Funny enough I have been to Kippax today with the same problem and it's repairable with glue. Mine is handle related and I need the handle to break first, but a friend had the same problem as yourself and they replaced the handle and glued it up. The PVA glue is stronger than the wood, so it should last if properly fixed - the glue needs to get all the way into the crack or the crack will just continue down the bat.
Chris reckoned it's caused by the binding on the bottom inch of the handle not being tight enough and allowing flex.