Where to Find Good Axe Handles (and what to expect)

I have been restoring axes as a hobby for almost 10 years now, so I have bought my share of axe handles. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It can be harder than it should be to find a nice handle, but they are out there.

The best store-bought handles I have ever used are the premium axe handles from Whiskey River Art & Trading – and it’s not close. They offer more patterns and sizes than anyone else I know, and their heritage handles, in particular, are modelled after vintage designs with lovely, thin grips and wide palm swells.

There are other options, depending on what you are looking for. I have done my best to break it down below. But rule number 1 is, don’t buy random handles off Amazon.

Note to global readers: The standard and premium handle makers listed are all from North America (because that’s where I live). The other options should all still apply to you.

Hardware store-brand axe handles are going to be the cheapest and easiest to find, but they are poorly shaped and have little to no quality control.

Private-label hardware handles are mass-produced in the worst way. They will be very thick, heavily varnished, poorly and inconsistently shaped, with no consideration for grain orientation or run-out. I have found many that are so poorly shaped they won’t even fit a standard axe. You must look them over carefully in person.

The size selection will also be limited. Usually just 36″, sometimes 28″, and a hatchet handle if you are lucky. They can work if you just need a hickory stick for an axe you plan on abusing, but they usually aren’t even much cheaper than better handles.

Some hardware stores will carry better 3rd party brands (next section), but it’s getting less and less common.

Larger handle makers like House Handle, Tennessee Hickory, Bowman, and Garant (Canada) produce a “standard” modern handle. Their handles are decently shaped, but still tend to be overly fat and varnished with low quality control for grain pattern or defects.

These handles are better and much more consistently shaped than store-brand handles, but the standards for grain orientation, run-out, or large knots are still lacking. So, ideally, you can examine them properly in person before buying. If you aren’t quite sure what to look for, see what makes a good handle.

I have used these handles lots of times, and they can be a good option if you want something affordable and functional. Also, the fundamentals are there, so you can usually improve them by putting in some work on them to make them better handles.

I will always remove the varnish so it can be oiled at a minimum, but spending some time thinning the handle and maybe reshaping the palm swell can bump the handling and look of these up a level.

A Canadian Option

Canadians: I know I said never use Amazon, but there is a company I buy bulk handles from (in person) in Listowel, Ontario, that does sell individual handles on Amazon.

The grain orientation isn’t always perfect, and there can be pin-hole knots. So they aren’t always “Instagram perfect”. But, functionally, they are well shaped, varnish-free, and the best Canadian handles I have found.

Way better than anything from Canadian Tire or Home Hardware (They actually used to be stocked by Home Hardware, before they switched to a shitty branded “Benchmark” offering).

Handles on Amazon

There are still a couple of specialty companies that take pride in exceptional axe handles. Premium handles cost more than a standard handle, but they will be far better shaped, with the proper attention paid to things like grain orientation and run-out.

These handles need to be ordered directly from the maker. Sometimes you need to keep an eye on what’s available, as these handles get made in smaller runs and can sell out before the next batch is ready.

However, premium handles are still just natural wood, so you will get grain variation, mixes of heartwood and sapwood, and small blemishes. Some people’s expectations get a little wild.

Whiskey River handles are the only premium handles I have actually bought and gotten my hands on. But they are also just nice folks, who have let me use photos from their vintage axe auctions for my Axe Museum project.

Whisky River Art & Trading Co.

Whiskey River has made a name for itself by offering many different patterns of premium axe handles and by constantly testing and offering new patterns and models. Their Heritage line is patterned from authentic vintage handles, with thin grips and beautiful palm swells.

The above axes are a Heritage 32″ Cruvy, a 30″ Octagonal, and a 28″ straight handle I plan to use for a rafting pattern build. Even just having the option of a 24″ or 28″ straight handle is not something I have ever found locally.

The handles come untreated (which I prefer) and are sanded smooth. There may be a few small lathe marks to sand further if you want it, but you can see how refined they come in the picture below. You can hang it, oil it, and use it as it comes. Each handle comes with a poplar wedge.

I said at the start, these are the nicest store-bought handles I have ever used. You can see the difference in shaping and thickness of these two hardware handles when compared to a premium handle.

Premium Handle Grades

Whiskey River offers an A or B grade, and I bought one of each. The B grade would have been the nicest handle I ever bought… had I not also bought the A grade.

Most of the major axe manufacturers sell replacement handles that meet the standards of their axes. These handles are better than hardware brands and will be free of major flaws like large knots, but not as nice as premium handles.

The “big 3” you are most likely to find are Council Tool, Gransfors Bruk, and Hults Bruk (Hultafors). And while the quality is good, the cost is often the same or close to the price of more premium handles.

Additionally, these handles can be designed for specific axes only, and may not fit all heads. But they are handles you can order reliably, and they will be decent.

Expand for more on the 3 main brands

Council Tool Handles

The standard handles are affordable but surprisingly thin and well-shaped with decent grain orientation. They also come oiled and waxed. Overall good handles (often best for the price).

The premium handles are used in their Velvicut & WoodCraft Lines. They have more consistent grain orientation and density and are all Grade “A” American hickory.

They come oiled and usually include a wedge kit, but there are fewer models of

Gransfors Bruk Handles

Nicely shaped handles, still a little on the thick side – but come with a coating of linseed oil. Most of their handles won’t fit the large full-size eye of most American axe heads, but they do offer a couple of larger handles.

I haven’t bought spare handles before, but I own many Gransfors axes and the handles are nice.

Hultafors / Hults Bruk Handles

Standard Hults Bruk handles have good grain orientation but come thick, so expect to do some shaping. Many won’t fit a full-size American axe eye, so check the eye dimensions – they are often in the product name “63×23″(mm).

Premium Hults Bruk handles can be sapwood or darker heartwood, and come with better grain, and a thinner and better-shaped profile. I don’t think any of the premium handles will fit full-size American axe eyes.

If you want your axe to be truly one-of-a-kind, there are some exceptional custom handle makers. They hand-make every handle, one by one, with care and insane attention to detail.

Do not get a custom handle if you have never hung an axe before. These handles have a lot of care put into them; you are paying for hand-crafted, and you don’t want to mess it up. You should be confident in your axe-hanging ability before considering one of these handles.

While I have listed a couple of my favorite handle makers, Custom handle makers are regional and all over the place, so look around on Instagram or Etsy for other makers in your area.

Expand for a few of my favorite handle makers

Curtis Isaacson (USA)

Curtis Isaacson (4esttrekker on Instagram) is a friend and craftsman and handle maker out of Nebraska who does both restored axes and handles on order. Lately, he has been experimenting with laminate handles.

He can be contacted on Instagram, but he’s also worth following at least.

Instragram

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Stumptown Axes (USA)

Stumptown Axes out of Whitefish, Montana, is another exceptional shop that builds axes using beautifully restored heads and gorgeous hand-carved handles.

Most of his work is finished axes, but there are often handles available on the site. The detailed shaping in the palm swells, and the elegant lines of his handles have always stood out to me. And the addition of a contrasting palm swell

His Instagram is a gallery of beautiful finished axes and handles, as well as tips and work in progress.

stumptownaxes.com

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Axe & Edge Tool Co. (UK)

A skilled restorer of axes and other edge tools and carver of gorgeous axe handles in the UK. Often making handles suited for old UK axe patterns that you can’t find anywhere else.

Axe & Edge Tool Co.

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LN Axe & Tool Co. (New Zealand)

Gorgeous hand-carved handles out of Northland, New Zealand.

Worth following on Instagram if (like me) you are a long way from New Zealand. But if you are from the region, they sell their handles on Etsy.

LN Etsy Store

Want to challenge yourself? You can always try making your own handle.

You will need to find the right wood, but you can make an axe handle with some pretty cheap and simple tools. It’s not too complicated, but it can take some practice.

Take a look at my article on how to make an axe handle, and gauge for yourself.

You can always make it easier on yourself and buy shaped blanks. It simplifies the process, and you can just focus on shaping.

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