Nice Job, I like making my own helve's, done quite a few over the years, very its rewarding.
Er.. I may be wrong but it looks like you have the grain running from side to side instead of front to back. Nice work though.
Z (veteran of, er, one axe handle!)
This keeps getting said by some people, but to be honest, I've never had a problem with the grain going across the head... some times the wood you have just seems to be that way
and for a hand axe cant really see a problem with it, now doubt some will say there is... I've got an old Hultsfor Buks 4lb that I re-helve'd a while back, and it has cross grain, used it a fair bit, with no trouble.... thats was a piece of wood that I found just right size wise..