I worked in Michigans U.P one summer building cabins and all the Finnish guys up there would immediately replace the handles that came on their hammers, and axe's with yellow Birch. Apparently far better at absorbing shock than hickory or ash.
❤so glad you made this video I have made a few dozen yellow birch handles and have had very good results The older folks here use it quite a lot back in the day And told me it was the best avalible back then
Actually Marc, French Canadians have been all over this for centuries....so lets give credit where credit is due. Marc Desrosiers told me for years yellow birch was the bomb.....and I think he was right! This was before the world shrunk and we could import hickory more easily.
Great video, I'm very curious to see how yellow birch holds up in the long run. Last year I made a yellow birch handle for a camp axe and it's survived some use so far.
Interesting. Have you been following how maple is doing in bats? the weight is helping guys hit a ball a bit further, but the issue with maple is it shatters. there have been some close calls, and also injury as a result. Someone was actually impaled by a busted maple handle. I hear they are breaking at a much higher rate than ash and other woods......so I think the jury is still out on its use here. I wonder if the busting might be because of how they are orienting the grain if they do it opposite to what we do? Just a thought. My prediction is that yellow birch will surpass maple because it is tougher, and ultimately.....someone will make a hickory bat - and they will usurp all other bat woods in the future.
@@eastcoastlumberjack I also heard about the exploding bats. I do know that big maple and birch split better off the side than through the middle. I would guess grain orientation makes little diffrence in birch and maple, By the by my son in the log buisness tells me red oak is looking like the new ash for rakes and shovels etc. I enjoy your videos, you're the real deal!
@@boydpoindexter7741 I've always wondered why oak wasn't used more. Most of the books on wood properties say oak is brittle, and I have made a few handles from oak in the past, and I'd agree its a bit more chippy than ash. I also have been a log buyer as of late, focused mostly on maple and birch veneer logs for a veneer mill here. There are some dandy logs being cut as we type! Glad you enjoy the videos.
I need some recommendations for handle wood because it's pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to find any Hickory, Ash, Beech. And Oak is crazy expensive. I went to 4 different lumber stores and none of them had any Hickory or Ash, or beech wood in shorts(slabs) They were all super thin boards. Ive also looked online and cant find anything thats not always sold out.
@@eastcoastlumberjack I live in Washington state. Got tons of fir, pine, maple and madrone around here. The hard part is just finding the available wood. I'm not as picky about wood types when making handles 20" or less. Rockler hardwoods has lots of great handle wood. But they don't have any slabs in the correct size. They are all really thin and long boards.
@@cosmicbilly Well....if you don't mind paying shipping I can sell you a bolt of hickory, ash or birch. likely cost about $40 to get it there......but I'm willing to ship it if you get desperate
I worked in Michigans U.P one summer building cabins and all the Finnish guys up there would immediately replace the handles that came on their hammers, and axe's with yellow Birch. Apparently far better at absorbing shock than hickory or ash.
Really? Very interesting. I wouldn't have thought so with no porous vessels....but the numbers speak for themselves!
Excellent video! Look forward to hearing how they hold up.
❤so glad you made this video
I have made a few dozen yellow birch handles and have had very good results
The older folks here use it quite a lot back in the day
And told me it was the best avalible back then
Actually Marc, French Canadians have been all over this for centuries....so lets give credit where credit is due. Marc Desrosiers told me for years yellow birch was the bomb.....and I think he was right! This was before the world shrunk and we could import hickory more easily.
Here in Nh we have a TON of yellow birch. I hope it holds up theres excess for handle use
Great video, I'm very curious to see how yellow birch holds up in the long run. Last year I made a yellow birch handle for a camp axe and it's survived some use so far.
Yep....me too!
Awesome video and interesting info. I have made a few axe handle with birch wood.
Cool. What part of the world are you in? Is burch abundant there....and yellow or white?
The people making maple bats run the grain the other way.
Interesting. Have you been following how maple is doing in bats? the weight is helping guys hit a ball a bit further, but the issue with maple is it shatters. there have been some close calls, and also injury as a result. Someone was actually impaled by a busted maple handle. I hear they are breaking at a much higher rate than ash and other woods......so I think the jury is still out on its use here. I wonder if the busting might be because of how they are orienting the grain if they do it opposite to what we do? Just a thought. My prediction is that yellow birch will surpass maple because it is tougher, and ultimately.....someone will make a hickory bat - and they will usurp all other bat woods in the future.
@@eastcoastlumberjack I also heard about the exploding bats. I do know that big maple and birch split better off the side than through the middle. I would guess grain orientation makes little diffrence in birch and maple, By the by my son in the log buisness tells me red oak is looking like the new ash for rakes and shovels etc. I enjoy your videos, you're the real deal!
@@boydpoindexter7741 I've always wondered why oak wasn't used more. Most of the books on wood properties say oak is brittle, and I have made a few handles from oak in the past, and I'd agree its a bit more chippy than ash. I also have been a log buyer as of late, focused mostly on maple and birch veneer logs for a veneer mill here. There are some dandy logs being cut as we type! Glad you enjoy the videos.
where do I get Yellow Birch ?
where do you live? It grows everywhere here in eastern North America: Google "yellow birch distribution map"
@@eastcoastlumberjack Texas
@@Kiltedwoodsmith ahhhh. That explains it. Northest my friend
Do you order or sell want to buy or have 28 inch 31 inch handles for my wood do you have a brosure need bout 10 handles Jason Herrera from BanderaTX
Please order from my website "eastcoastlumberjack.com" Max order is 6
I need some recommendations for handle wood because it's pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to find any Hickory, Ash, Beech.
And Oak is crazy expensive.
I went to 4 different lumber stores and none of them had any Hickory or Ash, or beech wood in shorts(slabs)
They were all super thin boards.
Ive also looked online and cant find anything thats not always sold out.
Where are you located Billy? In honesty, any wood will work for a handle - its just that some are much better than others.
@@eastcoastlumberjack I live in Washington state.
Got tons of fir, pine, maple and madrone around here.
The hard part is just finding the available wood.
I'm not as picky about wood types when making handles 20" or less.
Rockler hardwoods has lots of great handle wood.
But they don't have any slabs in the correct size.
They are all really thin and long boards.
@@cosmicbilly Well....if you don't mind paying shipping I can sell you a bolt of hickory, ash or birch. likely cost about $40 to get it there......but I'm willing to ship it if you get desperate