Tried staring with Saskatoon... that was a bad idea! No wonder it's used for tool handles.
Next I used Mountain Ash.
Started with the hatchet...
Moved to the chisel...
Finished using the knife.
Tried the rock sanding methods
Perry & Spoon!
Depth of spoon.
Struggled to get the base any narrower. I kept clipping the shaft and making it narrower and narrower and I was afraid to break the handle. Wood did not want to carve/shake in the other direction.