Most rehafting work involves the following basic stages:

  1. Remove the stump of the old handle. This may take time and trouble, but never resort to burning out the old handle as this can ruin the tool head (see below).
  2. Match the head to the replacement handle, making sure the head is the right way round. If the hole of the head is slightly tapered, the wider end should be away from the user.
  3. Carefully shave off the wood from the handle until it fits tightly and to the correct depth into the tool head. While doing this, test for fit frequently, as wood that has been shaved off cannot be put back! A Surform with a sharp blade is the easiest tool to use, but a rasp, spokeshave, draw knife or, occasionally, mallet and chisel can be used. Give a final smoothing with sandpaper.
  4. Fit the head and secure it to the haft.
  5. Check that the handle is smooth. Brand or paint identification mark if required, then oil with linseed oil.

Some common errors!

  1. The haft is not a good fit in the socket. The most frequent error is to take too much off the extreme end producing a pencil-end effect. (This does not apply to blind-socketed and strapped tools such as slashers.)
  2. The haft is shaped to fit the socket, but is left with a sharp change in thickness where it leaves the head. This concentrates the stress at one point, so the haft may break in use.
  3. The head is fitted back to front. This is generally obvious on axes, but is not so obvious on other tools such as sledgehammers.
  4. The head is fitted upside down.
  5. The wooden wedge is too fat, so that it cannot be driven in fully, or less commonly, is too thin, resulting in a loose head. This applies to axes, mells and sledgehammers.
  6. The handle stump is burnt out by placing the broken tool head in a bonfire. This can get rid of the old haft, but may damage the temper (springiness) of the metal, which ruins the tool head.
  7. The handle is bruised by overtightening in a metal-jawed vice.
  8. Cast iron heads are cracked by being struck hard with a hammer, or over tightened in a metal-jawed vice.
  9. The head is fitted at an angle due to uneven shaving off of surplus wood from the handle.
  10. The replacement haft is too long. Ready-tapered hafts for spades and other tools are often supplied too long, and the temptation is to fit them as they are, rather than cut a new taper.

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