>>1334624Wood handles? You need to look at the grain before you buy/make the handle. There's 3 things to look at.
1: Tight small grain. The smaller and closer together the grain is the better.
2: The grain should run straight up the length of the entire handle from bottom to top.
3: Grain rotation around the long axis of the handle so that when you look down at the axe head at the grain it is parallel to the long grove cut out of the axe head. This will match up with the other end of the handle so that all the circular sections of grain are on the sides of the handle, instead of the "top/bottom".
Slanted grain like in the "bad" one of this image will almost always break in the middle. If the grain is perfect and you still break a handle then you may be forcing your weight down on the axe handle near that point. When you strike, you should be allowing the force to take the axe and roll the axe head the moment it hits the wood in order to split it. That can't be done if you are tightly pushing it like you are the one trying to push through the wood.
