I purchased this handle in order to make a tomahawk-style (handle proceeds down through the eye) handle for an old 5lb French felling axe I'd been making serviceable again. As this is the general methodology behind most western European axes. Obviously this is not a very common purpose. However in this case it absolutely worked great. However it required a significant amount of work to get down to size (my draw knife was the primary tool). But that was alright I wanted lots of material in the first place. But for someone pursuing a more traditional project, you should be aware of exactly how much work you'll be getting into. Of particular note you will have to thin the handle out quite a bit, even if you're mounting through the bottom like a traditional American Axe. As the top is simply too heavy to be practical, although the bottom is a usable thickness.
If I had to be fully honest I don't believe this product would be much use for any sort of traditional American style axe handling project, it's simply too big and a more common replacement would suit you better, as it would require substantially less work. However for odd uses such as mine it was nearly perfect. Although the grain orientation visible at the top of the handle was a tad skewed, it was not a risky or dangerous degree.
