How's Black Walnut For Small Hammer Handles?

[Mark Ling]

Hey ya'll, I'm not a wood worker, and it may really show through this post, but how would Black Walnut work for hammer handles? I tried looking this up, and all I could find was people asking for axe handles, and the overall response was no, that it is too brittle. But, axe handles are 3 times longer than hammer handles, and have a curve to them, and so you really do need a good wood for axe handles. But, what about for small lets say 1lb and smaller hammer handles, about a foot long or so? I was wanting to know because I recently finished a Damascus steel hammer (ok, I'll say pattern welded) that weighs less than a lb, and I thought a black walnut handle wood compliment it nicely. I would just use it for small hammers 1lb or so, jewelry sized hammers, I wouldn't use it on 3lb or something that large for sure. The pieces I have are straight grain, so they check out in that department.

So what do ya'll think?

                                                                                                                                                                                 Littleblacksmith

[JerryCarroll]

I've been a wood worker almost as long as I've been hammering metal. I had over a 100 trees of different kinds on the couple of acres in the farm country south of Chicago 40 years ago. Hickory, oak, wild cherry, maple and some I'm not sure of. As time goes by most of the trees have given in to high winds and bad health. Only 2 were walnut about 6" in diameter that have been used for hammer, tomahawk and various other things. They have served well over the past few years. Walnut is a beautiful wood oil  finished .

Jerry

[bigfootnampa]

You could... but it is NOT a good idea.  Too soft, too weak, too brittle.  Pecan is GREAT!  Osage orange, hackberry and other elms!  

[C-1ToolSteel]

Flamed maple would really compliment the Damascus and still have sufficient strength.

[Gergely]

My experience also says that it's not suitable for any kind of hammer handle. I love black walnut, it's beautiful wood but its structure is weak. My first idea was osage orange too for an exclusive handle with the exclusive hammer head. 

Bests:

Gergely

[Dave51B]

 I think it's yer hammer, yer wood, yer time.......why not try it?                            Dave

[JHCC]

For the same reason that we don’t make cold chisels from RR spikes: the material is unsuitable, and the effort put in will be wasted. 

I agree with @Gergely about Osage orange for both looks and function. I disagree with @C-1ToolSteel, though: flamed maple (aka curly maple or tiger maple) would be a hair on the brittle side, and the busy grain pattern would distract from the Damascus pattern. A more subtle grain pattern will let the steel stand out by comparison. 

[C-1ToolSteel]

@JHCC I could see that.

[Mark Ling]

Thanks for the input ya'll.

If this was going to be my hammer, I would try a walnut handle, but this is going in an auction, so I want a handle that isn't really likely to break.

 

Any Ideas on a wood that is "fancy" that would go well with the head? is there a dark wood that would work? Osage orange I know starts a greenish almost yellow, and then goes darker , I wonder if I could find someone selling a straight grain piece suitable for a hammer handle.

                                                                                                                                              Littleblacksmith 

[JHCC]

Ash can be stained to a nice dark color with vinegar that’s had rusty nails left to soak in it. I’ve used the vinegar from de-rusting a wrought iron hammer head. 

[Dave51B]

38 minutes ago, littleblacksmith said:

but this is going in an auction

 Oops..........I missed that part somewhere. I was thinking you were going to keep it. My bad..........            Dave

[gmbobnick]

I saw the Damascus hammer you made in Member Projects.  It deserves something special for a handle.  I suggest taking a look at sycamore.  It has a beautiful stippled grain pattern, is tough and hard to split.  Should work fine in your application (small hammer) and compliment the Damascus steel interestingly.  I have a piece I have been saving for a knife handle, and thought about it when reading your post. 

[ThomasPowers]

I go though the seconds pile on hammer handles whenever I find one and have picked out several "curley hickory" handles I save for special hammers.  Note that Pecan and Hickory are sold interchangeably. As for osage orange I usually select mine out of fire wood logs, split them close and wax the ends and wait a decade or so. They do sell dead straight pieces for making bows at rather excessive prices...

How about crabapple?

[Mark Ling]

On 11/26/2017 at 8:00 AM, JHCC said:

Ash can be stained to a nice dark color with vinegar that’s had rusty nails left to soak in it. I’ve used the vinegar from de-rusting a wrought iron hammer head. 

do you think though that it would wear off? I could soak it in it, but I would be worried when it dries that it would crack.

gmbobnick- Thanks for the suggestion. I looked it up and it looks like a possibility. 

Mr.Powers- If I had a decade I would deffinantly do that! we do have Osage Orange trees on my grandmothers property a couple hours away. I looked into Osage Orange on eBay, and yes prices are a little high. My survival instructor does bow making and I might see if I could get a stave from him for a discounted price....

I will have to look into crabapple!

this is the hammer in case y'all are wondering.

                                                                                                                                                   littleblacksmith 

[ThomasPowers]

Well usually they say "wax the ends and air dry 1 year per inch of crossection; but I have some that is up to over a decade  air drying per inch.  Cut and prepare today and *hope* you can get around to the project in a reasonable amount of time...Shoot I have one piece that has been air drying for about 200 years; piece of white oak from a colonial barn we were not able to save when I was with a historical group in NJ...works about like aluminium...

[JHCC]

 

On 11/27/2017 at 5:37 PM, littleblacksmith said:

do you think though that it would wear off? I could soak it in it, but I would be worried when it dries that it would crack.

Try a test piece. 

On 11/27/2017 at 5:37 PM, littleblacksmith said:

see if I could get a stave from him for a discounted price....

Or a scrap or a rejected stave. 

[51 Papy]

LB

Does your Grandmothers property have any standing dead Osage on it.  If so take a couple of chain saws and all the chains you can find and cut one down.  Don't bother to try and split, burn up a couple more chains and cut.  I don't ever pass up standing dead Osage.  Hammer handles, wooden hammers list goes on. Also beautiful knife scales.

Good hunting!

Papy

[Gergely]

That's a good idea, and probably very right about the burning of chains  I try and look around a bit myself over here.

 

[Daswulf]

Now I really feel kind of foolish. I just Finally looked up what Osage orange was. I know of it as a monkey ball tree. Lol. Never heard the real name. Well, I know what I'll be keeping an eye out for now. 

[51 Papy]

Daswulf. It's called hedge here in the heartland. Chainsaw and chain eating tree.  Dad's got a corner post he claims was half rotten when he was a kid. It's still half rotten and holds four wires up.  He's 83.

[Daswulf]

Swear, I never knew it was that good of a tree. Most I ever heard was the wives tale of using the fruit(seed pods?) and spider repellent in the house.  Knowledge is a wonderful thing. They grow randomly around roads and stuff here, but now I know to ask around.:)

 

[Ranchmanben]

A piece of curly maple would really do that hammer head justice. If it’s good enough for a baseball bat, should be fine for a hammer. 

[Dave51B]

 Ya know... on second thought....go ahead and put walnut in it.......If the guy that ends up with that hammer, is dumb enough to use it. instead of display it.....he deserves a broken handle for his ignorance......just sayin'                 Dave 

[Gergely]

Well, that's a valid idea  And you made me laugh very loudly...

G

[bigfootnampa]

On 11/29/2017 at 8:42 AM, Gergely said:

A piece of curly maple would really do that hammer head justice. If it’s good enough for a baseball bat, should be fine for a hammer. 

Of course curly maple would be totally unsuitable for a baseball bat!  They are making lots of bats out of maple these days... NOT CURLY!  This foolish practice has led to a lot of injuries caused by shattered bats!  Researchers have recommended that the use of maple be discontinued.  Modern players like it because it is pretty hard and has good rebound.  Durability is the least of their concerns.  Ash bats tend to break into two pieces... when they do break.  Maple bats often shatter and create flying shards that are as sharp as spears!