Last week the boy broke the handle off the Collins axe just below the head. My buddy said to make it into a club for disciplining the boy since he is as big as me and only 15yo. Then I remembered that I have a 100yo H H Co hatchet head I've been dragging around for 40 years.
So I found the hatchet head and derusted it so I could put an edge back on it. Then I cut down the axe handle and spent 4 hours shaping it to fit properly and maintain the edge alignment. I got a really tight fit to the hatchet head.
The slightly curved handle really works well and I achieved a near perfect balance. I have painted the hatchet head and put 2 coats of oil based polyurethane on the handle. After a few more days for the paint to cure it goes out to the woodshed and back to work.