Watch: Making a Steel Hatchet Handle

This video is worth a watch just for the rapid “buzzzz” that is the sound of Jimmy DiResta peening rivets at high speed (4:00). But it has a lot more to offer as well.

The craftsmanship of dreaming up and then building this handle is impressive. The steel wasn’t thick enough, so he laminated some pieces onto it. Lots of sawing, grinding, milling, and more grinding later, it was ready for some wood.

I like his method of mixing epoxy. Simply coat a portion of the work bench with masking tape and mix the stuff on that. Afterward, just peel it off and toss it. Nice.

Superb touch: You know how a wooden tool handle is split on the end that goes through the tool, and you use one or more steel wedges to spread it? Well, DiResta splits the steel and then drives in a wooden wedge. It’s practical and gives the top end of the axe handle a two-tone look that ties in with the rest of it.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.