Failure By Design, Axe Handle Design Mistakes and Improvements, *Spread the Stress*

Some common design flaws that increase likelihood of axe handles breaking near the eye. Toward better designs and modifications Support on   / skillcult   has been critical in keeping me experimenting and making content. If you want to help me help others, this is probably the best way to do it. Thank you Patrons for supporting the mission! Buy less, but buy it through my links! Shopping through my affiliate links generates revenue for me, at no extra cost to you, click links here, or go to my Amazon Store page: http://skillcult.com/amazon-store/ But seriously, buy less, do more. Standard gear I recommend. I either use or have used all of it. Council Tool Boys Axe: https://amzn.to/3z0muqI Bahco Farmer's File: https://amzn.to/3Hbdhij King two sided sharpening stone: https://amzn.to/32EX1XC Silky f180 saw: https://amzn.to/3yZzM71 ARS 10 foot long reach pruner: https://amzn.to/3esETmM Victorinox grafting/floral knife: https://amzn.to/3Jki1E9 Wiebe 12” fleshing tool: https://amzn.to/3sB0qSl Atlas Elbow Gloves: https://amzn.to/3FwB5g6 BOOKS: The Axe Book, by Dudley Cook: https://amzn.to/32kx7sN Bushcraft, by Mors Kochanski: https://amzn.to/32q2rpT Subscribe to my channel for more insightful Self Reliance related content: http://www.youtube.com/skillcult/subs... Click the bell icon to be notified of new content. Subscribing doesn’t mean that much on it’s own. Blog and website: www.skillcult.com/blog Instagram and Facebook @SkillCult There are a number of common problems with axe handle design which can put overdue stress on the area of the handle just below the eye. This area is inherently weak, both becuase it is usually the thinnest, but also because the area below the eye is usually the thickest working part of the handle. If the rest of the handle is too rigid, undue stress is put on the area just below the axe eye. Since the thin eye portion of the handle is also coupled to a very hard and dense material, breakage in this area is very common. If the handle is tuned down to be more flexible, with less drastic differences in mass, shape and flexibility, the stress will be shared over more of the system, reducing stress on the eye by increasing energy absorption and resilience of the whole system. Improving some of these design factors could greatly reduce axe handle breakage. There are more factors and deeper discussions to have on this subject and other interrelated axe handle design issues, but this is a start.