What did you rehang today?

I bought this head already polished, a Sater Banko 2-1/4lb boy's axe head. O hung it on a 19" House Handles house axe handle. I had to really shrink the eye down to fit, as it is made to fit full sized head, which look stupid on it. I also cut the knob off the end. I do like this size handle for 1.75lb-2.5lb heads. Total weight is 3lb 3oz and it is 18.75" long.



 
Beautiful haft and hang! It'll make a nice fireplace companion.

In the first photo it look like the bit has a hollow grind. Might the polisher have taken it to a grinding wheel?
 
Square_peg said:
Beautiful haft and hang! It'll make a nice fireplace companion.

In the first photo it look like the bit has a hollow grind. Might the polisher have taken it to a grinding wheel?
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The guy that I got it from doesn't generally sharpen, and if he did, he knows better. My feeling is that some past owner did it, and my buddy just polished over it. I don't care to take the time for polishing, I like the darker wire-wheeled look myself- but once in a while it looks OK if someone else does it.
 
JB, when you took the eye down on the house axe handle did you take from the front, back, or evenly from both?

Neat axe and the handle looks like it was made for that head :)
 
Agent_H said:
JB, when you took the eye down on the house axe handle did you take from the front, back, or evenly from both?

Neat axe and the handle looks like it was made for that head :)
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Both, but not evenly. When I picture the head mounted, I envision how it will look. In this case, if I took too much from the back the poll would sit too flush with the back of the handle. I took most from the front but not all, maybe 70/30. I just eyeball it, shape bit by bit as I go.
 
I actually have two fresh hickory logs coming my way! 3" long and 10-11" in diameter. I am paying $20 each, no idea if that is too much but I'm ok with it. I figure that I will get two curved and two straight long handles out of one piece, and many 16-20" handles of various types out of the other. Warming up for that, here is a piece of oak that I got.






 
This is totally freehand. It may have been perfectly symmetrical if I had patterned it, but I wanted to do it the way it would have been done. It is tight, looks right and is perfectly serviceable, so I call it good. I am unfamiliar with the maker, but it is old. I like to think that I did right by the long passed men that made it.




 
Freehand is something that you created the way you saw fit, I'm all for it. I hope the logs you have coming are 3 feet long rather than 3 inches!;)
 
I appreciate the raw to finished handle and the excuse to use and maintain the tools along the way.

That is rewarding - to do and see. Thanks for the montage.

That mess on the floor isn't a mess.

Nice finish. :thumbup:
 
Agent_H said:
I appreciate the raw to finished handle and the excuse to use and maintain the tools along the way.

That is rewarding - to do and see. Thanks for the montage.

That mess on the floor isn't a mess.

Nice finish. :thumbup:
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Right, there may have been some drawknife sharpening in there somewhere. And that mess is the best fire/forge/grill starter, I bag it up.
 
I'm guessing that Quinton's rivved billets and COTS exquisite handle work is causing a resurgence of interest in handle making. Nice to see you're not merely a hunter/gatherer of striking and shaping tools jb! With hammer handles being short and straight these are a wonderful starter for anyone with an interest in trying to make their own stuff and choice of wood is not as critical either. Oak, Elm, Maple etc are perfectly suitable and when it comes to hammers and hatchets I'd love to see applications that use Apple, Pear and some of the other highly decorative/coloured species that are tough to find in knot-free 24-36 inch lengths.
 
300Six said:
I'm guessing that Quinton's rivved billets and COTS exquisite handle work is causing a resurgence of interest in handle making. Nice to see you're not merely a hunter/gatherer of striking and shaping tools jb! With hammer handles being short and straight these are a wonderful starter for anyone with an interest in trying to make their own stuff and choice of wood is not as critical either. Oak, Elm, Maple etc are perfectly suitable and when it comes to hammers and hatchets I'd love to see applications that use Apple, Pear and some of the other highly decorative/coloured species that are tough to find in knot-free 24-36 inch lengths.
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So funny thing, I started a handle from pear over the past couple of days. Its a bit of a risk as I'm roughing it out while it's still completely undried. I've been wanting to try a larger handle for a while now that I've done a couple small ones successfully.

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Nice work jblyttle! Looking forward to future handles.

Also has anyone replaced a handle on a draw knife before? I have one I picked up cheap in route that is missing one handle and the other is cracked.
 
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The handle is drilled through and the metal prong goes through the handle then riveted (flattened out) over the metal end cap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
.30WCF said:
The handle is drilled through and the metal prong goes through the handle then riveted (flattened out) over the metal end cap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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My sharpest one has the tangs poking through the end of the handle and then bent over to hold the handle on...

Here is a blog that covers it pretty well:

http://chairnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-handle-on-it.html

(scroll down the page to newer post to see the next steps)
 
Haha, JB when I first started reading your post and you mentioned the Hickory I was thinking, man somebody told JB a fib because that Oak doesn't look much like Hickory. But then I read your thoroughly. Nice work man. I find that making round things by hand rarely results in a symmetrically round object. I am pretty confident that it's supposed to be like that. :p
 
Found this cleaning out my grandfather's shed. I wish I took before pics. I guess it was either a salesman's sample or a toy from a kids tool set. Either way it's real steel and wood. Cleaned it up, gave it an edge, re-hung it and treated the handle

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