Axe/Maul/Hammer handles

[rick carpenter]

Maybe a little discussion on swinging tools handles? Especially my question on the maul handles...

First pic top to bottom:

2.5 lb Berylco H322 Double-Faced Engineer's Hammer
Original handle was 15" and ruined. I put on a new 9" handle, very slightly oval, constant in section, slight knob, and second metal wedge. This is for close in demo work and as backing mass for nail guns, so it's one I swing from the shoulder only rarely. Very handy, I use it a lot.

"M" Tack Hammer
Everyone has one of these that they don't use, right? Nothing special here, 11" original handle, not sure of the mfr and the head is no longer magnetic.

24 oz Plumb Ball Pein Hammer
New 12" handle, slight knob, second metal wedge. Feels nice in hand, a good little "whaler" when I need to whale away a little.

~1.2-1.5 lb TG Hatchet
Nicely curved original 11.5" handle with the deer foot cut down to 11" and second metal wedge. The poll is only very slightly dinged, not as much as you'd expect from a hatchet made in the 60s-70s.

Craftsman Rip Claw Hammer
My favorite carpenter's hammer style of all, one piece 11.5" steel shank handle with rubber grip, feels very balanced. I have an Estwing just like this, so maybe Estwing was the OEM for this one.

12 oz Ball Pein Hammer
No name hammer, no bevel on the face which I like on a light weight b/p, only a hint of a knob, no second wedge. Good little user.

Second pic L to R:

6 lb Luddell Splitting Maul
Nothing special, made in Japan, had a wallyworld original handle that was split. I replaced it with a 33.5" TSC Truper hickory sledge/maul handle and second metal wedge. Any reason why some straight maul eye sledge/maul handles are a constant oval in section with little to no (like this one) knob? Straight axe eye maul handles have a slight knob, but I've never seen straight maul handles of any kind with knobs as prominent as those on double-bit axes. This new handle had no knob so I shaped one on it and tapered the reduced section up.

3 lb Plumb Double Bit Axe
Nice double bevel cheeks, nicely tapered 32" handle with no second wedge. As noted above, the handle has a prominent knob and feels good in hand.

 

[Larryjones]

I think your nail hammer is a Vaughn.

 

[rick carpenter]

I think your nail hammer is a Vaughn.

It's definitely "Craftsman" on the grip. Sears still sells Vaughn products, so maybe Vaughn was once an OEM for Craftsman and made very similar hammers to Estwings? I've had it forever -- I'm 56 and I'm kinda proud I've never lost it -- but I don't remember where I got it from (second hand for sure).

 

[DenisG]

Maybe a little discussion on swinging tools handles? Especially my question on the maul handles...



6 lb Luddell Splitting Maul
Nothing special, made in Japan, had a wallyworld original handle that was split. I replaced it with a 33.5" TSC Truper hickory sledge/maul handle and second metal wedge. Any reason why some straight maul eye sledge/maul handles are a constant oval in section with little to no (like this one) knob? Straight axe eye maul handles have a slight knob, but I've never seen straight maul handles of any kind with knobs as prominent as those on double-bit axes. This new handle had no knob so I shaped one on it and tapered the reduced section up.

I think that when there is a knob under the head, it's there to help provide strength. Usually that's where most handles break. For a maul, both the head and the upper part of the handle end up entering the split in the wood. A knob would get hung up in the split. At least that's my guess.

I haven't split wood in a while, but I still have my old maul with a welded pipe handle. Heavy to swing, but I got tired of replacing handles.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Rick I think you just have an axe to grind. Sorry, I just had to say that! - Paul

 

[rick carpenter]

I think that when there is a knob under the head, it's there to help provide strength. Usually that's where most handles break. For a maul, both the head and the upper part of the handle end up entering the split in the wood. A knob would get hung up in the split. At least that's my guess.

I haven't split wood in a while, but I still have my old maul with a welded pipe handle. Heavy to swing, but I got tired of replacing handles.

Denis, you're thinking about the shoulder right under the bit. The knob is the "swelling" at the end of the handle. Looking at www.househandle.com and other sites, sledge/maul eye (round oval) sledge & maul handles have no shoulder, straight constant section haft, and may have no knob or just a slight one. An absence of knobs on these puzzles me.

 

[rick carpenter]

I think that when there is a knob under the head, it's there to help provide strength. Usually that's where most handles break. For a maul, both the head and the upper part of the handle end up entering the split in the wood. A knob would get hung up in the split. At least that's my guess.

I haven't split wood in a while, but I still have my old maul with a welded pipe handle. Heavy to swing, but I got tired of replacing handles.

Denis, you're thinking about the shoulder right under the bit. The knob is the "swelling" at the end of the handle. Looking at www.househandle.com and other sites, sledge/maul eye (round oval) sledge & maul handles have no shoulder, straight constant section haft, and may have no knob or just a slight one. An absence of knobs on these puzzles me.

 

[DenisG]

Denis, you're thinking about the shoulder right under the bit. The knob is the "swelling" at the end of the handle. Looking at www.househandle.com and other sites, sledge/maul eye (round oval) sledge & maul handles have no shoulder, straight constant section haft, and may have no knob or just a slight one. An absence of knobs on these puzzles me.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I'm not sure why either, then.

Having a knob at the end of the handle is nice. Usually I add several layers of friction tape as a substitute, but it's not as nice looking.

 

[Larryjones]

It's definitely "Craftsman" on the grip. Sears still sells Vaughn products, so maybe Vaughn was once an OEM for Craftsman and made very similar hammers to Estwings? I've had it forever -- I'm 56 and I'm kinda proud I've never lost it -- but I don't remember where I got it from (second hand for sure).

What I meant, made for Craftsman by Vaughn, the Estwing hammers have a different handle to head joint.

 

[Jeff Mcmillan]

The knob is difficult and expensive on wood handles because it requires cutting the entire rest of the handle down from a larger piece. On axes it is important because the tool is swung. On hammers and mauls it isnt because the swing is more of a lift and drop. If lack of a palm swell is an issue you probably need a bigger sledge hammer.

 

[rick carpenter]

Here's the axe and a 'new' True Temper 6 lb sledge hammer re-hafted. I had noticed that the original axe handle had warped so I bought two American Hickory handles at our Ace Hardware. The axe handle had a very slight knob and the sledge hammer didn't have one at all. I formed some pretty ugly knobs on them like I did with the maul but they're usable now and when (not if) my OCD gets the better of me I'll do some more work on them.

Jeff, the knob formed by grinding into a sledge handle is useful because it is also used as a battering ram.

 

[wvrailroader]

The knob is difficult and expensive on wood handles because it requires cutting the entire rest of the handle down from a larger piece. On axes it is important because the tool is swung. On hammers and mauls it isnt because the swing is more of a lift and drop. If lack of a palm swell is an issue you probably need a bigger sledge hammer.

Sledge hammers are not generally "lift and drop", at least where I work. A palm swell would be nice, since our sledges generally are swung with pretty good force. We do have the option of handles with grit paint on the lower half, which are nice in the winter or in the rain when a normal wood handle gets pretty slick. We generally use 10 or 12 pound hammers - going bigger than that would get pretty tiring when you are bringing the hammer over your head during the swing.

 

[RidgeRunner]

I was taught to trim a replacement maul/sledge handle to fit me to lessen over swinging and breaking the handle again. Place the head of the hammer on the ground and trim the handle to about crotch height. Has worked well for me ever since.

Any knob on the end of replacement handles would just get cut off most of the time using this practice. Heating up a scrap of rod or whatever cherry red and burning a wavy line pattern into the handle reduces slippage. Incorporating initials or name into the pattern might even help borrowed tools find their way home.

Ed