How to hang an axe
Hanging is the process of fitting a tool to a wooden handle. In this case, an axe. Ever find yourself just "not getting the hang of it?". We've all been there; it's no easy task. Fitting any tool properly can be difficult, but an axe is incredibly challenging. Fitting an axe to a handle is one of those skills that isn't common nowadays; it's something to be proud of. You need the axe to sit on the eye straight to have a perfect hang, and there are a few different ways it can be off. Qualities of a good hang are…
Parallel blade to the handle
Centered blade on the handle
Level head/hung square to handle
No gaps on top or bottom
Compressed wooden wedge
Gradually tapering shoulder
So, let's jump in! When your handle arrives, there's a good chance it will be oversized on your axe head. This is important to ensure that you have the material needed to correct any flaws the axe head may have. A good hang can compensate for minor imperfections in the head itself. If the handle pops right on, there won't be room for correction. A few different tools can get the job done, and some people use them in combination. The most helpful tool in your axe-hanging arsenal is the drawknife (8" preferred). Rasps, files, spokeshaves, and card scrapers are other tools commonly used to shape wood. If skilled, a drawknife is all that is needed.
Additionally, if you didn't opt for a pre-made kerf cut from our store, you will need a bandsaw or some handsaw to cut the kerf in your handle. The last tools you will need are a mallet (2 lbs or larger) and a vise. I prefer a 3.5 - 4 inch bench vise with padded jaws (cardboard, leather, or rubber).
The first step is to cut your kerf. Over the years and thousands of axes at Hoffman Blacksmithing, I've found that cutting the kerf before you fit instead of after will save you time hanging. Determine your depth of cut by laying the axe head over the eye of your handle, situating it approximately 3/8" below the top of the handle. Mark the very bottom of the head, where you will cut to. The kerf should extend the entire length of the hang but not be visible when wedged. If the axe head is ultimately hung below this line, we'll go back and cut it deeper in the end, but this will give us a good start for now. If you are cutting your kerf, draw a center line, clamp your handle, and slowly cut as straight as possible.
Next, we start shaping. For beginners, this can be nerve-racking, especially if you have a handle with beautiful colors or grain. I recommend buying a #2-grade handle until you "have the hang of things." Begin by hovering your axe head over the top of the handle and look through it to see how much excess material your handle has. If you have an excellent eyeball, then proceed from here. If you don't, use a pencil and carefully trace the inside of the eye on your wooden handle for reference. For novices, material removal is best done with a rasp and file; however, if you're like me, the amount of time these tools will take to get the job done may be excruciating. You must be mindful not to tear the grain out using a drawknife. It is not usually possible to tell which "direction" the grain is running until you get in, which is why it's always best to dip your toe into the water first by taking a light cut and going from there. If the drawknife wants to pop chunks of wood from the handle, you must cut from the other direction. This does make things a bit more complicated but it is not likely that this happens. Just be aware. A rasp won't be affected by the grain like a blade will.
When deciding where to remove material from front to back, i.e., from the shoulder side or the front side of the eye, it's always best to remove material from the shoulder side. We receive emails throughout the year from confused customers asking, "My handle broke after the first few swings after putting it on an axe head, is it defective?" When we hear this, we always ask for a photo showing the break. 9 times out of 10, the handle broke right at the eye due to poor geometry involving the transition of the eye into the shoulder of the handle. This happens in 3 ways. The first way is by removing all of your front-to-back material from the front side of the handle, shifting your head backward, and creating a new shoulder on the front of the handle. This transition causes a breakpoint. The second way is by removing the material from the back and shoulder side of the handle but doing so abruptly at the base of the shoulder rather than cutting the shoulder back lower, creating a smooth flowing shape from shoulder to axe head. The third way is similar, involving a sharp transition, but it is done on the flat sides of the handle. The goal is to avoid ledges and abrupt shoulders near the eye that cause stress points. Always start removing material further down the handle, tapering it towards the eye. Your handle should have a constant taper, not a ledge into the eye. It won't matter how good the grain is; you'll cause a break.
The goal at first isn't to remove everything that ultimately needs to so your head pops right on. We want to remove enough material evenly just so the head can begin fitting on (tightly). Once it's barely hanging on, it's time to drive the head down the handle with force. If there is too much force, you will crack your handle, either on the end or at the eye. Your head should be snug but not so tight that it will bend the kerf shut and cause it to crack in the eye. There's more than one way to do this; I like to combine things to get the desired outcome. With the head barely holding onto the eye, flip your handle upside down and whack the end with your mallet (use a rubber dead blow if you are not good with a hammer). Ironically, hammering the end of the handle will drive the axe head up the handle, not off. After a few good whacks, we should start seeing some progress. Check for straightness/alignment by looking down the end of the handle; use a few different angles and lighting to get other perspectives. In checking for straightness, I use the terms "kicked (left/right/down)" and "turned (right/left)." It is turned if the blade is parallel to the handle but not centered. If the blade isn't parallel, then it's cocked on the handle and needs to be kicked right or left. A head can sometimes need to be kicked and turned. Let's learn how to fix this.
Use a pencil and mark indicators showing what needs to be done to the head. If it's perfectly straight, then nothing needs to be marked. If the head needs to be kicked, mark an X under the axe on the side of the handle it needs to be kicked into. If the handle needs to be turned, draw lines going lengthwise on the handle in opposing directions. This means if the blade is turning to the right, you need to mark on the front right side and back left (opposing corners). Next, we must remove the handle. Open the jaws of your vise wide and rest the axe head over them with your handle hanging down. Use a piece of scrap wood as a punch to hammer the handle out. Once removed, you should be able to clearly see the marks you made for adjustment and rubbing marks on the wood from the contact the axe head made. This shows you everything you need to know.
If the head is straight, do your best to continue removing material on the handle where it needs to be removed (indicated by the rubbing of the head). Predicting where it needs to be removed takes skill but saves much time hammering and removing the axe head. If your head is a little crooked, be mindful of the rubbing on the handle, but put more effort into eliminating material where your markings are. If the head was kicked, remove material predominantly on the X side. If the head was turned, then remove material on the marked opposing sides. The next time you put the head on, it will drive further down the handle and move according to the material you're removing. If done correctly, the lack of material from opposing sides should cause the axe head to twist and become straight. Just be careful not to overshoot or cause gaps!
If you are trying to fix a kicking issue, you might need a little more help to fix a bad cant. In this case you need to use something as a bolster to support the axe head on. This can be a vise with the jaws widened, but if your handle is long, you won't be able to reach high to hit it. Consider using a couple blocks of scrap wood on the floor to bridge the gap of the eye. Flip your handle head down like before, but place it on the blocks instead of hanging it in your hand. Angle the handle towards the side where you previously marked "X." Strike the handle several times and check for straightness. Hammering the handle at the angle it needs to be kicked will force it to that side. You now understand the fundamental methods of straightening an axe head on the handle. Rinse and repeat these steps until the head is fully seated straightly with at least 3/8" of wood sticking out of the top of the eye. If you're still trying to get it straight and you already have 3/8" of wood sticking out the top then no worries, keep going lower on the eye, you won't need to start biting your nails until the head gets down to the shoulder! Remove it from the handle once it's finished and straight and extend your kerf lower if necessary.
At this point, you will need to make or modify your wedge. If you have a wedge from us, it will likely need to be modified to fit your axe head to perfection. I want to note that we only use wooden wedges. We never want to use a metal wedge when hanging a new axe; it will only cause cracking and ultimately means you'll need to rehang your axe again sooner. Many metal wedges are available, and many axes come with metal wedges. This does not mean it's a good idea. The only instance I would put a metal wedge in a handle is as a last-ditch effort on an old hang, which would give me a few more months before needing a rehang. It should never be done with a fresh hang. With your axe head off the handle, place the wedge next to your kerf cut. Your wedge should be approximately the same length as this cut, so I recommend cutting it down in size if it's longer. Next, hold the wedge over the eye to see how much larger it is. The goal is to make your wedge fit very tightly lengthwise in the axe head's eye. To make this fit even better, I like the radius of the sides of the wedge to match the radius of the eye; this way, the square corners of the wedge don't leave gaps in the corners. Carefully shape your wedge with files or a grinder to custom fit your axe head in preparation for wedging.
We're ready to attach the head to the handle now (if you still need to sharpen your axe head, I recommend doing so before wedging). Seat your axe head back onto the handle and double-check that it is still straight. Hopefully, your kerf isn't closed shut because this is the point where I like to add titebond wood glue. The glue does not hold the head onto the handle, nor is it the central component keeping the wedge in place. Still, it does add a little extra insurance that your wedge won't wiggle out over time. Once the glue is added, I sometimes dip the end of the wedge in a little boiled linseed oil, which will add lubrication when we drive this wedge in. Start the wedge by tapping it with the same mallet you used to hang the head. Continue hammering it down straight and squarely until you meet a decent amount of resistance, then stop. If you continue hammering past this point using this technique, you will likely crack your wedge. To finish seating your wedge down, flip your axe and place it wedge down on a hard, flat surface (concrete, steel block, etc). Hammer squarely on the end of your handle to drive the wedge in. This technique is used for the final seating to ensure the wedge is contacted by its total surface area rather than the hammer face that would likely crack it. Try to hammer until the wedge is flush with the top of the handle. If it doesn't want to go all the way and your handle is getting damaged, call it good. Sometimes, we can get a wedge so tight that the hickory around it compresses the center of the wedge and forces it into a bowtie or hourglass shape. If you see this, pat yourself on the back.
The last step is to dress the top and bottom ends of the handle to remove hammer marks and other tool marks from the hanging process. I do this with a 2 X 72 belt grinder, but it can be done with an angle grinder, file, or rasp with sandpaper. Finally, apply a generous amount of oil to the eye of the axe to ensure it's less susceptible to loosening with climate change. If done correctly, you will have an axe that won't "fly off the handle" for many years.