God Bless Granpa and his Axe - Possible restoration project?

Well, first off it looks like you found a very nice piece of hickory to hang that axe it. It will do fine. I've believe that white hickory with 5-20 growth rings per inch makes the best handles. I think 12-15 gr/inch is optimal and you're right there.

You've done a good job of setting the axe down onto the shoulder of the handle where it belongs. That looks good. But there are a couple other things that are OK but in my opinion are less than optimal. First off I think it's best to leave the handle protruding about 1/4" through the eye. Once wedged this portion will be wider than the eye so the axe can't possibly slip off. Also, it looks like you were a little too aggressive at slimming the sides of the handle in the eye. The handle looks kind of flat in the top of the eye. But that can be overcome with good wedging.

How deep is your kerf cut? And how thick is your wedge? You want to make sure that the wedge doesn't bottom out in the kerf. If it does it won't grip the eye tightly and the head will come loose. A thin kerf saw should be used to deepen the kerf if necessary. Even a coarse-tooth hacksaw will do.

You'll need quite a thick wedge in order that fill that eye side to side. Don't worry about end gaps. Those are more cosmetic. But side gaps are a no-no. Some things that can help keep the head on the haft are Swel-lock (DPG) or even a good glue like construction adhesive or expanding Gorilla Glue.
 
The kerf cut is 2 1/8" deep and wedge is the same length and is 9/16" wide at to the top. I really didn't sand much at all, just a touch by hand with some 150 grit to smooth a couple rough spots. It's a nice piece of wood but the eye is just small. I went to 6 different retailers and looked though almost two dozen handles to find this one and they were all this width.

I was a wondering about the handle sticking through the eye as you mentioned. I had read multiple times 1/4" but I just don't think they make readily available handles to fit these old heads so well. It is sticking out out about 1/16" to 1/8" inch. Not ideal but at least it is protruding and going all the way through the head. Once the wedge is in I imagine it will spread and be pretty much flush though.
 
I just realized I forgot to post a finished shot of the kelly flint edge. I want to thank all of you for the advice given helping me through this. It turned out well and cuts very well to boot.
 
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