The double bit axe is one of the purest tools ever made. Two bits, one head, perfectly balanced, no wasted steel. The loggers who built this country's timber industry swore by it. A lot of guys still do.
When the handle breaks or rots out, though, people run into the same problems. The hardware store doesn't have one. The ones online are confusing to size. And nobody seems to agree on whether the handle should be straight or curved.
Here's the answer to all of that.
Why the Handle Has to Be Straight
This is the question that trips people up first, especially if they're coming from single bit axes where curved handles are standard.
A double bit axe head is symmetrical. Both bits are the same weight, ground the same way, meant to be used interchangeably. One edge you keep razor sharp for felling and clean cutting. The other you use for dirty work, knots, and roots where you don't care if it dulls. When one edge goes dull you flip the axe and keep working. That's the whole point of the tool.
A curved handle makes that flip awkward and throws off your bit alignment. The curve is designed to orient a single bit head correctly in your hand, with the bit naturally falling in line with your swing. On a double bit head, that same curve fights you every time you turn the axe over. The geometry is wrong for a two-sided tool.
Straight handles also tend to be stronger at the same length because the grain runs uninterrupted through the length of the wood. A curve requires either a naturally bent blank or machined grain runout, both of which introduce potential weak points under heavy chopping loads. Professional loggers who used double bit axes for a living understood this and never put curved handles on them.
There is one historical exception worth knowing: the Adirondack pattern double bit handle, which had a slight curve and was used in a specific region of New York. It's largely out of production and out of use. Don't chase it. Get a straight handle.
How to Size a Double Bit Axe Handle
Double bit handles run longer than most people expect. The standard range is 28 to 36 inches, with 34 to 36 inches being the traditional working length for a felling axe in the 3 to 4 pound range. A lighter head in the 2 to 2.5 pound range can work on a shorter handle, down to around 28 inches, if you're using it for limbing or lighter camp work rather than felling.
The two measurements that actually determine fit are the eye dimensions of your head: the length (front to back, the longer dimension) and the width (side to side, the shorter dimension). Measure both with a caliper or a ruler before you order anything. On most standard American double bit heads the eye runs roughly 1.5 to 2 inches on the long axis. Write down your measurements and order a handle with a tenon slightly larger than your eye, not smaller. You'll fit it down to size. Starting undersized leaves you nothing to work with.
The other thing worth measuring is whether your eye is the same size top and bottom or wider at the top. Most axe eyes are slightly wider at the top, which is what allows the wedge to lock the head in place. If your eye is unusual in any way, note it before ordering.
What to Look for in the Handle Itself
Grain orientation is the thing most people don't check and should. Hold the handle up and look down its length. The grain lines should run parallel to the flat faces of the handle from top to bottom, uninterrupted. If the grain runs diagonally across the handle, it will break sooner. If you can't see the grain because the handle is coated in a heavy varnish, that's a problem too. You're trusting your tool to that wood. You need to see what you're buying.
Hickory is the right wood for a double bit axe handle. It's been the standard for American tool handles for good reason: it's strong, it's flexible enough to absorb shock without cracking, and it grows straight in ways that make good handles. Ash is a legitimate alternative. Oak works but is heavier and less forgiving on your hands over a long day.
At Whiskey River we carry American-made handles in hickory, ash, and oak. All of them are cut with more wood on the tenon than what you'll find at a hardware store, which matters when you're fitting a vintage head that's been through a few handles already and has an eye that's worn slightly irregular.
Fitting the Handle
Same process as any other axe hang, with one double bit specific note: the head is symmetrical top to bottom, but it still has a correct orientation. Make sure you know which end of the eye is the top before you start. On most heads the top of the eye is slightly wider and that's where the wedge needs to go. Mark it before you knock the old handle out so you don't lose track.
Remove the old handle completely. Drill it out, punch it through, whatever it takes. Get back to clean bare metal before you start fitting the new one.
Work the tenon into the eye from the bottom, using a wooden mallet to drive from the butt of the handle rather than a steel hammer which will crush the wood fibers. Fit gradually, checking contact points by looking for the shiny marks where the handle touches the eye walls. Rasp or shave those points down incrementally. You should need seven or eight fitting passes before the head seats properly at the shoulder.
Once seated, drive your wedge. On a double bit handle with a straight kerf, drive the wood wedge first, then a steel wedge perpendicular to it. Trim any protruding tenon flush with the eye, coat with boiled linseed oil, and let it soak before you swing it.
A Word on Vintage Heads
A lot of double bit axe handles get replaced because somebody inherited the head, found it at an estate sale, or pulled it out of a barn. The head is often in better shape than the handle situation suggests, because double bit heads were made from good steel and many of them have decades of useful life left.
The thing to watch on a vintage head is the eye. Old eyes can wear slightly oval or develop minor irregularities from repeated handle replacements over the years. That's fine as long as you account for it when fitting. Order your handle slightly oversized on the long axis and take your time fitting it. An irregular eye that's fitted carefully will hold as well as a new one.
The restoration guide on our blog covers the full process of going from barn find to working tool if you're starting from a rusty head that needs more than just a handle.
FAQ
Why do double bit axes have straight handles? Double bit axes are symmetrical tools meant to be used from both sides interchangeably. A curved handle throws off bit alignment when you flip the head and fights the natural geometry of a balanced two-sided tool. Straight handles also tend to be stronger at working lengths because the grain runs uninterrupted through the length of the wood.
How long should a double bit axe handle be? Standard lengths run from 28 to 36 inches depending on head weight and intended use. Heads in the 3 to 4 pound range traditionally use 34 to 36 inch handles for felling work. Lighter heads used for limbing or camp tasks can work on shorter handles down to 28 inches. Your height and arm length factor in too; the handle should let you swing comfortably without overreaching.
How do I know what size double bit handle to order? Measure the eye of your axe head: the length front to back and the width side to side. Order a handle with a tenon slightly larger than your eye dimensions so you have material to fit it down to a tight seat. Starting undersized leaves you nothing to work with.
What wood is best for a double bit axe handle? Hickory is the traditional and best all-around choice. It combines the strength to take heavy chopping loads with enough flexibility to absorb shock without cracking. Ash is a solid alternative. Whatever the species, straight grain running parallel to the flat faces of the handle from top to bottom is more important than species alone.
Can I use a curved handle on a double bit axe? Technically you can hang one, but it works against the tool. The curve is designed to orient a single bit head correctly in your hand. On a double bit head it creates alignment problems every time you flip the axe. Use a straight handle on a double bit. That's what the tool was designed for.
The head is worth saving. Put a handle on it that's worth swinging.
Browse American-made axe handles at Whiskey River
If you're also working on a single bit that needs new wood, our replacement axe handle guide covers the full process for those as well.