Something has always bugged me about that tiller fitting. First thing was its humongous weight. Second is the narrow channel for the tiller wood.
Can't see that any strength would be lost by scooping out some of the top of the tillerhead. However, with laminated tillers predominating, the closed top allows a decent way to attach a shapely laminated tiller using vertical bolts..
A composite tiller could be designed that would attach the tiller to the OUTSIDE of the present tiller fitting.
In other words the tiller would be split to go around the metal sides rather than THROUGH it! It's the tiller that would have tangs.
Such a tiller could virtually eliminate the breaking moment of our usual insert tiller that has barely 1 1/4" of wood thickness doing all the work. Could call it a wishbone type design with the split meeting sooner or later up the tiller shank to become the standard handle form. Would keep it even lighter not filling between.
Seems to me that the narrowness of our tiller inserted into the metal could just as easily break there where it leaves the fitting. Even done as Mike has. The tiller after all is a lever and at a real disadvantage in this application.
Can't see that the laminated tiller form as we know it could be altered into a split version as described. Too much small wood. But a modern foam and fabric (this has already been done with carbon) tiller might work.
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