Removing finish on a wetterlings

[guitardemon]

I want to remove that shiny slippery finish on my wetterlings and was wondering how you guys would go about doing it. Do you remove the handle from the head, or just sand the handle with the head on. If you remove the handle, how do you go about doing this?

 

[Dave Costin]

I just sanded mine and then stain and some linseed oil. I was careful up around the head and it turned out fine. Did it a few years ago actually. It's been a user and still looks good.

 

[Erasmus]

Leave the head on, and sand the laquer off the wood handle. Boiled linseed oil is a good traditional axe handle finish.

 

[Brian Andrews]

I sanded mine with the head still on.

I then did a few coats of raw linseed oil, then a final beeswax coating. I dig it that way.

B

 

[Erasmus]

Wow, nicely done. What difference did the final coat of beeswax make in the appearance of the handle?