Bushwalk Australia

Looking for a couple of small off-cuts to make a couple of tool handles. Just in case somebody here has been doing any cabinet making.
A couple of bits 135 to 145mm long and 42 * 19mm in section. For a pair of ice picks for self rescue, the pair I just made using Alpine Ash are not going to work, the timber is far too prone to splitting under load, the trial set I just made have done just that despite being cord wrapped and painted with epoxy. I could just buy a couple of short Phillips head screwdrivers; but where's the fun in that?
These need to be able to be used wearing winter gloves and I find a rectangular section easier to grip than round and I can shape a rectangle to fit my paws quite well.
I have thought about buying some good quality chisel handles but all I have seen so far are plastic or local hardwoods and not suitable

Another of my interests is woodwork...

I’ll have a look in my shed.

You can buy walnut from various furniture timber traders in Melbourne - Australian furniture timbers, and Whelan the Wharehouse in Port Melbourne, but I imagine that the minimum length would be 1.8m, and maybe 120x19.

Hickory - no idea.

A

I just received an email from Kruger who import hickory to make tool handles
$22- for a 50 * 50 * 850mm billet plus postage. Anybody want to share?
A shame they only make their file handles in softwood as a file handle is about right with a little sandpaper and plane work

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