In reading my posts you're reading of a rookie in the fine art of hanging an ax head. We called it handling in my youth. We weren't hacks but I've learned a whole world of fine techniques from you guys on this forum. The handles were different back then. We are here, now, so again, I've learned new methods.
EBay offered a selection I could never get back then allowing me to complete head sets I started back then and I have hung most of them the past few months, about 18 so here's what I've learned about handles.
Since July'20 ; first hang on a DB is a BakerPro 36" Nice haft, only shaped for fitting the head eye. Removal of varnish, by hand not the easiest and not 100% so some scorched spots when lightly licked with propane torch but took loads of BLO and is very smooth.
Second hang on a SB is a House Handle. Fitted to eye nicely but me being ignorant to traditional haft shapes I left shoulder and swell fat as received with only a finish sanding and BLO. The alignment was great but subsequent hangs on hafts with lop sided swells and huge shoulders led me to thinning and shaping of shoulders and swells. 6 hours or more to hang on a House Handle is common for me. I've purchased about 25 HH, no varnish, hand picked with 3 returned for defects, (they have excellent customer service), hey, who doesn't flub up now and then. Most have excellent grain orientation, rest are very good.Little to no run-out. I've been very happy with House products. A few of my early hangs I thinned and shaped after completion, reapplying BLO and they turned out real nice.
I've done 3 ax-eye mauls, 2 with BakerPro, 1 with House. I prefer House mostly cuz I don't have to remove varnish. But BakerPro DB seem to be sized the same as ax-eye maul hafts, too small for filling head eye fully.
To sum it up, with my unemployment lately, I really enjoy fitting, shaping, aligning hafts to these vintage heads. The days of buying a quick and easy haft might be gone.
P.S. I have learned so very much from you guys, thank you very much.