My favorite axe, fun usage and its reprofiling journey

[killa_concept]

Question regarding your 31" personalized handle. In the picture where you drew the outline on the wood, where did you get your starting piece? Is that a store bought piece of wood? Or did you widdle/carve/plane your own piece from a log? And what type of wood did you use? Thanks.

P.S. It looks awesome!

Thanks man! I think it turned out pretty well but I haven't really gotten a chance to give it a hard workout just yet.

As for the material, it's hickory. I've used other materials for hatchets and such, but I'm not confident enough to use a wood other than hickory for full sized heads. I tried procuring some from my closest lumber yard but they just flat out didn't carry it. I ended up turning to my previous supplier of tool handles, House Handles. I sent them an email about possibly buying blanks to make my own handles and they shot me back with the dimensions (1 ½” x 3 ¼” x 36” though most are closer to 38-40") and a very reasonable cost (I'd state it here, but since its not an item they openly sell I'll just suggest you email them for a price quote if you're interested). I also opted to pay $2 extra per blank to get premium, hand selected grain orientation. I ended up getting 7, of which I've already used 1 and a half (the 31" for the Keen Kutter and a 21" for the Plumb). While the price is great, do remember that the blanks are large in dimension as well as being quite heavy. The shipping did end up stinging just a tad...

 

[Square_peg]

Nice looking hickory. Save your chips for the smoker.

 

[Landodnal]

Thanks man! I think it turned out pretty well but I haven't really gotten a chance to give it a hard workout just yet.

As for the material, it's hickory. I've used other materials for hatchets and such, but I'm not confident enough to use a wood other than hickory for full sized heads. I tried procuring some from my closest lumber yard but they just flat out didn't carry it. I ended up turning to my previous supplier of tool handles, House Handles. I sent them an email about possibly buying blanks to make my own handles and they shot me back with the dimensions (1 ½” x 3 ¼” x 36” though most are closer to 38-40") and a very reasonable cost (I'd state it here, but since its not an item they openly sell I'll just suggest you email them for a price quote if you're interested). I also opted to pay $2 extra per blank to get premium, hand selected grain orientation. I ended up getting 7, of which I've already used 1 and a half (the 31" for the Keen Kutter and a 21" for the Plumb). While the price is great, do remember that the blanks are large in dimension as well as being quite heavy. The shipping did end up stinging just a tad...

Thanks! I want to make my own handle some day, and I think you have got the ball rolling for me.

 

[chuxwan]

Great thread!

 

[newsasquatch]

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@killa_concept, I Got this today and just took off the wood in the eye. At my work, we have these special scales that measure weight extremely accurately for finding out the quantity of a particular item in a box, when there are too many to count. Anyways, I weighed it and it weighs 3.81 pounds. My question is, how much does yours weigh? Because I was originally going to get a similarly sized handle like yours, but if mine weighs more, then maybe I should go with a 36 inch handle. Thanks man, I love it already.

 

[newsasquatch]

Just went back and read your original post and saw that you said it was 3 lbs, so I guess I should go for a 36 inch handle.

 

[killa_concept]

Just went back and read your original post and saw that you said it was 3 lbs, so I guess I should go for a 36 inch handle.

Yeah iirc from the time I weighed it, its 3 lb and 1.5oz.. however the stamping on the back just says "3" so I'm thinking it was made just a bit heavier. That or its actually a "3²" stamp like I've seen on some plumbs, but the 2 has just faded. Either way I'm a big fan of the size since its not much heavier than a boy's axe head so its still good for fine tasks yet gives it that extra "oomph" for wood processing.

Any chance your head also has a similar stamping?

As for the length, its really up to your personal preference. I find that the 36" length doesn't really excel at anything past splitting. Its too awkward for felling the size of trees I take on and its impossible to use for limbing and bucking. Then again, I'm 5'4" so ymmv. That said, the majority of my heads are hung on 28", 30" or 32" handles. Even my first conniticut that's coming in the mail is hung on a 32" despite being a 4 lb monster:

 

[jpeeler]

Not to butt in, but I just put a 3.5 lb Jersey pattern on a 32" haft from House Handle, and it's now my favorite single bit. It is a fawn foot, curved handle, and man that shaping is perfect. The only thing I modified was the shoulders to get the head's lugs on.

What I mean is, I'm 5'11" and my longest, biggest, meanest double bit felling axe is 34.5". Totally agree with K-C, 36" can be awkward sometimes- just too much haft.

 

[newsasquatch]

hmm I'm 5'11" too. I'll take that into consideration (what both of you said). I think I'll go to a home depot and see about holding similar handles first, I was thinking about buying a 36" velvicut handle, so I would hate to haft it, only to hate how awkward it feels and have to change it, although, I'm already getting a velvicut boys axe so maybe a big felling axe would help. @killa_concept, thanks for all your advice, + there is no number stamp on my poll--but the poll is definitely used.

 

[newsasquatch]

I hope I'm not over-posting on your thread, but I wanted to show you my clean-up. Here is the axe head after a vinegar bath and an acid neutralizing scrub down consisting of windex (ammonia) and baking soda.

 

[jpeeler]

That is gonna be a beautiful axe and great user, great job! Good idea about getting a feel for a 36". You never know until you try it.