Staining axe handles

C

Cutwater

Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
40
Hey there, I was wondering if any of you guys have stained your handles different colors? I figured it's be about the same as staining any piece of wood furniture.

What got me thinking, was some of those basecamp x axe's. I'm usually a traditional guy, but those "pathfinder" handles made me want a colorful handle. I was thinking about staining my GB wildlife hatchet, give it some flare.

I figured it'd be simple like, sand, stain, and finish with something like birchwood casey.

Thoughts?

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I've seen lots of stained handles on the axe forums. Some of them are really sweet looking. I often stain my handles with a walnut stain for my vintage heads to give the haft a darker look to match the head patina.

Tom
 
I've stained a few with decent results. Also painted a few down towards the planted hand position. I like the look. I like CederEater's idea above. Think i'll try that as well.
 
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Here's a few pics of a hammer handle that I stained using nitric acid. The procedure is the same as when using aqua fortis (nitric acid) to stain curly maple. It produces a really nice, honest color that resembles an aged hickory handle without the muddiness that results from staining.
 
While I don't stain my work axes, I have done some staining on some axes made for friends and ones that are wall hangers. It's my experience that, if stained, the axe handle needs to have a light varnish coat on it in order for the stain to last. I've kept it to the bottom of the axe handle. I think it looks neat.

Here's a few I did:

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Best Made Co. also has a bunch of examples and did a post on painting/staining axe handles.

http://www.bestmadeprojects.com/image/31471481659
 
I have mixed oil based stain in with my BLO/Turp and have got real good results. Nothing fancy, just a little color for those almost white hickory sticks.
 
I've used some Minwax oil based stain to help seal some hammer handles that I put Boiled linseed oil on yet seemed to always be Tacky to the touch.
The Minwax seemed to thin out the BLO and help it dry faster. It also adds more color to the handles and looks a bit more aged than just hickory with tan BLO.

I haven't found/bought an axe in quite some time, but re-handling hammers and other older tools has become a little pastime of mine recently.
It also gives me a chance to experiment with stains and finishes.
 
HI Cutwater...that handle looks great!.....what did you use for the red color and how did you get the red to transition so well?......thank you...Mike
 
I like the look of the first one you poster Cooper, might have to try something similar..
 
Here's my GB SFA I did a few weeks back. All sealed in with 2 coats of Tung Oil.

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SamuraiDave said:
I've used some Minwax oil based stain to help seal some hammer handles that I put Boiled linseed oil on yet seemed to always be Tacky to the touch.
The Minwax seemed to thin out the BLO and help it dry faster. It also adds more color to the handles and looks a bit more aged than just hickory with tan BLO.

I haven't found/bought an axe in quite some time, but re-handling hammers and other older tools has become a little pastime of mine recently.
It also gives me a chance to experiment with stains and finishes.
Click to expand...

I'm with Dave. On those that I have used oil stain like Minwax, I have really disliked the results in use. They get tacky easily, and the finish is not ideal for my hands. It creates more heat. I would look into some of the other suggestions personally, like aqua fortis. Personally, I think paint is easier on the hands than oil stain. I wouldn't do it again. I have used water based leather dye before sealing with BLO or tung and that works well. YMMV
 
I've used Fiebing's leather dye on a few handles and sealed it in with several coats of BLO. Worked very well, doesn't get tacky or cause any discomfort.
The dye doesn't soak in to the harder grains as well, so it can highlight the grain, too.
 
All of Best Made's stained axes use Rockwood water based dyes and stains and are then sealed with 2 coats of varnish.
 
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