Link handles

Square_peg said:
Steve Tall and I were gonna split ten dozen, bring in a few other forum members.

I gave them specs and paid to have a couple 32” prototypes cut. They weren’t to spec - more like their stock product and they were unwilling to attempt to do better.
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That's too bad. I'd go in on that too. What if one of us made the master? I wonder if they'd do it then and what the difference in specs would be between the master and the lathe (finished) product.
 
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Yankee Josh said:
That's too bad. I'd go in on that too. What if one of us made the master? I wonder if they'd do it then and what the difference in specs would be between the master and the lathe (finished) product.
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I think the problem is that they come off the copy lathe very rough and require extensive finish sanding in the hands of a skilled employee. The prototypes came out too thick through the handle and too small in the swell. I'm not sure if today's stave would always accommodate the larger swells of the past.

Since they would have required extensive modification by the end user I found no advantage in ordering "custom" work vs. buying their stock handles and modifying those.

I used one of the prototypes on an axe I hung for a trade. The other is still in my handle stock.

FLINT77 said:
were these the specs?

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Yes, those were the specs given. I originally found them in some old railroad documents and posted them to the forum. The one of the other guys cleaned up the old document, producing the nice image above.
 
So I ordered a 32" Link single bit handle from my local Ace on Sunday, and went to pick it up today. Despite having participated in this thread, I was still shocked when I inspected the handle there and saw how warped AND poorly shaped it was. Unbelievable that Seymour ships something so crappy to Ace's warehouses for fulfillment. The handle was so obviously bad that even the teenager working at the register could see it. (I was kinda annoyed that the middle-aged guy who brought me the handle from the back didn't even bother to inspect it before turning it over to me, but oh well.)

Needless to say I rejected the handle. They ordered two new ones, and if one of them passes muster I'll take it. But Christ...how far the mighty have fallen. So disillusioning that a brand lauded by Bernie Weisgerber is such crap now.
 
JoeP01 said:
So I ordered a 32" Link single bit handle from my local Ace on Sunday...
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So, probably surprising no one here, I can report that when I went to pick-up my replacement 32" Link single bit handle from my local Ace today, I found it even more warped and twisted than the first one! Stunning that Link has failed so badly on QC.

Obviously I refused it. The store's manager said they will now contact the Ace fulfillment warehouse and try to get someone to go through the Link handles and pick one that's actually straight. If there aren't any straight handles, they said they'll contact Seymour/Link directly.

I'm not holding my breath, but I am curious to see if they can ultimately find me a straight 32" Link single bit handle... Stay tuned!!
 
It's worth noting Link (now part of Seymour Midwest Tools) produces handles to various specs, and most hardware stores and online sellers stock the lower-grade ones on account of them being cheaper. That being said, the ones I got from them years ago that were their top-grade handles were of good quality wood, but very thick. I don't mind that terribly, since it gives me more room to work within to adjust it to my preferences, but they're definitely project handles, not "hang-n'-bang" grade, and I have no idea what their current production is like. I can tell you that folks at Seymour have, in general, been very resistant to input from me regarding fixing issues with their wooden scythe snaths. Even getting them to give me part numbers so I could buy them unassembled and do it right, myself, was like pulling teeth and required talking to the head engineer and the VP of the company itself. I wanted to help them fix the product so everyone who sold them would be selling good ones, but as it stands I'm the only guy in the world selling Seymour No.1 grass snaths that are put together properly, and that makes me sad.
 
F FLINT77 , I have noticed the same increase in haft price from May to now at my ACE & Tractor. I could usually pick thru and find a good one. Now, there is only 1-2 on the shelf and those aren't good quality. Then the price went from $17 to $22.? DM
 
David Martin said:
F FLINT77 , I have noticed the same increase in haft price from May to now at my ACE & Tractor. I could usually pick thru and find a good one. Now, there is only 1-2 on the shelf and those aren't good quality. Then the price went from $17 to $22.? DM
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Yup, that's exactly what I've seen. I'd say when I check handles every few months, there are usually one or two good ones out of 4-5 handles in stock.
 
JoeP01 said:
...The store's manager said they will now contact the Ace fulfillment warehouse and try to get someone to go through the Link handles and pick one that's actually straight. If there aren't any straight handles, they said they'll contact Seymour/Link directly...
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Latest in my Link via ACE saga...

Local Ace got another 32" single bit handle in for me (the third one, after I rejected the first, and then the second - which was a replacement for the first!).

Third time's a charm I guess, as this handle is excellent, with a gloriously pre-cut Kerf, too!

rC00ADT.jpg


Shame I have to deal w/ the varnish, but it could be a great fit for the 3lb Bluegrass Michigan s.b. (seen in the background).

EuWgZFq.jpg


Fingers crossed I don't discover a defect upon closer examination lol
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
A cabinet scraper will take the varnish off so fast you'll forget it was an inconvenience. :)
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Thanks, man. Good tip. I've been meaning to get a card scraper. They don't seem to be sold in stores around here, so I'd have to order one. Any suggestions on the model or even just size/length that would be most useful for removing varnish from a 32" Link single-bit handle? Or just try to make one out of an old-whatever?
 
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I use a woodmans's pal (which is like a short, stocky machete if you aren't familiar) to remove varnish - use it the same way you would use a card scraper. works great. Once the varnish is off, I actually keep scraping and the woodman's pal shaves off some wood also - its my first step in thinning down the link handles. Scrape with woodman's pal - then go to town with the 4 in hand wood rasp/file, then sandpaper. I leave the handles a little rough.
 
JoeP01 said:
Thanks, man. Good tip. I've been meaning to get a card scraper. They don't seem to be sold in stores around here, so I'd have to order one. Any suggestions on the model or even just size/length that would be most useful for removing varnish from a 32" Link single-bit handle? Or just try to make one out of an old-whatever?
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For just the varnish you can use just about anything. Flat edge is better. I used and old kitchen knife for a while. Making one is fun too! I used a broken axe handle and an old saw blade. Combined with about $.50 worth of hardware from nuts and bolts.

 
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