Frequently Asked Questions

Why the name Foxy?

Foxy was the term of endearment that Michael Lady used for his wife Beverly. When Michael bought Salyer Handle and Tool he decided to honor Beverly by renaming the company after her. Today Foxy is still owned and operated by the Lady family.

What is a striking tool?

A striking tool is any tool that is designed to be struck against another object. Think of a claw hammer hitting a nail, an axe chopping a tree or a sledgehammer striking a stake.

Why does Foxy use only hickory in striking tools?

Hickory is unique in that it is both incredibly strong and has excellent shock absorption properties. The fibrous nature of hickory allows it to withstand repeated overstrikes without snapping. That same fibrous grain structure also absorbs the shock of a strike preventing much of the shock from being transmitted to the users hands. There are other species of wood that are stronger than hickory and other species that have shock absorption properties. There is no other wood that combines both of these properties to the level that hickory does. Simply put hickory is the best wood for striking tools and that is why we only use it.

What is the difference between Supreme and Fire Tempered hickory handles?

Hickory trees in general have a reddish/brownish heartwood. The new growth or sapwood is generally white. For us a supreme handle is an all-white hickory that is not fired. We fire-temper/char-grain the red or mixed red and white handles.

So Supreme is better?

Not necessarily, a U.S. Forest Service study tested over 7000 samples and concluded that there is no strength difference between red and white hickory. It is a matter of aesthetics to the buyer. Here is the link to that study: https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fpltn/fpltn-171-1936.pdf

Why is Supreme more expensive then?

Generally there is less all-white wood in a hickory tree. The comparative scarcity of the white wood makes it more expensive.

What is a head?

A tool head refers to the working part of the tool. For example a shovel head is the blade portion of the tool that is inserted in the ground. Blades and heads are interchangeable terms when discussing shovels.

What is an eye?

The eye of a handle is the part that is inserted into the the head or blade of the tool. The eye also refers to the part of the striking tool head that the handle is inserted into.

What is a bit?

The bit refers to the blade or blades of an axe. A double bit axe will have a blade on each end of the head and a single bit axe will have only one blade.

What is a socket?

What is the split or kerf?

In regards to handles both words are interchangeable. The kerf/split refers to the eye of the handle being sawed in such a way to allow a wedge to be inserted or the handle to bend when inserted into the head.

Why are some handles split and others not?

We split the handles or not based on the head the handle is intended to be used for. Some heads have to be wedged on to be securely attached to the handle. Other heads are dropped on to the handle and do not require to be wedged so they do not get split. Some handles are intended to be inserted into a straight socket so they are not split. Other handles may be intended to used on sockets with a bend in them so they are split to conform to the bend.