Hammer (handle) time

[Jim Davis]

Agreed,hickory or ash are the traditional choices because they have the best properties for a hammer handle. The grain should run vertically in the handle.

If the hammer is for light tapping,you can use just about any hardwood. Osage orange would make a great handle.For hard or easy use. I wish I had a long piece to make a long bow.

George, splice two short pieces to make a bow. Lot of us do that. I have been fitting the ends to slide in a piece of steel tubing fishing pole style.

Jim

[Jim Davis]

New hickory handle I made (shhhh, on my lathe). Grain is 90° off optimum, but grain is straight with runout only because of contours. Head of this hammer looked worse than the other pictured one before belt sander work. Turning oval pieces is a nice diversion once in a while, but not enough to make me glad to need a handle...

Jimhickory hammer handle vert.JPGhickory hammer handle.JPG

[Matt Lau]

Interesting posts.

George: I got my Osage Orange off ebay.
Jim: thanks for the ideas!

On my end, ironically I have plenty of African blackwood, some brazilian rosewood (for guitar bridges), flamed maple and fine old pearwood.
I can't get Hickory for the life of me! Ash, I can get.