West handles

It's quite an event (for the most of us) to discover a hardware store handle with straight grain and vertical orientation! Rings per inch is a secondary issue at that point and I'll be the first to cheerfully spirit any of those away. After quinton's demonstration of properties of tough-as-nails air - dry vs brittle kiln - dry I've become quite cynical about the published properties of hickories.
 
It's hard to imagine why an enterprising person doesn't get them self set up to provide that good handle stock meeting the criteria including winter harvest, with a premium - as a deep concession to demands of production and supply - for black moon harvested wood, riven, and open air seasoned, to the handle makers and manufacturers far and wide, all makes and sizes, offering a selection of, of course, hickory and ash and beech as standard choices. It would look something like these staves for the coopering industry.
p4110826.jpg
 
Ernest DuBois said:
It's hard to imagine why an enterprising person doesn't get them self set up to provide that good handle stock meeting the criteria including winter harvest, with a premium - as a deep concession to demands of production and supply - for black moon harvested wood, riven, and open air seasoned, to the handle makers and manufacturers far and wide, all makes and sizes, offering a selection of, of course, hickory and ash and beech as standard choices. It would look something like these staves for the coopering industry.
p4110826.jpg
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I could sell at very reasonable cost, a premium, riven, air-dried stave and make tidy profits. The biggest problem is how much the USPS demands for shipping a hickory stave.
 
quinton said:
I could sell at very reasonable cost, a premium, riven, air-dried stave and make tidy profits. The biggest problem is how much the USPS demands for shipping a hickory stave.
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Yup. I can buy AA hickory boards for about $4 apiece but it costs about $8 apiece to get a dozen shipped to me. More than that per unit if I ordered fewer. They're HEAVY.
 
Took me a minute figuring out the acronym, (I've been away so long you see). And, are the other handle makers knocking on your door quinton? It sounds like you are the island of integrity in an ocean of posers.
quinton said:
I could sell at very reasonable cost, a premium, riven, air-dried stave and make tidy profits. The biggest problem is how much the USPS demands for shipping a hickory stave.
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FortyTwoBlades said:
Yup. I can buy AA hickory boards for about $4 apiece but it costs about $8 apiece to get a dozen shipped to me. More than that per unit if I ordered fewer. They're HEAVY.
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I'm starting to see the logic and sense in locally sourced.
 
IMG_2275.JPG IMG_2295.JPG

Purchased a 19" West handle for this little vintage boys axe I got off eBay after seeing this thread, and I was very impressed definitely a top notch handle! Thank you for the thread I had no idea about these until I read this.
 
Batmanacw said:
Almost all. A small percentage have streaks of brown. I snatch up many of the all brown hickory for myself. Far from being weaker, they are very strong and pretty too.
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I like the handles you are turning out..
Are you sourcing the blanks as dimensional lumber or riven staves? Also, are you buying green wood and seasoning it yourself, or is it already seasoned?
 
quinton said:
I like the handles you are turning out..
Are you sourcing the blanks as dimensional lumber or riven staves? Also, are you buying green wood and seasoning it yourself, or is it already seasoned?
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My handles are made by a true Amish craftsman. He buys lumber dimensioned to his specifications and also standing trees.

He air drives it all himself. Next years handles are in stacks separated on sticks to allow them to dry and keep them straight.

He uses a copy lathe to cut them out and then slack belt sands to remove cut marks.

I hand carved the blanks for all the handles we offer. The pack axe handles and boys axe handles are light and flexible.
 
Batmanacw said:
My handles are made by a true Amish craftsman. He buys lumber dimensioned to his specifications and also standing trees.

He air drives it all himself. Next years handles are in stacks separated on sticks to allow them to dry and keep them straight.

He uses a copy lathe to cut them out and then slack belt sands to remove cut marks.

I hand carved the blanks for all the handles we offer. The pack axe handles and boys axe handles are light and flexible.
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Thanks!
 
I'd posted these photos Mr. West Mr. sent me in another thread a while back. These were from the template creation process for some of the handles. You can see the NOS boys axe handle that one template was based on and a 28" full sized Elwell that another was based off of. I ha EA a nothing to do with the business, but discuss axes and handles with @batmancwa quite a bit.

West Woods Template by MJGEGB, on Flickr

West Woods Template by MJGEGB, on Flickr

West Woods Template by MJGEGB, on Flickr

West Woods Template by MJGEGB, on Flickr

West Woods Template by MJGEGB, on Flickr

West Woods Handles by MJGEGB, on Flickr

West Woods Handles by MJGEGB, on Flickr
 
junkenstien said:
Any plans for more sizes?
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Yes, but it's very slow going since the tornado on November 5th. I don't have a shop in my basement with tools at arms reach and vices to hold the part. Once I get back into my house it will be much easier for me to whip up a few more templates in my spare time. I'm just a working stiff like everyone else only I travel for a living so my time at home was limited anyway. My biggest regret is that lots of folks are dissapointed that I haven't made more full size handles yet.
 
Batmanacw said:
Yes, but it's very slow going since the tornado on November 5th. I don't have a shop in my basement with tools at arms reach and vices to hold the part. Once I get back into my house it will be much easier for me to whip up a few more templates in my spare time. I'm just a working stiff like everyone else only I travel for a living so my time at home was limited anyway. My biggest regret is that lots of folks are dissapointed that I haven't made more full size handles yet.
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Yeah, not to bug you but I'm one of those too. Beautiful work, just not in a size I want...YET.
 
Hope you get home soon.Bet there is some on here would get with you on templates.Excited to see what's next.
 
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