Taking matters into your own hands.

I've quite often, heard people talk about their tools, as being an extension of themselves. You certainly can get that feeling, when working with tools that are set up just right to you and your hands. Actually, that goes for all gear.
Therefore I rehandled one of my axes. I really like the weight and the size, of the "scandinavian forest axe" by Swedish Gränsfors Bruk. In my oppinion, they make really great axes. What I don't like, is the handle.


Not that anything's wrong with the shape or length. It just doesn't feel right in my hands. So I cut off the original handle, and made a new one out of ash. I pretty much kept the same shape. But I made it thicker, and didn't sand it to a smooth surface.

I think we have a terrible tendency to accept things as they are. Too often do we simply go with the manufacturers decisions. As well as they probably work fine, they might as well not. And who will be the loser? You will.
 If you're not completely satisfied with a product, simply change it, adjust it or tune it to fit your needs. And while the manufacturers most likely know what they're doing, remember they also have to consider productional conditions in their design. They just can't be tailoring the product to you.