wood for axe handle

[flatyre]

I have a number of old axe heads including one that belonged to my great grandfather. I have made new handles for axes out of ash but was thinking of using something just as strong but a bit nicer to look at, these axes won't see much action but i'd still like to re-handle them with a suitable wood. I have some beautiful rowen ash that is very dark, and some nice lengths of yew, any good?

[agg221]

Ash was used for a good reason - there is nothing with the same toughness and stiffness which can take the repeated shocks (which grows in the UK). I am told that privet is also good, but try finding a big enough piece! Hickory is of course excellent but you would have to buy it in. It does have the advantage that it can be scorched black due to the sugars in it and then rubbed down with wire wool and wax while still hot, which gives a long-lasting black finish, as well as removing the finer whiskers from the surface.

 

If these are short handled hatchets or carving axes, the choices are more wide-ranging and you can use pretty much anything - even short grain timbers such as beech are found.

 

Alec

[se7enthdevil]

Ash was used for a good reason - there is nothing with the same toughness and stiffness which can take the repeated shocks (which grows in the UK). I am told that privet is also good, but try finding a big enough piece! Hickory is of course excellent but you would have to buy it in. It does have the advantage that it can be scorched black due to the sugars in it and then rubbed down with wire wool and wax while still hot, which gives a long-lasting black finish, as well as removing the finer whiskers from the surface.

 

If these are short handled hatchets or carving axes, the choices are more wide-ranging and you can use pretty much anything - even short grain timbers such as beech are found.

 

Alec

 

 

 

 

robinia is better than ash in my opinion alec.

 

 

 

made my own axe handle from it and it's the dogs ging gang goolies with regards to toughness and strength...

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/woodcraft-forum/75154-axe-handle.html

[silky fox]

Check out Buckin Billy Ray's channel..he posts a lot of content on Vintage Axe heads and rennovation....Never seen anyone so passionate on the subject.

[spandit]

A friend of mine renovated a huge felling axe head, calling it "Goliath". He lovingly crafted a beautiful oak haft for it. It snapped on the first blow

 

Hickory seems to be the standard for many handles unless you're looking for something grown in the UK. I'd have thought yew would be tough enough - it is used for bows. My froe handle is made from eucalyptus but it's not that long

[peatff]

I made a hatchet handle of Beech because it was what I had handy and have been very happy with it. It is my favourite stick chopper. Calling your axe Goliath is just setting it up for a fall if you ask me

[Blah]

Gransfors Bruks make some of their axe handles for Swedish carving axes from Beech. For a carving axe, that's fine. For a longer splitting axe, probably not so much.

 

Beech is fine for a froe handle because a froe typically gets much less shock load.

[peatff]

Gransfors Bruks make some of their axe handles for Swedish carving axes from Beech. For a carving axe, that's fine. For a longer splitting axe, probably not so much.

 

Beech is fine for a froe handle because a froe typically gets much less shock load.

 

Mine is a hatchet, axes are something big you need two hands to wield. I have a small hatchet specially sharpened up for carving but that hatchet is left not so sharp solely for splitting sticks for kindling.

[Macpherson]

Hi, this is interesting to me as I,ve used Rowan to make tool handles on various occasions over the years { for myself }. I've read that this is one of the traditional uses for this wood and I,ve found it to be tactile to work with and also very durable about the garden.

Although it's known as ' mountain ash ' it's a Sorbus and no relation to Ash, so it's curious that it's got similar properties as well as similar leaves.

The longest handle I,ve made was about 18" and slender for a scutch hammer which worked well, I'll now need to try it on something more heavy duty just out of curiosity, I,m not sure if it would be ok for use with a felling axe or the like, good luck.

[se7enthdevil]

i think for tools 18" or under then it shouldn't matter what species is used as long as it has some hardness. for a felling or splitting axe i think that a good straight bit of traditional hardwood is needed.

 

one thing i did when researching what wood i could use was to look at the mechanical properties of the traditional timbers and either match them or find a wood that is superior.

 

ash maple and hickory are all traditional timbers. one with a long fibre length is needed for anything over 18" i'm guessing.

 

ash has a modulus of rupture of about 15,000 anything around that or over with a long fiber length should be fine.

 

 

personally i'm not sure what species have long fiber lengths.