Recent ax-quisitions (pic heavy)

[Billman1949]

Alocksly, English ash is the most common handle material over here - imported hickory has become more common, but some of us purists prefer ash, it is softer and a little more flexible. Much easier to work when making handles by hand...

Other countries use different woods: Birch is common in Scandinavia, Beech in France, White Oak in Japan

Your machete is most likely to have had a plastic composite handle, e.g. Tufnol or similar, but maybe also horn or antler, especially if made for export...The number of small rivet holes indicates it was not wood (usually held on with three large central rivets)....

 

[Alocksly]

Alocksly, English ash is the most common handle material over here - imported hickory has become more common, but some of us purists prefer ash, it is softer and a little more flexible. Much easier to work when making handles by hand...

Other countries use different woods: Birch is common in Scandinavia, Beech in France, White Oak in Japan

Your machete is most likely to have had a plastic composite handle, e.g. Tufnol or similar, but maybe also horn or antler, especially if made for export...The number of small rivet holes indicates it was not wood (usually held on with three large central rivets)....

Thanks for the info. I'd heard of ash for spear shafts and the like long ago but I was curious as to what was being used more recently. None of the local hardwoods in my area can compete with hickory but I'd still like to try making a handle out of some other wood and I'll keep ash in mind.

I don't have any pictures but the machete did used to have a wooden handle held on with "rivets" in the form of square nails with mushroomed heads. The blade was my grandpas and he used it for chopping the heads off fish (lots of fish, he was a commercial fisherman his whole life) I've no idea if this was the original handle and it was held on mostly with electricians tape tape when I got it, hence the need for a new handle. The blade is still in incredible shape though, given that it's decapitated a few hundred thousand salmon and was occasionally used to chop leadline as well. I've already made one (unsuccessful) attempt to make a new wood handle but now I'm pondering a DIY micarta option. When it has a handle it's a ridiculously stout all-round chopper and I'm keen to get back into useable shape.