Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Axe Handles
A professional's reference for selecting, fitting, maintaining, and profiting from axe handles
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Axe Handles
An axe handle is not a piece of wood with a head stuck on the end. It is a precisely engineered lever, a shock-absorbing spring, and a safety device all in one. The handle is the interface between a person's intent and a sharpened piece of steel that is about to impact a tree, a log, or a fiber at high velocity. If the handle is wrong, it is not just inefficient; it is dangerous. A poor handle will absorb your swing energy in the form of vibration, transferring it into your elbow and spine. A worse one might break mid-swing and turn a piece of hickory into a projectile.
Consider the physics of the swing. A standard felling axe swung by an adult male can generate a velocity of over 25 meters per second at the bit. The head itself may weigh only 3.5 to 4 pounds, but the kinetic energy on impact is significant. That energy must either go into the wood you are cutting, or it will bounce back into your arms and the handle. The handle is the conduit and the damper. If it is too stiff, feedback will be harsh. If it is too whippy, you will lose energy and control. The art of the axe handles is balancing these forces for the job at hand.
When an axe head strikes a log, the wood fibers in the log are compressed and crushed before the blade is actually cutting. This