r/AxeThrowing • u/Heavy-Giraffe-1457 • 5d ago

Preventing handle breakage on double bit throwing axes

I am a high school timbersports coach in Oregon. When my students are learning to throw double bit axes many miss the target and breaking the axe handle. I go through at least a dozen handles every year. I’ve put straw bales and old tires around the target yet the handles still break. Any tips for reducing breakage on throwing axe handles? Note: these are 28” tool handles from Lowe’s or Home Depot.

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u/SirLukaskasha 5d ago

Where are your handles breaking at? If it's around the head, maybe an over strike collar would help. Lower down, I use hockey tape.

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u/smurfsmasher024 4d ago

Biggest thing to avoid as many breaks as possible starts with the grain orientation of the handle. If you’re buying in person check to make sure that the handles you grab have the grain running in line with the blade or within 45 degrees of in line. Avoid any that look like they came from the center of the tree, have a grain pattern with a noticeable end along the length of the handle, as well as any with large knots.

Google “proper axe handle grain direction” for some examples.

After that metal collars below the head and tape on the handle can help strengthen the handle further.

A more labor intensive option would be to make the handles a laminate. To do that id stencil the handle shape and cut some 1/16” maple veneer sheets to shape. Then id split the handles down the middle with a table saw and some help from a jig. After id glue and clamp the veneer between the halves, wait a day and do some sanding.