Double Bit Axe Restoration and Rehandle 

That wedge went in about 1/4 of the way, normally you want it 2/3 deep and cracks don’t matter they’ll disappear with a quick sand and soak up the oil better. Keep banging! Beautiful finish but try not to twist your whole body when swinging the axe, it’s wasted energy. Straight up, straight down. Blessings brother ✊🏽

Fantastic documentary quality to all of your videos. Easy enjoyable watching- thank you for sharing.

Great video. It’s weird, seeing that head swinging, I swear in the back of my mind I was thinking, I bet that old axe head felt joy. It’s like bringing something back to life, or being found. I don’t know. It’s late and I’m pretty drunk. But anytime you pour love into something, it can only be a good thing.

Beautiful, very elegant axe. Like, that you didn´t polish the head. Impressiv work!

Nice work! What a wonderful project.

I probably laughed more than I should have. It's an axe video so that alone makes it awesome.

Great video. Great hanging and everything. You should look into pulling out the grain with a torch and then a walnut danish oil finish. It is Gorgeous on old axe heads like this. Linseed oil is great just kinda basic. I like a little character.

👍👍great job! Nice axe!

Like your videos bud. Turn your axe head upside down to pound out the old handle. All eyes are tapered. Once you cut off the handle they usually pound right through.

Great job 👍.Makes me feel ashamed for buying a replacement handle for 13 bucks and only spending about 2 hrs removing old handle to oiling and hanging it up!😟

Finely some good restoration, like your mood and pace. I'm now a sub.

I love card scrapers

“I’m getting a second crack now so I think I’m gonna stop there”... *whack* *whack*

Hello, I now this is older post but I'm curious about the grain. Could you not have cut the handle out at a 45 degree so the grain would be perfect or is it not that important? At 8:30 I'm wondering if you can see what I mean. Thanks for the videos. Beautiful work

Very nice. Thank you for not polishing the head to a mirror shine as many others do. The handle is beautifully made from a nice piece of Hickory and it fits perfectly. It's a pleasure to watch things like this being made. Thanks again.

Nice job...is the handle a little thin for your hands? Thanks.

I liked and just subscribed

Can you make a file knife without having to read temper or Or is it too brutal

Thought the draw knife was to be pulled hense the draw name?

What was the girl in the background picking off the tree ? If you dont mind me askin

Where do you get your hickory for hanging?

you need to turn your draw knife over an it wont cut in so bad

he later cuts that handle in half for another axe :(

the handle did not need change really

Totally Dumb Procedure! If You Have College Degree ,Then Go Attempt To Teach Someone Who Cares ! NOT ME !

all that work ..... and a new axe is like $15

Good work and concret skills. I was looking this video with a true pleasure. Respect. And regards from Poland 👍Excuse me feeble english 😉

That was the 1st respectable axe resto I have seen on youtube so far. Only thing I would suggest is pay attention to your handle grain , that one had some runout.

I hope you will enjoy the great quality of life that head has left in it. Use it wisely, and it will last a lifetime.

I have my dads old dbl bit axe he had when I was a kid. May look into cleaning it up. Not sure how old it is but I’m 50 so it’s been around a while.

Great job restoring a beautiful piece of history and a useful tool that will continue to serve anyone who is fortunate enough to own it. The only qualm I have is, why would you discard the original handle? I have salvaged far worse that have survived for years of hard use. It would have been preferable in my opinion had in been in as close to original condition as possible. Aside from that personal preference, Amazing work! 👍🏻

i really wish you had not cut that handle off. old wood is just as fun to bring back to life and re use. there was nothing about that handle that couldn't be reused. would have added a lot of value as well.

How does one identify the particular axe head? I have a true temper kelley perfec I'd like to I.D.

you cut the split for the head too far down.....the head will break the handle after some hard hits.....the wedge split should have been half that deep

cool alek steel shirt, sorry about the wedge. couldn't find thinner nails? oh i see. just a burn mark, not a nail.

The hottest part of that flame is at the tip of that bright blue.

Excellent job! I always soak my wedges first in pine resin, guess it's a Canadian thing

You don't need to cut the handle off. You just need a rubber mallet, and a little patience. Handles are almost always salvageable and don't need to be cut. Didn't quite understand that move. That handle can easily be sanded and rehung in fractions of the time it took to make a new one.

That's cool teach em while they're young!

I just got handed down a double bit axe head that belonged to my great grandfather I can't wait to rehandle and restore it

Great job! And thanks for cleaning up the head of the axe if not it wouldn't have been a restoration. Mirror finish or not if ya don't clean it up it's just a rehandle. Great job man!

You've done some fabulous videos but....a draw knife is a draw knife and is designed to be drawn towards the user. A spokeshave on the otherhand!!!! A small metal wedge could have been inserted across grain into the spilt in the wedge. I know such wedges are not always employed or popular but it is an option. Personally I consider any hand-made handle to be nothing short of Stupendous. An awesome demonstration of your skill.

I have a very similar project in my future. I’m just not going to make my own handle from a tree I sawed down. Excellent tutorial my friend.

West Virginia Mountain Momma Country Roads Take Me Home

Nice, reminds me of dad putting a large metal pipe in a double bit, because I was over swinging.

Is ok to sharpen an axe with a belt grinder? I imagine, if so, it would be done without the platen (?)

What a beautiful find brother. Don’t see too many of those (just a wee bigger than a cruiser) 3 lb axes.... Sad to see that old original handle go though :( Oh well, can’t please everyone on RU-vid.. Other than cutting the old handle off love what you did here. Nice heirloom piece Thanks for uploading the work for us to see!

It would have been nice if looking at the top of your handle the grain ran the same direction as the long way of the eye of your axe.

I've been watching axe restorations looking for a good proper job. THANK YOU. Perfect grain in the handle, perfectly fitted to the head, expertly mounted. Everything about this was perfect. I'm finally satisfied. You have no idea how long it took to find such perfection. I think I'm in love no homo

Nice work! Even more impressed with the camera work and the editing...had the feel of a PBS documentary, lol...subbed.

Enjoy your work very much. Thank you for sharing✌🏻✌🏻

Awesome I just started my dad's double bit today . Question when refurbishing those you don't get too crazy about polishing all the Nicks and chunks out. Next question do you recommend preserving with Berlin seed oil after warming it up quite a bit to prevent corrosion in the future

If you ever come across a farrier's file (for horse hooves) they are phenomenal for wood projects like this.

thumbs up for having your buddys little guy out in the shop with you. Most kisd lack this kind of hands on stimulation.

Was wondering what in the world you were doing on the shave horse when you had a fully functional band saw in the , awesome shop by the way,in the fully functional shop... I saw your other video where you use that old handle with the nails in it for a single bit axe handle.sweet...

Nice work! I have an old Swedish forged Axe that needs a new handle. I am glad that I watched this because I think I would have shaped the handle before fitting it. Makes sense to fail early before investing all that time.

Why not restore that original handle?

2nd question: why not use a rust remover instead of a wire wheel?

I have a Collins double headed axe that I found in the woods in Minnesota 1957, is it a good one, worth renovating? Thanks.

The axe and it's handle were decent before the restoration, but the work on it is nice too !

At least you know how to seat the handle with inertia rather than setting the axe head against something and pounding on it. I've seen too many "experts" ruin sledge hammer handles by resting the head on the ground and driving the handle in..

well done

Dang...fantastic job from scratch blank!

I just purchased a True Temper Flint edge double ax. In excellent shape including original handle which is slightly loose but undamaged. I cannot wait to restore it now.

would an axe like that going for 100$ be a rip off?

I'm very impressed. Thank you for this video. I like your content. I subscribed.

cool project and result .. now you are all set for the Zombie Apocalypse.. lol seriously awesome

very tasteful restoration projekt. I would have done something very similar to your style

Nice work. I like the measure marks idea too - gonna go do that right now!

Awesome video man. Loved it. Thanks for sharing.

My dog lost his shit when you started cutting with the band saw, lol

Great work.

This is actually therapeutic for me. Great work on the axe

Job well done ! Kind regards from the UK.

From Scotland here. Try a softer, more compressible wood like poplar for the wedge. Put it in dry as if oiled like other suggest when the oil dried it may loosen. Love the fact you didn't over finish the head and you put back the measure marks on the handle... I may do that myself!

Very nice work! Video was done well. I learned a lot. Thank you.

That is the best head to handle fit I have seen on all of the videos I have watched so far on RU-vid and in person! I am very impressed! You didn’t stop at a quality fit you made it look good after you achieved the important part too!

Nice work brother!blessings and aloha td

Good job on the video. Thank you for sharing.

Greetings, super cool, i just received 3 old axes to restore but am finding a hard time finding information of fitting the handle to the head, in regards to size and such. Any things i should keep in mind? i have two "felling axes" and a broad axe, can i use a handle shorter than 30" or should i stick to its full length?

Nothing wrong with the existing handle.

Great work!

Very Nicely done on the fit and finish of the handle.good idea on the measuring dots to . I wish I had one of these in my camping set-up , it would be very useful in many aspects of our camping trip . keep up the good work and keep the video's coming please .

Great Job. Greatings from Germany. Danny

Why don't you oil in the gap and wedge before wedging, If you use linseed oil it will expand the wedge and stay in there and keep it expanded for a long time

Your craftsmanship and your skills are awesome to watch I really love your channel you've inspired me to attempt some of your ideas I'm getting into leather working and looking for an axe to work on thanks for sharing your videos! Only problem is I can't stop watching

Beautiful job in that axe, one thing about the handle is than when fitting the head it’s better to only be able to push the axe head on about an inch or so, in this case you may need to do a little more than an inch, doing so allows a good tight fit. On the wedge it also helps to put a little linseed oil, boiled or not in to help the wood expand and keep it tight as possible. Overall a really splendid job on that axe

Way beyond my ability.

Hey, the wingnut on your bandsaw's tracking adjustment knob is spinning on its own while the bandsaw was operating.

Beautiful work on that axe

Well done!

You were born to do this work.

Very inspirational....i just picked up a cheap double bit axe. Cant find a handle close to home here. I guess I better get the heat in the shop going 👍

Greetings from the UK dude! Really enjoying the videos and watching the detail of your process.

Personnaly, I would stain the handle, then, oil it. But, that's me.

The first nail should be 6 inches from the foot of the handle, the second should be18 inches from the foot. Was sad to see all that work skill and diligent care To be set aback Pains me to see you learn at that expense Im still proud of your work but I know you'll never settle once you know why those nails are in the wrong spot They were put there as a quick visual measure for stove length wood 6 inches in diameter 18 in length Any longer or wider it won't fit in the stove I could have cried when you burned in those nail spots and nailed them Broke my heart 'cause I could tell it is your passion And that you strive for perfection ....like watching Christ crucified

Wow, nicely done !

excellent.. learned a lot and giving me ideas on restoring a couple axes I have...

Looks like Bubinga wood for the wedge. Beautiful work!

Why not hang it flush with the top of the eye, the way it was originally hung from the factory? A vintage USA made axe just looks better "restored" to the way it would've came from the factory.