New Belknap head

R

rwn2000

Joined
Jan 6, 2003
Messages
716
I picked this up off the bay last week and hung it yesterday. The poll was mushroomed pretty bad and the edge needs more work still but here it is:

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Now i have a question about hafts:
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the top handle in the first pic was originally on the Plumb and the handle on the Plumb now came from Lowes. The handle on the Belknap came from True Value and is a Link brand handle. I dont remember the brand of the handle from Lowes. Now for my question: where can i buy hafts as thin as the old one I removed? The one from Lowe's isn't bad and I can make it better with some time on the sander. The Link haft feels like a dog turd in my hands. :) it will take A LOT of shaping to thin it down and it still probably wont feel as good as the old thin haft does. I've looked at the house handle site and i know they have a good selection. Would i have been better off ordering from them then buying local?
ETA: "Rock" is saying "quit screwing around with those axes and lets play ball.

thanks for any advice

randy
 
How the hell did I miss out on that belknap?

As far as the handle, just thin it out with a spokeshave, rasp, mini (thumb) plane, or combination of all three.
Link makes a fine handle, just do the 'fine' adjustments and you'll be fine.
 
bearhunter said:
How the hell did I miss out on that belknap?

As far as the handle, just thin it out with a spokeshave, rasp, mini (thumb) plane, or combination of all three.
Link makes a fine handle, just do the 'fine' adjustments and you'll be fine.
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The auction ended in the middle of the day on a weekday and i was on vacation; i got it for the starting bid. :)
 
rwn2000 said:
I don't remember the brand of the handle from Lowes.
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I think Lowes carries the Ames branded handles. I was in there a couple of weeks ago looking through about 20 handles for a good one. They can vary quite a bit in size and shape. In the future I'll stick with ordering higher quality hafts on line. I like to see what I'm getting but the handles at the hardware stores really kind of stink for the most part.

P.S. I get those dirty looks from my dog every time I start working on an axe. She seems to say "oh no... don't start messing with those things again". I don't have a significant other so I guess somebody has to complain :D.
 
Link handles I find to be almost inferior quality.

I have had some good luck with Do It Best handles, and then also some not so good luck as well with them.

Thin handles like the days of old are hard to come by now. You might have to buy some online and give specs as to what you are looking for.

Hope it helps.

Thanks!

Mike
 
Operator1975 said:
Link handles I find to be almost inferior quality.

I have had some good luck with Do It Best handles, and then also some not so good luck as well with them.
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I've had slightly better luck with Link than at Do It Best. But at either place it's always a compromise. I've picked up the habit of checking the handle stock whenever I'm in a hardware store. If a real good one slipped thru I'll grab it. Most of time I find every handle in stock to be unacceptable.
 
Square_peg said:
I've had slightly better luck with Link than at Do It Best. But at either place it's always a compromise. I've picked up the habit of checking the handle stock whenever I'm in a hardware store. If a real good one slipped thru I'll grab it. Most of time I find every handle in stock to be unacceptable.
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Yeah I would agree. One time Ill have great luck, another, forget it. Frustrating for sure.
 
thanks, guys. I should have added that I picked through the 5 or 6 hafts at each place and only bought the one with the best grain in the bunch. They're calling for 105 tomorrow and Saturday, which means it will be 120 in the shop so i doubt i get these thinned down this weekend. I may go to the old-time general store near here where the guys at work sometimes get our brush-axe handles and see what their axe handles look like.

randy
 
Operator1975 said:
So that Belknap you bought, you want some tips?
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yes, i admit to being a rookie when it comes to refurbing axes so any tips would be appreciated. In the short time that I've been reading here, it seems you and Square Peg and Cooperhill know your stuff.

randy
 
Operator1975 said:
So that Belknap you bought, you want some tips?
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It's not even my axe and I wanna hear the tip's. From what I can see I think you did a nice job :thumbup:. Good lookin axe for sure. If it was mine I'd work on the edge just a little more to get rid of the nicks or at least smooth them out.
 
made2cut said:
It's not even my axe and I wanna hear the tip's. From what I can see I think you did a nice job :thumbup:. Good lookin axe for sure. If it was mine I'd work on the edge just a little more to get rid of the nicks or at least smooth them out.
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yes, i am going to work on the edge some more. Just havent gotten around to it yet.
 
Nice Plumb by the way... They are my choice of vintage steel, purely an aesthetic thing for me but quality axes as well.
 
I get nice link handles around these parts from time to
time. I have 5 nice cruiser handles that are all link and are fantastic.
But, the place I get them caters to the FS and I go in and buy all the good ones :D
If I find a nice handle I buy it. Just got 6 NOS La Pierre handles for very cheap. Also picked up a very nice and thin 36" link the other day. Now I just need a 5 lb head to go with it :D
 
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