• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • r ranson
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • John F Dean
  • Jay Angler
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Burra Maluca
  • Joseph Lofthouse
master gardeners:
  • Timothy Norton
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin
  • Nina Surya

How do coppiced poles compare to straight grain lumber as tool handles?

 
Posts: 105
8
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Something I was thinking about. Never having coppiced a tree or made handles from one. Seems like it'd be bendier but perhaps stronger overall. Anyone have experience?
 
steward & author
Posts: 40352
Location: Left Coast Canada
14628
8
art trees books chicken cooking fiber arts
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have a few tools we repaired with coppiced branches.  How the handles behave depends very much on the kind of wood.  Some, like the big leaf maple, have a lot of spring in it which doesn't work for hoeing.  Slower growing trees generally have more rigidity.  I really like the handles we made from holly.

 
author & steward
Posts: 7313
Location: Cache Valley, zone 4b, Irrigated, 9" rain in badlands.
3512
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I like coppiced tool handles. Walnut and chokecherry grow well here and are strong and stiff.
 
What do you have in that there bucket? It wouldn't be a tiny ad by any chance ...
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic