http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-Craftsman-hatchet-axe-POLISHED-custom-handle-old-tool-camp-fire-/150823119620?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231dc22b04

http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-Plumb-hewing-axe-hatchet-POLISHED-custom-handle-hammer-finger-grooves-/160808280704?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2570eba280

I think I'll take a plain old hickory handle instead, one in a design that has proven useful and practical over the centuries.  Custom finger grooves?  Custom to whose fingers?

I aggree with branson.

Even though its a very nice looking handle and the craftsmanship looks great Its just not my style. I am sure someone will love it thoe.

Yea, I'm sure the fellow put a lot of work into it, and it is well executed, but,somehow, yellow, orange, and chrome just strikes me as ....gaudy..

And somehow I suspect it doesn't function any better than my 1950's boy scout hatchet...

To pretty to use. After all the work someone went to I'd hate to mess it up.

Quote from: rusty on May 28, 2012, 12:33:27 PM

And somehow I suspect it doesn't function any better than my 1950's boy scout hatchet...

I'll bet they don't work as well as your scout hatchet.  They aren't made to work; they're made to
look at.  You can't comfortably choke up on either of them.

This is the Oregon guy. There is another one from either Idaho or Utah, I forget.
I love them but they are definitely built for show. You'd have to -really- trust your life to all those glue joints, if you were taking one into the wilderness.

  Its pretty understandable how they both came to this. Trying to  get a decent piece of hickory when you live 2000 miles from the nearest tree..............
People keep threatening to send me hickory, but so far I am scrounging the dump like a maniac and hyper careful at yards sales to never miss any good stock.

  Oh, I don't think the heads are chromed.
Regular full polishing is how many of the old axes were sold in the first place. They will tone down in time.  I have polished many an ax (and other tools too).

 

But have been bluing most heads lately.  You polish first, then blue. It still requires care but lasts longer in hard use.

   I don't think its much faster to make, I've been using figured madrone for handle stock. Madrone is not usually a good handle wood. But once in a while a tree grows defective, with the grain all twisted and bound up inside. Then its nearly indestructible. Carving it is like working some soft stone.
Here is an ax handle I made for a neighbor. Its his kindling ax. We  all use wood stoves here.


The hammer below in my latest garage hammo. 
  yours Scott

 

>Trying to  get a decent piece of hickory when you live 2000 miles from the nearest tree..............

Then there's second best:  white ash, the standard of Europe (where hickory doesn't grow).    Easy stuff to find in Sacramento.  Just picked up a 7 foot  real two by real four last week.  Grain is wonderful, straight, and will take care of an Italian hand forged ax head I acquired some years ago.  The recently bough Spanish hatchet head will get a dash of this ash as well.

Scott,
Louisville Sluggers are made from the best straight grain hickory and St Vinnys sells them for $3 each. Softball bats are bigger, but they are harder to find.