I love a jersey pattern as much as the next guy. There are times when I can't resist picking one up, even if they're not in the best condition. In this state of axe-induced delirium, I always manage to forget how friggin' difficult they can be to hang! Take Charo here, a Kelly Woodslasher that may not win any beauty contests now, but was sure to be gorgeous a decade or so ago (plus she has a great personality). I hung her on a Hickory Handle Store helve, which came a little thicker than my liking right out of the box, but Charo's damn gorgeous lugs just required so much attention! I used a block plane to thin out the helve from the shoulder almost to the throat. A spokeshave would have worked a bit better, but I can't find mine since I clean the workshop. I took a side by side pic to show how much wood I had to remove to seat the head properly, along with some other glamour shots.
Next item on the list is to to put a nice, sharp, shiny smile back on her mug of a bit.
Next item on the list is to to put a nice, sharp, shiny smile back on her mug of a bit.
