It looks like you did a great job hanging it, except I think it's upside down. Sorry to bear bad news. You may want to flip it or just use it until the handle breaks, then rehang it the other way. Otherwise the refurb looks great, and you've got a good quality hatchet that'll last a lifetime.
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Let's Try Again
- Thread starter digitalurbancamo
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It could just be me, but it looks upside down.
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- Nov 28, 2012
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I thought that too but it's not. Oddly enough the beard was flipped that way when I got it and the smaller eye is definitely on the top. There is not other way to hang it. I thought it was wrong too but it would seem the dropped forged head from Germany really was done crudely
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Really? I am vary new to this but that seems like it would be vary odd to remove that much of the handle to feed it to the larger eye. But hey i'm probably wrong, after all this is my first axe restoration (if you want to call it that)
In most cases, yes. The beard is typically longer facing the bottom of the handle. And it's definitely common to have to remove a lot of wood from a given handle to get it to fit, as axe eye sizes can vary wildly. I've had to remove tons of wood off some of the link handles to fit onto some of my vintage heads. Other sometimes almost slide right on with little effort. Once you get the head seated, the material removed will leave a gap in the top of the head. Then, when it's wedged, those gaps are taken up by the wedge. That makes the head form a tight bond with the handle and it'll stay put for many years.
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Ok, so then even if this is hung incorrectly (which I still find odd) will this effect the performance? Should I just get another handle and do it again?
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I'm no the pro these other folk on the blade info, but as far as the handle goes, I would re haft it. I see it breaking loose over time with that much gap on the bottom. It would be completely worth the time and effort to trim and reshape a handle to fit perfectly imho. I've redone a few axes and older hammers that were just heads. There were some strange shapes that took alot of time to fit right, but they look so much better with the proper fit, and I felt they were worth the time.
Just my .02.
BTW, I know squat about the quality of the steel, forging, etc, but I think you have a hell of a nice little tool there. Most important, it has meaning to you.
Just my .02.
BTW, I know squat about the quality of the steel, forging, etc, but I think you have a hell of a nice little tool there. Most important, it has meaning to you.
I agree with jimh0220. There does seem to be a lot of gap in the bottom. Ideally you'd want the gap on top that could then be taken up by a wedge. And if you leave a little of the handle above the eye (like you did here), the wedge will force it even wider than the eye, and then that head isn't going anywhere. Small gaps here and there are sometimes unavoidable due to the shape and size of an eye versus the shape of the handle, but that seems like a pretty large gap that could come loose. If it were me, I would re-haft as well. In fact, since the eye may be an odd size, I would take it with you to a local shop that sells handles and see which fits best. I have a Link hatchet handle that is pretty large in the portion that would go in the eye, and would require a ton of work for some of my heads. On the other hand, I have a House Handle hatchet handle with a much smaller eye portion, which fit some of my other hatchets much better. If you can compare in the store, it might help decide what size is best.
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Alright, I'll order another handle I guess when I get some more money and try this again. Let's see if I can screw this up a few more times lol
PS what is re haft?
you can buy hatchet handles at any ace hardware or sears hardware store. the sears hatchet handles are by the hammers, not by the axes.
and yes, the larger part of the eye goes on the wedged end of the handle. its creates a mechanical lock between the head and handle. with them oriented the way you have it, the head will come off in short order, as the wedge is actually forcing the head off the handle, instead of forcing it onto the handle.
and yes, the larger part of the eye goes on the wedged end of the handle. its creates a mechanical lock between the head and handle. with them oriented the way you have it, the head will come off in short order, as the wedge is actually forcing the head off the handle, instead of forcing it onto the handle.
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Aren't the ones sold at ACE and Sears loaded with varnish? I don't think I'v ever came across a handle in a hardware store that wasn't. That's why I just order online.
Some are, but some aren't. I can't really figure out why some have it and some seem to have more of a waxy finish. The carpenters hatchet handles I've bought all had the waxy coating, while it's been a mix when buying axe handles. I usually just sand off the varnish and use BLO. It's more work, but I can't stand varnished handles.
Edit: oops, missed you question. A haft is the handle, and an older axe term. Re-hafting is the same as re-handling a head.
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The head is hung upside down. Smaller eye should be on the bottom, not to mention the bread.
Tom
Tom
some are, some arent.
to me it matters zero... as the handle will be sanded and finished by myself every single time. so what they put on it means nothing to me. i might even prefer the varnish if it keeps the handle drier while it hangs on a shelf for years.
the old OP LINK and the new Seymour Link handles at Ace and sears are graded, and if you learn the grading system that Seymour uses now, its very easy to break the handles down to what is on them whether they are plain, wax finished, or lacquer/varnished, and even fire finished like the sears handles.
Seymour grading system goes like this.
grade 01 is top quality with a yellow finish
grade 02 is top quality with wax finish
grade 04 is medium quality with a wax finish
grade 19 is medium quality with lacquer finish
grade 08 is low quality with a wax finish
the sears craftsman handles have been of better quality in my experience, but slim selections. i think they are mid grade handles that are fire finished. i rarely find a twisted or crooked craftsman handle, but MOST of the handles i find at most ACE are crooked and or twisted or both, and with terrible grain orientation. very obviously the lowest grade Seymour offers.
i have never had an issue with Ace hatchet handles, but i have been using more Baker handles from Menards for full size axes. gotta sort through a bunch to find the good ones, but i have found some beautiful handles with great grain.
i wish we still had the old OP Links, they were great handles, made of great wood, and the patterns were so much better, slimmer, and with out the huge knobs on the ends...
Awesome, thanks! I had no idea. I always wondered why there was so much variance between supposedly identical handles on the shelf...now I know what to look for other than grain and varnish.