Preparing to rehandle

[Charlie_K]

I picked up a cutter mattock head at the pawn shop for $3, covered in rust and in need of some care, especially a new handle.

Will a pickaxe handle work, or is a specialty mattock handle needed? And how do I go about inserting a wedge to keep the head in place?

 

[Frank-New Zealand]

No wedge required. Have a look at some images an see how the haft works. It's a great design.

regards ...Frank

 

[Steve Tall]

You can measure the length and width of the top of the "eye" and find a handle that is larger on top than the measurements.
The small end of the handle slides in from the top of the eye. The big end of the handle might need some rasping to make it fit better. Using the tool will tend to jam the head on the handle even tighter.

 

[Charlie_K]

Well this project is off to a terrible start. The head won't even hit onto the haft of the handle, it's too fat the entire length up.

 

[Frank-New Zealand]

Take the head to your hard-ware supplier and choose a haft that is suitable. Hanging a Mattock/Grubber/Adze is probably the easiest tool you will ever fit a haft to. Is the eye square or oval. What a great design where centrifugal force keeps everything tight.
Add a photo when complete. Good luck.

regards...Frank

 

[Chris Meyer]

Charlie,

In the past, I did exactly what you are doing, except that I got my mattock head from the flea market. I cleaned it up, sharpened the edge (I needed to cut some roots), and put a new handle on it. When I finally noticed how inexpensive a brand new mattock is, I kicked myself for not just buying a brand new one. If you haven't yet spent the money for a handle, you might want to consider getting a new one. Just say'n...

 

[Charlie_K]

Yeah I could do that. I can get a Truper brand, fiberglass handled, 2.5 pound pick mattock for $23 at the hardware store.