New Handle on an Old Hatchet

[Tom Bender]

My wife came to me equipped with her grandmother's kindling hatchet, maybe 100 years old, no markings on it. The handle was really bad. We waffled about putting a new one on it. Finally I made a new one and it's now a really nice tool. We use it around the yard quite a bit, but not yet for kindling.

So we traded in some possible antique value for practical value, no regrets.

[Mel Fulks]

It's called the Lizzy Borden finish

[John C Cox]

Pictures pictures... ;)

[Jim Koepke]

Pictures pictures... ;)

Without a picture it didn't happen. - Old internet saying

jtk

[george wilson]

Many,many years ago a little boy had been given a shiny new hatchet, and chopped down the 4x4's holding up an out house that hung out over the river. When his father (some hours later,and soaking wet, still) approached him,the little boy decided to be like George Washington and tell the truth. So, he said " I cannot tell a lie, I chopped down the out house". Then,his father seized him and beat the tar out of his rear end !

The little boy said "But father, George Washington did not get spanked when he told the truth,and admitted that he chopped down the cherry tree!!!. His father replied "Yes,but Washington's father wasn't IN the cherry tree when his son chopped it down!!!!!!"

If I get banned for this,it was nice knowing all of you.:)

[Dave Anderson NH]

Sorry George with that one you'll still have to stick around.:D

[Mel Fulks]

George, scatological stories ....and scat singing are banned. Especially the singing

[Bruce Haugen]

Sorry George with that one you'll still have to stick around.:D

For that one we should make him stick around:D

[george wilson]

There was no scat in my little tale of a hatchet. Just good honest chopping.

BTW: when I was a young teen,I was quite the tomahawk thrower. But,the ones I made were not of the best quality as I had no forge,etc. There was a "Tommy Hawk" in the local hardware store that was like a conventional hatchet,except its head had the rakish lines of a tomahawk.At least I thought so. At the time,I thought it was the most beautiful hatchet I had ever seen. But,I never had more than a dollar,no matter how many blue berries I picked,or how many old car batteries I found(They could be sold to a local junk yard for $1.00. AFTER I had carried it 4 miles into the little town of Ketchikan,Alaska.

I never did get one,but several years ago,I got the bright idea of searching Ebay for one. And,I did come up with a head,no handle. That was o.k.,because I'd want to make a straight handle anyway. That must have been 5 years ago at least,and it is still laying on a bench,waiting for me to make a handle!!

And,I am not even sure I got the name correctly as I haven't picked it up for a long time.

[steven c newman]

359196
George's on the left? Maybe what the OP is talking about on the right?

[george wilson]

No,that is a GI shovel,of course.NOT!!!!

I still think that the Tommy Hawk hatchet is one of the most perfectly designed and most graceful hatchets I have ever seen, commercially made. I'll ave to make a picture of it when I dig it out.

[Rick Malakoff]

Here is a True Temper Tommy Hawk that I rehafted with some dead fall Pecan last spring.
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P S I don't know how the thumb nail got here!

[Rick Malakoff]

My wife came to me equipped with her grandmother's kindling hatchet, maybe 100 years old, no markings on it. The handle was really bad. We waffled about putting a new one on it. Finally I made a new one and it's now a really nice tool. We use it around the yard quite a bit, but not yet for kindling.

So we traded in some possible antique value for practical value, no regrets.

Most of the old hatchet heads and axe's need new hafts because of neglect, age and weather play a big part. I have many of both and most times the handles are not worth saving.

IMMHO you did the right thing the handle on your hatchet may not have been the original, so no worries!

[Jeff Zihlman]

Here is a first attempt with a draw knife and spoke shave. It was a lot of fun. A couple of things I would like to redo but over all pleased with how it turned out. The walnut was from a deadfall at the family farm. The axe head was one I used and abused as a youth.

359619

Rick, I really like the pecan handle. beautiful wood. +1 on the thumbnail.

[John Schtrumpf]

... Rick, I really like the pecan handle. beautiful wood. +1 on the thumbnail.
Jeff, you did even better, you flipped your thumbnail upside down :)

[Jim Ritter]

Not sure how to say this except to just say it. You've mounted the head on pointing the wrong way. Is it possible to refit it?
Nice work for the first time with drawknife and spokeshave.
Jim

[Bob Glenn]

I have an ax once used by Abraham Lincoln. It's been used a lot! The handle has been changed three times and the head has been replaced once.

[Rick Malakoff]

Thanks Guys...LMAO

[Jeff Zihlman]

Too funny! Thanks for pointing that out Jim. As always, The faster I go the further behind I get:)