So ash would be the local handle material 5/4 ash planks (not 1/4 sawn) or long roll handles.

Car boot sale again and try to pick up some long wooden handled items like rakes etc. I can only imagine my first few will be crap/want to fly off so might be best to have some cheapy rubbish to practice on first  

I’ve cracked it- found a local hardwood timber merchant who sell lengths of Ash, in 1.5in x1.5in. Perfect. 

(The story:

 looked for wheelbarrow handles but seem to be hard to find in UK.

Broom handles etc are generally pine so no good.

Boot Sale rakes is dodgy as you dont know what the wood is.

boot sale hammers to steal handles is an option, but then what to do with the spare head again?!? I need to use it! Vicious circle.)

Just make sure that the grain is dead straight. 

1x1.5 would be better as you would have less waste. In the US as a 2x2 is acualy 1.5x1.5” and a 1x2 is .75x1.5” true 1” stock is sold as 5/4”. Planed is not nesisary so if he has 25mm or 1” thick rough sawn stock that would be good. Sertainly wider widths work well as they can be ripped down.

Yeh they give a discount for taking it as-sawn. Planed reduces the thickness from stock size by 5mm. I'll take the cheaper sawn stuff.

1.5" x 1" is an option, but the hammer I modified above needs slightly more  than 1". It's got a pretty large eye. I may buy a mixture of 1x1.5 and 1.5x1.5 for future projects.

Now I need to forge a drawing knife so I can draw the handles down..........!

Save the shavings; they’re great for starting the fire in solid-fuel forges. 

If you rip down 2x (1.5”) stock you can start with say a 2x4 and rip it into multiple handles.  Remember we are working with tool handles som 14-15”, so od off cuts work well for us.