Serious question, my old cross-peen hammer handle split right at the eye yesterday during a heavy forging session.

I had to stop everything and carve a new one from a piece of hickory I keep in the shop, which got me thinking about handle grain orientation. How do you all check yours before fitting?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopherwilson5d ago

That split at the eye is the worst, totally kills your rhythm. I always look for straight grain running the full length of the handle, no run out on the sides. A quick trick is to wet the wood with a bit of water, the grain pops right out so you can see if it's running true. What's your go to wood for a quick replacement?

the_sandra5d ago

Straight grain the whole way? That sounds nice but it's not the whole story. I've had plenty of hickory handles with some runout on the sides that have lasted for years, @christopherwilson. The water trick shows you the pattern, but it doesn't tell you about the wood's toughness. For a quick fix, I'll grab almost any decent piece of ash I have lying around before I hunt for a perfect board. Sometimes a serviceable handle now is better than a perfect one next week.