Handle size on a pipe tomahawk?

[Ky-Flinter]

I bought a pipe tomahawk head from Reeves Goehring a while back and finally decided to start working on it.  The hole for the handle seems kinda small.  The hole is oval, of course, and measures 1" long and 3/4" wide.  The hole tapers from top to bottom, to keep the head from sliding off the haft.  When I taper the handle to match the hole, the handle is going to be mighty skinny.

Do I need to file out the hole in the hawk head or will it be ok as is?  Thanks for your help.

-Ron

[skillman]

Here s a link to one that John DeWald posted here.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15808.0
You can look at his and see what he did. I think the size of the haft is not as important as one might think. Diameter or length. You can find a wide variety of sizes.

Steve

[Tim Crosby]

Ron,
 Here is one that is 1”, maybe 1 1/16”, X ¾.  It is pretty well fitted to the haft. Over all it will come out about 18 ½” long, could be longer, something that looks/feels right. The excess at the top will be trimmed.  At the handle end it is about 15/16 X 9 /16.
  I would file it clean, keep the tapper and go from there. Start the fitting with the head upside down, like this, maybe until the last couple of inches.  


 Tim C.

[Ky-Flinter]

Steve,
Thanks for the link.  Handsome piece.  It looks like the head is fitted down from the top of the handle.

Tim,
Thanks for the pictures and the tip on fitting the head.  I had not thought of doing it that way, but it makes perfect sense.  That's the same head I have.  I bought a pre-drilled handle from Dunlap and it's gonna need a lot of wood removed.

Thanks for the help.

-Ron