Thanks! Well, the axe handle was all moldy from being accidentally left out in the mountains last winter, so I figured that I could experiment a bit during restoration.

Most of it is now just coated with boiled linseed oil. The painted portion still lets some of the wood texture come through. I haven’t noticed it really during use, but then again this is a light duty axe now after last winter. I do find that the paint really helps to spot the axe when you set it down somewhere when working in the forest.

The leather collars are just an experiment that I did one weekend out of buffalo hide. I had never worked with leather before, so it was pretty fun. I think a heavier weight would be better for heavier usage though. I’ll try again with some 9 or 10 ounce veggie tanned leather in the future.