Axe Handles

Select a pattern

Many orders are being received, please allow a few weeks before your order is completed.

Meet the Craftsman

Rod Cumberland is a graduate forester (BScF 1990 from UNB) and a long-time lumberjack competitor.   While at UNB in the mid 1980’s, Rod would buy axe handles from Bob Hetherington of New Maryland, NB.  They became fast friends, and Rod helped Bob in his later years lug ash blocks to his truck and split them for him. He found it fascinating to watch Bob craft a handle and would sit and watch him for hours.  

In 1988, Rod did something else that would galvanize his handle craft – he bought the very first Tuatahi Racing axe from Bailey’s logging supplies in the USA.  After knotching several big wins with the axe, many eastern competitors were after these new axes. 

Rod contacted Ed Fawcett in Masterton, NZ and they worked out an arrangement that Rod would become the Canadian distributor for Tuatahi Racing axes and saws.  He has bought and sold Tuatahi axes, saws, and other products for over 30 years.

The Work Begins

After Rod bought a house of his own in Keswick Ridge, he purchased a King 14″ bandsaw from Electric Motor Service in Fredericton. He began to make handles for his lumberjack competitors and friends. He used the same labor-intensive process that Bob had taught him.  Until around 2010, all the east coast lumberjack handles were made from Canadian white ash.

Handle business started to pick up a bit around 2012, and Rod officially registered the business “East Coast Lumberjack”.  By this time, Rod was coaching a collegiate team and eventually would become the coach for STIHL(r) Timbersports (r) Rookie champion to the world championships.  US competitors were hungry for hickory handles, so Rod began making trips to the USA for hickory wood and started working with a new type of wood.

Around 2016, Rod was contacted by some members of the Axe Junkies Facebook Page.  These collectors were very interested in QUALITY handles……straight grain and perfect finishes.   When they found the East Coast Lumberjack and the quality he placed by hand-splitting, then hand crafting custom handles, things shifted into high gear.    Rod also expanded to Ironwood, and purchased a vintage 100+ year-old duplicarver to turn out peavey handles.

While specialize in racing axe handles for professional lumberjacks, The East Coast Lumberjack also make handles to order by length, species, size, etc.   He has made hammer handles, mauls, peavey stocks, sledge, picaroons, double-bitter and more. He has sold them in the EU, Australia, New Zealand, and across Canada and the United States.   Rod looks forward to meeting you and supplying you with a truly quality Canadian Ash or American Hickory axe handle.

The East Coast Lumberjack also provides handles to some well-known names in the axe and saw world.  Here are a few examples of some knowledgeable businesses that can vouch for the quality craftsmanship:

LogHead Throwing hatchets – Dave Lougheed, Timmins, Ontario, Canada

Buckin’ Billy Ray – Billy Smith, British Columbia, Canada (Check him out on Youtube)

Vintage Axe Revival – Brad Crosby, Ham Lake, Minnesota

The Timber Lounge – Darren Hudson, Moncton, NB and Barrington, NS