Hi everyone. Sorry I've been late on posting my progress. I roughed out my stave to near finished dimensions and now I'm letting it sit for a couple weeks in a warm, dry room. I left a palm swell on the stave just in case I want it to have a stiff handle section. It's got a bit of sideways bend so I'll take that out with a heat gun once the stave is at a suitable moisture content. I roughed it out with my new Husqvarna hatchet. Cost me $40 on amazon so it wasn't in very good cutting shape when I got it. However, after slimming the handle and re-profiling the bit, that Swedish steel is shaving hair and chopping through black locust like butter. I even sliced the tip on my thumb off to prove it. Just kidding that was an accident while sharpening.