service if you happen to be are a strong or furious chopper, you split rounds with it, or you tug from side to side every now and then.
 
That's actually not bad. But if you want to correct it do as SC T100 suggested. Just pretend you're going to twist the head straight. What parts of the handle get in the way of that twist? Rasp those areas. It will make the fit a little looser but the wedging will take care of that.

As 300Six noted I wouldn't want that much grain run out on a full size axe. But on a hatchet it's not likely to be an issue.
 
triggahappy said:
There is huge run out in that handle.... I will be surprised if it lasts long.
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It's shock and/or shear forces that break handles. Recreational choppers that are careful (ie use an implement only for limbing and not serious splitting) will probably get half-decent mileage out of something like this. But issue it to a husty and energetic 18 year old rookie chopper and it'll be out of action sooner rather than later.
 
garry3 said:
If it does it will warp and twist.
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Presumably the wood has been properly kiln or air dried in advance of being machine carved and won't 'move' much anymore unless it becomes wet/damp/humid. Warp and twist comes from the way the live tree was leaning while growing and/or large limbs overhung and whether anyone took the time to 'cure' the lumber before it was sawn or shaped.
But you are correct in suggesting that a badly aligned-grain haft is likely to have originated from a curved or twisty piece of timber that was linearly saw table-fed across a cutting blade, and the diligent operator that fed the machine nevertheless judged that the wood was OK for the purpose indicated.
 
300Six said:
Presumably the wood has been properly kiln or air dried in advance of being machine carved and won't 'move' much anymore unless it becomes wet/damp/humid. Warp and twist comes from the way the live tree was leaning while growing and/or large limbs overhung and whether anyone took the time to 'cure' the lumber before it was sawn or shaped.
But you are correct in suggesting that a badly aligned-grain haft is likely to have originated from a curved or twisty piece of timber that was linearly saw table-fed across a cutting blade, and the diligent operator that fed the machine nevertheless judged that the wood was OK for the purpose indicated.
Click to expand...

I think it will get up and walk away unless it is firmly nailed down. Thats why its crooked now, it wasn't milled crooked. Most times you can look at a board and tell where the bend is before you even sight down it. That run out is not going to stay stable.
 
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