Originally Posted by
Euclid440
Nice fit and grain direction.
If you want a full fawn foot,(angled cut heel), wait until you hang the head, then cut the angle on the heel, so you have a square end to pound on. Looks like you had plenty.
Be careful with high shoulder, the grain is short there and susceptible to breaking off as the back of the eye bites into the handle at the shoulder with each blow. A slight taper and lower shoulder or straight back is stronger, but the high shoulder looks cool, I like the look of a curved handle.
I fit with just wood wedges also, my axes will not be left in the weather. BLO and a dirty/oily rag will deepen the color & pop the grain. Nice work.