As you might have already noticed, all of our axes come with a varnished handle. This is because the axes need to be able to stay in the warehouse until they get a new owner. Applying varnish completely seals off the pores in the wood and makes sure when you get the axe, the head fits perfectly on the handle. Although there is nothing wrong with a varnished handle, and it even adds some extra grip, a lot of people enjoy the look and feel of an oiled axe handle, including us.
Why should you oil your axe?
Having some sort of protective layer on tools with wooden handles is important. It has both a functional and aesthetic function. Treated wood looks better and it makes your tools easier to use and last longer.
The main killer of wooden handles is moisture. Saturating your wooden handles makes them more resistant to water. Also, since it fills in the pores of the wood, it prevents them from completely drying out and leaving you with a loose axe head. It makes your dry, untreated handle look rich and even the smell of natural oils is pleasant.
What oil to use
Although there are many choices out there, we, at Fellmark, use boiled linseed oil on our axes. There are many different opinions out there about using boiled linseed oil but we find that it perfectly fits our needs. First of all, it’s quite thin when compared to other oils. This means that it dries fast and absorbs fast. When using thicker oils, it’s harder to achieve good saturation since they tend to only fill the outer layer of the wood after a few uses and adding more oil is pointless because it just stays on the surface of the wood. Boiled linseed oil also smells good, protects against mildew and is fairly cheap.
Another commonly used oil is tung oil. Although it’s about three times the price of boiled linseed oil, it provides considerably better water protection.
Some people take the extra mile and dilute their oils. This allows you to get different benefits from the substance of your choice. I’m gonna list out some of the common additives:
- Pine tar – better grip and darker color
- Beeswax – creates a shiny finish and seals off the pores
- Turpentine – adds more penetration to the oil
- Mineral pigments – adds color to the wood
Brushing your axe handle
Brushing an axe handle is a simple process but it requires consistency. You simply need to add a thin layer of oil on the handle and leave it on for a few hours. During this time, the wood absorbs some of the oil and when you return to the axe, just wipe off the excess.
A lot of people have different opinions when it comes to oiling intervals. We at Fellmark agree with the old-timers. After removing the varnish we brush it every day for a week, followed by once a week for a month, then once a month for a year and finally keep doing it once a year. This process has always worked for us and kept the handles looking good, feeling good and most importantly kept the wood saturated with oil.
Soaking your axe handle
Soaking an axe is a pretty straightforward process. You just have to submerge the axe in oil and leave it for a period of your choice. Usually, it’s done for a week to get the most saturation possible. It’s possible to reach much higher saturation when compared to brushing but the only downside is that you can’t use your new favorite tool for a week. You can also reuse the oil for soaking or brushing your next tool.
The only problem that can occur is when you’re soaking full sized axes. It’s hard to find a container with good dimensions so you don’t end up needing a ridiculous amount of oil. Luckily, our damascus steel axe is on the smaller side, and soaking it should not be a problem.
Oiled vs varnished axe handle
Both oiled and varnished handles have their pros and cons. We at Fellmark prefer the look and feel of a oiled handle but there are many people out there who stick with the varnished handle. Since there is no right or wrong here, you should stick with what you like. Using a tool should be as comfortable as possible.