Complete Guide to Wood Axe Wedges

A standard wood axe wedge starts out about 3″ long, 3″ deep, and 3/8″ to 1/2″ wide, and is then trimmed and shaped to fit the axe you are hanging. They are typically made of Poplar, which is a softer hardwood that can compress and conform.

When assembling an axe, a wooden wedge is used to secure the head in place. Once the head is fitted to the handle, the wedge is hammered into a slot (kerf). This presses the handle tightly against the inside of the axe eye – securing it in place. The size, shape, and wood type all play a role in how strong the hang will be.

You can find standard poplar wedge kits at most hardware stores or on Amazon.

But you can also make or buy fancier wedges if you are making something special. The 3 wedges shown above are Aligator Juniper, Spalted Maple, and Butternut from Whiskey River Art & Trading (with 3 poplar wedges in the back).

The Size of an Axe Wedge

The size of a wedge needed varies by axe type and region, but a standard North American wedge starts around 3” x 3” and between 3/8″ and 1/2″ wide. This is larger than the eye of most axes, so there is extra material to be trimmed, shaped, tapered, and thinned to fit as needed.

No axe is the same, so measure the eye of your axe so you know how big a wedge you need. There should be minimal gaps in front or behind the wedge (ideally none). You also want your wedge to be taller than your kerf, and you will trim it at the end.

Smaller axes and hatchets will need smaller wedges, which you can often find in store but the wedge angles are the same, so you can still just cut down a full-size wedge.

The Angle of an Axe Wedge

Wooden axe wedges are typically cut between 7.5° – 10° but can go as low as 5°. For a standard 3” wedge, an angle of 10° would make the spine width 0.5″. The eye size and wood type can impact the final width needed.

You need to determine how thick a wedge you need based on how much space is left in the axe eye once your handle is fitted, but also based on wood type and how much compression you should expect.

Angles and widths based on a 3″ wedge:

Fatter wedge angles are better for softer woods that compress but can be thinned as needed. If a wedge is too fat, it may not go in far enough for a strong hold, or it can start working itself out as you use the axe.

Wedges made from Harder woods tend to end up thinner as the wood won’t compress as much. But, I still typically start them thicker so I can thin as needed and shape them a little more for the specific axe.

Wood Types for Axe Wedges

Axe wedges should be made from hardwoods. Softer hardwoods like Poplar are most common because they compress, making them easier to fit and conform in the eye. But stronger woods like oak, walnut, and cherry are popular because they look great and offer a little more durability.

Hardwoods are best for axe wedges because deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves annually) tend to grow slower, producing harder and denser wood. Density is important for wedges because they need to hold their shape under constant pressure to keep the axe head tight on the handle.

Softwoods (from conifer trees) will work short term, but may compress over time and cause the axe to loosen. Softwood trees grow quickly and are less dense.

The truth is, almost any wood can work in a pinch. But the characteristics of the wood will dictate how you need to shape and fit your wedges. So you don’t need to find a specific type of wood, BUT you should know what you are working with.

Can you use pine for an axe wedge?

Pine is not recommended, but will work for a short-term solution. Pine is so soft it will likely break apart before it can be full driven in. If a pine wedge is used, the soft fibers will continue to compress further and loosen with time.

Pine is so common and cheap; I have found plenty of old axes found with pine wedges. But they are usually loose, broken, and/or have a million cross wedges or nails jammed in to keep tightening the axe.

Popular Woods for Wedges:

Only soft wedges should be used when rehanging an older axe on its original handle. Older handles that have already been somewhat shaped by the previous wedge will be more brittle and might split if a hard wedge is used.

Soft wedges are often not as “pretty” as the harder options, and they are more likely to crack and split when you are hammering them in. It’s totally fine for the wedge to crack; just hammer in each piece as far as it will go. It shouldn’t affect the strength of the hang; just hammer it all in. 

Woods to avoid for axe wedges

Grain Orientation for a Wedge

Ideally, the grain in the wedge should run across the top of the wedge. Either straight across or at an angle. But this is not a deal breaker, just a “best practice”.

This orientation ensures the strongest connection in the wood between the top and bottom.

Shaping an Axe Wedge

You want to fit the wedge so it can be hammered all the way to the bottom of the kerf (which should go 2/3 of the way down the axe head). But you also need it to be tight enough to create the pressure needed to hold the head in place.

It’s easiest to fit the wedge to the eye before the handle is installed, so you can tell if you need to taper or shape the front and back of the wedge to fit all the way down in the head.

An axe eye should be wider at the top than the bottom, and all kinds of variations can occur during forging, so you may need to taper the wedge at the front or back to fit all the way down. You also may need to round or taper the front or back to accommodate the teardrop shape of the eye.

The width of the wedge should be re-checked once the handle is in the eye. Evaluate if you need to thin the wedge, or even taper the width based on the fit of the handle (you don’t usually need to taper the width – but it can happen).

Hard wedges need more consideration and shaping than soft wedges since they won’t conform as much to the space around them. They also need to be a little closer in thickness to the space as they won’t compress as much either.

What if the wedge cracks?

Wedges can often crack when being hammered in to the kerf to attached the axe head to the handle. This does not affect the strength of the hang.

As long as all the wedge pieces are hammered in and fill the kerf to create the pressure, it is not an issue. Sometimes if a wedge ends up being too short you can hammer in additional shims.

Do You Glue Axe Wedges?

Many people glue their wedges into the handle; it will be stronger and prevent the chance of your wedge backing out. However, some choose only to oil the wedge, so the handle can be re-used if the axe ever comes loose.

I tend not to glue my wedges, whick saved me the other day – because I realied I had hung an axe slightly crooked (you can see the axe here – top of the page). I was able to get the old wedge out and save the handle to correct the hang. Had I glued the wedge, I would have had to start working on a whole new handle. I just load up the wedge with boiled linseed oil to help it swell and stick.

BUT – if you aren’t worried about that and just want to make sure the head can’t come off, even if it loosens then carpenters glue is a good solution. just rub a little onto either side of the wedge right before you hammer it in.

Where to Buy Axe wedges

Hardware stores will generally have wedge kits that come with a large Poplar wedge and a metal cross wedge for about $5. But there are sources online that offer a wide range of wood types and bulk orders as well.

Whiskey River Trading Co. has a great selection of axe wedges in different types of wood for a very good price. They are also known for their excellent range of handles. See their selection here.

You can always get a standard wedge kit from Amazon as well, which comes with barrel wedges rather than the standard straight step wedges (for some variety).

Aluminum Axe Wedges

You have always been able to get steel or aluminum wedges to use instead of wood (full wedges – not the stepped cross wedge).

They aren’t too popular anymore, but they can create a lot of pressure, and be installed easily. There will usually be gaps at the front and back, but the metal can compress the handle wood and force its way in.

Metal wedges are a huge pain in the ass to remove if you need to swap out a handle.

Some of the vintage ones are kinda cool – they have a cap on top that also makes them easier to pull out. But I won’t use or re-use a metal wedge.

Adding cross wedges

Finally, you will often find a metal step wedge or barrel wedge hammered across the middle of the wooden wedge. This is done to create even more pressure and secure the head. However, there are some things you should know:

Traditionally a cross wedge should not be added when hanging an axe, the wood wedge should be secure enough. The cross wedge (or barrel wedge) should only be added if the head starts to loosen.

I still sometimes add the wedge when hanging, if I suspect a weak spot or maybe just not the best hang. But if you are learning it makes sense to leave it out and test the strength of your hang before adding anything like a cross wedge or glue.

I typically use a #3 step wedge for full-size axe eyes (1/2″ or 15/32″ wide). But there are larger or smaller as needed.

If you go to the hardware store you will likely only find kits that also include a wooden wedge, but you can buy bulk packs for cheap on Amazon (like this one).

This is just a hobby. When you buy through a link, I may earn a commission to support the site.

About the author:

About the author:

Jim Bell | Site Creator
I’m just a guy who likes axes. I got tired of only finding crap websites, so I set out to build a better one myself.

I’m also on Instagram: @axeandtool