Handle

The Handle of an Ax consists of Wood.
Ash, Beech or Hickory are used in Europe and Amerika. Of which Hickory is the strongest.
The shaft should be long enough so that you can still hit well. The longer, the higher the angular velocity of the end and thus the impact.
It should be made of tough hardwood such as hickory, ash and beech, in that order.
It should not be round because otherwise you don't know if it has turned in your hand and then you don't hit where you want, you tire more slowly, so it should be oval, shaped as it suits you. A round handle and a different-shaped eye is idiotic.
There should be a knob at the end, so you don't have to grip so hard after a long day's work. The wrist also doesn't have to be bent so much.
The handle should be double curved, an ergonomic advantage over the straight handle. It also influences the weight distribution of the axe, the centre of gravity should be as close to the head as possible and the cutting edge should be balanced horizontally.
The fibres should be parallel to the cutting edge.
It should be under 30 mm thick, as thin as you like.
Wedged as well as possible with wood wedge, glue and ring wedge.
Oiled or varnished, whichever you prefer.
The handle should be thick under the eye, so that it does not break when the axe is stuck. This is the area that must withstand the highest torque.

## The handle

The handle of the axe is best made of a tough hardwood. In Central Europe, ash is traditionally used, but other tough hardwoods are also suitable, such as beech, birch or maple. In America, on the other hand, hickory, which surpasses all the hardwoods native to Europe in its properties, is used.

When making the handle, make sure that the grain is not interrupted. It should also not be too wide, so that it is flexible and as vibration-damping as possible.

Directly under the head for about 50 mm, the handle is much wider than in the area closer to the hands. This thickening is so that the handle does not break or the head loosen when the axe is levered out; a problem when penetrating deeply with a thin-bladed axe in certain woods..
Certain solutions have been devised to alleviate the problem, such as longer ears and/or "lugs" under the head, as in the axe forms from the Jersey or Kentucky areas.
Both solutions have in common to reduce the torque (by a shorter lever (beard length should be kept as short as possible)) when the axe hits near the heel.

The solution of forging out a "lug" has 2 advantages:

* A small increase in weight relative to the added mechanical connection force of the head to the handle.
* A positive fit of the "lugs" to the stem (when the head receives a torque from a blow near the heel, the "lugs" press into the stem wood and are stopped).

An extended house (fully enclosed (see gallery) or only at the front as in the Belgian felling axe) protects the handle

Decorated battleaxe.JPGThe largest possible contact surface prevents premature loosening of the axe headFrancisca.jpgFrancisca throwing axe with extended neck which reduces rotation of the head when hitting a targetKäppyxa, 1600-valley - Livrustkammaren - 43186.tifSwedish felling axe 17th century03 Yxor.jpgLarger contact surface and handle protection on Swedish axes due to "grommetCarpenters axe.jpgModern form of a rounded handle on a Swedish carpenter's axeHacha Cabo Rojo.jpgOwn shape of an English style house: "Kent", "Suffolk" shapes, to name twoRundeni Museum exposition 5.JPGExtension on a German-style carpenter's axe
1. ↑ Australian stone hatchets : a study in design and dynamics