Are you Properly Taking Care of Your Axe? How Professional Axe Makers treat handles. 

When my blacksmith buddy makes my axes, he says to use boiled linseed oil, "Every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and once a year after that." So far, no issues!

Regarding linseed oil on a new axe handle ; the classic mantra of , . . . "once a day for a week , once a week for a month , once a month for a year" . . . Was what I was taught.

Don't forget the inside of the lanyard hole. Also mentioned below, warming the oil will help it to soak in. Personally, I like Tung oil.

When I was young I put a generous coating of linseed oil on a new wooden ladder as per my father’s instructions and I remember it stayed sticky for months. By the time it was no longer tacky the ladder had every piece of dirt, grass and debris adhered to it. 🤦‍♂️. Proof there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. 😏

I started using raw linseed oil instead of BLO, because I have little kids who like to help out, and most hardware stores BLO is just cancer in a can. The additives that make it dry faster are pretty toxic. So I use raw linseed oil, which takes a few days to dry, but I feel a lot better about my kids helping out. Wax/oil mixes, like beeswax and mineral oil, are nice for finishing handles too. Not as "weatherproof" as linseed oil, but I like the feel of a wax-finished handle a lot better than an oiled one.

BLO is what was used to treat M1 garand stocks. Tung oil was used, too.

Tung oil is great also mix whit turpentine

If I may suggest. Running a bottle cap down the front and back of the axe handle before application. Gives the handle a little more grip.

Whenever I'm doing a new axe I put some BLO on a paper plate or something and put the eye down on the plate. Let it sit over night until it absorbs all it can by capillary action. They can take more that way then you might think.

As a furniture maker and green woodworker my personal favorite is from solventfreepaint. The Organic Raw Linseed Oil is freaking great. Doesn't smell like the big box store stuff, penetrates deeper, and lasts a whole lot longer. Works amazingly on all North American hardwoods.

I think the 50/50 treated axe handle color is prettier too than the untreated raw wood handle. Your 50/50 mix sounds like a great solution to apply to my homemade walking sticks and canes, also. Thanks for making this short but educational video, Dan!

An alternative FYI -- Another option I like over the Linseed oil/turpentine mix is a 60/40 mix of Tung oil/D-limonene -- if you buy the pure forms of each, chemical toxicity is vastly reduced and it polymerizes in the wood like linseed. I personally prefer the finish of the Tung oil blend (and it smells good -- citrus 🙂). Downside is that it typically costs more than the alternatives. I sure appreciate your "get it presented" format, and also the behind-the-scenes work it takes to condense good content into meaningful videos.

Dam good info !! Nice job on video . 🇺🇸🇺🇸🪓🔪👍👍

Birchwood Casey's "Tru Oil" is damned good for tool handles also. All Weather, Soaks in deep, and hardens to rock like finish, in ware and toughness. Just saying if good enough, tough enough, and pretty enough for a multi thousand dollars firearm.........

Dan, I listen to you because you are a fine teacher, limiting your lessons to stuff we can really use, stuff we want. There is generally no BS. I’m medical and have read good research that indicates over and over, prevention is at least ten times cheaper than repair. Thanks

Linseed oil it. After it dries, steel wool it. Work great for axe, hatchet, hammer handles, and guitar necks

Boiled linseed oil is literally raw linseed oil with mineral spirits and/or turpentine mixed in to make it dry faster.

Ballistol

I have a labour-saving tip: Get a fiskars axe

1 part linseed, 1 part turpentine. Family has been using it for generations, grandpa was captain of the logging camp.

I love my G.B. Small Forest Axe.

A great video SIR! Very informative.... Thank you!!!!! Take care of yourself.............

Today, before I saw this, after following the advice of a gardening channel for treating wood and wooden tools and metal, I ordered one gallon of raw linseed oil. I read that it dries slower and is food grade. Your mileage may vary.

Good afternoon from Syracuse NY brother and thank you for sharing your information and adventures

Scoutmaster tip. Blood circle (if you can touch someone within 365°) and are yard. A roped off area to split wood, keeping other people out of harm's way. Be blessed

Nice 2 x 72s.

I prefer "Watco Danish Oil" ....they have many stains, I prefer Dark Walnut.....sand the handle to get rid of the laquer, (or scrape it off), or prior treatment and use 80 Grit sandpaper to open the pores of the wood....apply several coats, let it dry well between coats.......OnWard.......

Turpentine 1 qt Boiled Linseed Oil 1 qt Pine Tar 1/2 pt Japan Drier 1/2 pt

Wise advice. I used this process to treat my home-made hardwood nunchakus.

In addition to the BLO I also heat my handles over a low fire or my stove top and rub 100% beeswax on all my handles and then I buff it in with a soft cloth. The handle grabs a touch more but it's still soft and smooth and even more secure and element proof. You can also mix BLO and melted beeswax to make a wood finish wax kinda deal

Good tip thanks

This would be great on wood frame bow saws too.

My grandfather used to spray 50/50 BLO/turpentine under all his cars. They would smell like pine and never rust.

Ace stuff dude

I'm a big fan of Danish oil for the texture it leaves on the handle.

Wicked awesome video Dan...🗣 thank you ! I always learn a new sliver of Knowledge watching your videos! SLAINTE '

Use paper towels and flush them so they don't burst into flames. Build linseed oils

Very good video.

Your mix of BLO and turpentine is exactly what I used on my Tipi poles and it works very well, they were in the weather for several years with no issue!

Will have to do that with the new ax I bought

Great video as always Dan. Just a plug for safety to recommend you touch on boiled linseed oil precautions with regard to disposal of the used rags. Spontaneous combustion is rare but still possible under the right conditions. 🔥 Take care brother!

Finishing a maple stock for a Kentucky Rifle Kit and using mineral spirits to thin pure Tung Oil. Have used BLSO straight out of the can and put it on til it wouldn’t soak in then wiped it off and it dried well on a shovel handle

Fantastic content 👌 👏 👍

I’ve made a small amount of 50/50 blo and mineral spirits and do a few first coats on the handles. Then straight blo. And then after that a 50/50 mix of blo and beeswax. Been good so far.

The way I would do it with linseed oil is to give light coatings for days. Clean the handle, get some linseed oil in a rag and give it a polish, let it dry (I'd let it rest until the day after), give it a pass with fine sandpaper, repeat until you're happy. On a new handle I would probably do just a couple of coats, for old handles a few more, you see when old dried handles will start looking better.

I have been forced to use mineral oil while in the field and it does a good job. Some friends use olive oil but being organic, it gets rancid after a while. Linseed oil is the best and next time I will try your trick of mixing it with terpentine. Where I travel to, linseed oil is not always readily available so I have to improvise, adapt and overcome.

Very timely video for me. I have several axes and hammers and maybe i have overdone the BLO. I was thinking about wearing cotton gloves and giving them a good rub down. Is fine steel wool too aggressive? I see here someone suggested using a piece of brown paper (bag). ?????

Thanks for sharing brother

I have had rags spontaneously combust from linseed oil. I now use paper towels and lay out flat to dry before disposing of them. Do not throw a soaked crumpled rag into a bucket and leave it!

Thank you

I have 2, one is some kind of plastic (Fiskars) and the other is a camp axe with a fiberglass handle. However I would like something lighter, a tomahawk of some type with a wooden handle. I would probably just use mineral oil like on everything else.

🙌

Another good mix is BLO and pine tar from your local farm store or online. If your hand doesn't slide smoothly over the wood in a few days rub it down with fine steel wool. A piece from brown paper bag will work if there are nibs sticking up from dust after drying.

Learned something new thank you. I only used linseed oil never thought about adding turpentine I stink on sharpening I use a disc any ideas

Hey Dan. We got a lot of raw linseed oil here, both cold pressed and warm pressed. Boiled can be bought but it’s not nearly as common. What is - in your opinion - the reason to use boiled linseed oil and not raw? I’ve read, that the raw linseed oil penetrates deeper into the wood. Thanks. Love your vids, btw :)

🇺🇸🙋‍♀️🐴🍃 Great tip, thank you!

I'm curious to know what your opinion is regarding mineral oil. I've been using it for decades on my wood handle scaled forged & stamped cutlery for kitchen food prep use. Apparently the mineral oil is inert & is even safe for human consumption for certain conditions. It has never become sticky on the wooden surfaces. Comments?

Great tip on axe handle care Dan! I have a ? about buying an axe though, what's the most reasonable price for one at say, an estate/yard sale?

What else can you use that 50 50 mix on. Can you use it on a canvas tarp?

Dan, appreciate the video. What brand and type is the unfinished axe you're using?

Nice trick cutting the cordage, but, what did you cut the sticks with?

I have a real question here. Would that be another fireststarting method in an emergency to scrape your treated ax handle like fatwood?

The turpentine doesn’t cause any issues with the head when you soak it for the 24 hours?

Also a little longer, more leverage on the swing?

Make sure to frequently kiss your axe.

What is the length of the handle that was already treated? I’m working on a couple axes and wondering what length handles would be a good option.

Question Dan; How do I retreat my handle? Do I just sand it down and reapply or just reapply over what I've got applied now

The treated handle is also longer. And in my experience any handle under 20 inches is basically usless. At least where i live in upstate new york. Waste of weight that could be carrying a more usefull tool. I chose a 2.1lb vintage hults bruks agdor boys axe profile on a custom 22 inch handle. And it turned out to be an absolute dream of a pack axe. Perfect for camping trips lasting 3 to 10 days. For more long term i would prob bring a full legnth. And i know everyone is gung ho about boiled linseed oil. But i prefer to spend the extra money and get tung oil. Just my 2 cents. I like this video because i would never mix chemicals like that without extensive research that its save.

Any danger in breathing the mixture?

Any less pain in the butt ways to get the lacquer off other than sanding?

Im not saying its right or wrong but we always used old motor oil

🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓

Do we have to remove the axe head for treatment or can we soak the entire axe handle, head and all?

Be careful with your linseed rags. DONT starts fires.

One of my handles gets sticky and weird. Anyways, don’t judge me.

Something that works much better is Tung oil.

ALL my carbon steel outdoor tools get GUN BLUED & coated with PASTE WAX (getting hard to find here) then you heat it up some to set the wax WARNING! use a HEAT GUN or let it dry good before TORCHING it!

Better to have an axe then to make axe of yourself......Or something like that.

Great educational video, But why not just buy a steel handle axe instead?

Heres an idea dont get ur axe wet