I'm looking to buy a few axes, but it's been years since I was reading about them.
What I'd like to get is a double bit felling axe and a camp/bushcraft axe of decent quality, plus a tough but inexpensive axe to keep in my car and loan out. (I might get a belt axe for hunting down the road, but it's not as high on my list.)
From what I remember from years ago:
Gransfors Bruks: about the best you can get but very expensive
Wetterlings: Almost as good as Gransfors Bruks, cost less but still expensive (made by the same people as Gransfors Bruks IIRC)
Council Tool: Good affordable axes. There less expensive models are not as nice as the above two but still quality.
Fiskars: Affordable, but I remember a lot of people on the past not being thrilled with the axe heads.
Estwing: Tough and cheap, but heavy and beats you up to use long-term
Snow & Neally: Used to be the go-to for a lot of people, but then switched production to China and a lot of people became unhappy with the quality (looks like they might have moved back to North America recently?).
One downside I have is that I'm mostly stuck ordering online, which means that I can't check handle grain. The only brand that I've heard never has a bad handle is Gransfors Bruks, but I don't think that necessarily justifies the cost when replacement handles can be bought.
I'm leaning towards Council Tool for being decent but still affordable. Specifically I'm looking at their Michigan double-bit axe and their Boy's axe. I've heard that their overall quality is good, but the aluminum wedges they use are frustrating, they coat the handles in a lacquer most people want to sand off and sometimes they have a handle with bad grain.
Any recommendations or other makes/models I should be looking at?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixiyceu72Fg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-HGWj-Z--k
Quote from: Optimist on October 07, 2021, 06:10:42 PM
I'm looking to buy a few axes, but it's been years since I was reading about them.
What I'd like to get is a double bit felling axe and a camp/bushcraft axe of decent quality, plus a tough but inexpensive axe to keep in my car and loan out. (I might get a belt axe for hunting down the road, but it's not as high on my list.)
From what I remember from years ago:
Gransfors Bruks: about the best you can get but very expensive
Wetterlings: Almost as good as Gransfors Bruks, cost less but still expensive (made by the same people as Gransfors Bruks IIRC)
Council Tool: Good affordable axes. There less expensive models are not as nice as the above two but still quality.
Fiskars: Affordable, but I remember a lot of people on the past not being thrilled with the axe heads.
Estwing: Tough and cheap, but heavy and beats you up to use long-term
Snow & Neally: Used to be the go-to for a lot of people, but then switched production to China and a lot of people became unhappy with the quality (looks like they might have moved back to North America recently?).
One downside I have is that I'm mostly stuck ordering online, which means that I can't check handle grain. The only brand that I've heard never has a bad handle is Gransfors Bruks, but I don't think that necessarily justifies the cost when replacement handles can be bought.
I'm leaning towards Council Tool for being decent but still affordable. Specifically I'm looking at their Michigan double-bit axe and their Boy's axe. I've heard that their overall quality is good, but the aluminum wedges they use are frustrating, they coat the handles in a lacquer most people want to sand off and sometimes they have a handle with bad grain.
Any recommendations or other makes/models I should be looking at?
You about cover it . All I can advise would be to haunt the thrift stores/Ebay for a vintage axe head from a American company from when they made quality axe heads. And then refurbish and re handle it.
You know ( not that I own one ) , but the price of a Gransfor is no more than what some people pay for a knife. Just saying
Also to add to what Nt2c posted, I bought a HF fire mans hatchet, ground off the pick. Removed the red paint, forced a patina and recoated the handle with lin seed oil. There's several YT vids detailing this repurposing.
https://youtu.be/JCFw4bMWGwM
For brands, Hults Bruk and Husqvarna are also worth looking at. Condor has some options.
But to be dead serious, I'm on the Council Tool train. I have the Boys Axe and love it. I busted my first handle about 2 weeks after getting the axe. I was cutting up a fallen tree about 16 inches across. (I've made better life decisions before). I figured the handle was on borrowed time because I felt the axe head was not mated well to the handle.
I bought a replacement at the local hardware store and then bought another spare replacement handle from Council Tool. But the current handle has been good for about 10 years. The spare handle still sits in the box it shipped in.
When the first handle busted, I took a file to the shoulder of the metal along the eye and made it a more rounded transition. I did some reprofiling of the edge to sute my needs and wood. I absolutely love that axe. Currently I'm bummed because I smashed it into some gravel and I need to redo the edge.
The original handle seemed like it had too much material and a big machine just smashed the head onto the handle. So that was my experience.
Estwing .... I don't care for their geometry and when the handle goes bad, the rest of the tool is limited in utility. I know people who like them, but they are not my first choice.
I love my Wetterlings and wish I had more.
The best "value" option in my opinion is Council Tool. But if you want to spring for Wetterlings or GB, or... it looks like Hults Bruk is in that same tier?...then go for it! Also Council Tool has some really premium options I'd like to play with.
Quote from: woodsghost on October 07, 2021, 07:57:40 PM
Estwing .... I don't care for their geometry and when the handle goes bad, the rest of the tool is limited in utility. I know people who like them, but they are not my first choice.
The stacked leather handle Estwing Carpenter Hatchet (https://www.amazon.com/Estwing-E2H-Carpenters-Hatchet-Leather/dp/B0002JT0C8) was the main camp ax of my youth and young adulthood. Split kindling and firewood like nobody's business, could take down a good-sized tree in a pinch, hammer head was easier to use for tent stakes and the like, really, it just worked for us. My younger brother inherited it after dad passed and will not give it up for love or money so I had to buy a new one. The new one and the 50+ year old one are identical except for wear.
Thanks for all the replies.
I'll definitely have to check out Harbor Freight. Looks like it could be the perfect car/loaner axe and would probably be a good hunting axe as well.
Even though I can afford to get high-end stuff these days (within reason), over the years I've grown to appreciate having multiple good-but-inexpensive tools.
I'll check out Hults Bruk and Husqvarna as well.
For lots of use I prefer an axe with a wood or poly handle. The Estwing with it's one piece construction transfers more shock to the arms when in use and tends to wear me out faster.
I would give Condor a chance. I have a hatchet from them that is sharp, properly angled, and affordable. They come from El Salvador but the quality is actually really good. I also own a Fiskars axe and hatchet. They won't tell you what steel it's made from but in my experience it's quite soft. The handles are polyurethane and will last forever and also you don't need to worry about breaking the haft. You will need to sharpen them with a file a lot though and the angle from the factory isn't that great. Just my 2 cents
I saw that Condor and Cold Steel were pretty inexpensive. I might get one of each to test them out.
Quote from: Optimist on October 11, 2021, 02:04:37 PM
I saw that Condor and Cold Steel were pretty inexpensive. I might get one of each to test them out.
In my experience, cheaper tools have edges which require some attention and profiling with a file before use. It's never been a problem for me. Other people I've read say "I'm paying for a tool which is perfect out of the box so I don't have to spend my time fixing it up and making it perfect. I want it perfect when I buy it." So consider if you have a little time to fix up a tool or if you want it perfect out of the box.
I like something along the lines of a walking axe.....something like a Danish bearded axe, or a Sparth.........wonder how one of these weapon type axes would work for utility tasks?
Quote from: rlail on November 12, 2021, 03:15:42 PM
I like something along the lines of a walking axe.....something like a Danish bearded axe, or a Sparth.........wonder how one of these weapon type axes would work for utility tasks?
Everything I've heard is weapon type axes are light weight and fast, so they are funtional but don't bite as deep. They have thinner heads too so not as optimized for throwing wood chips.
Basically, similar to tomahawks, which I have a decent amount of experience with. Tomahawks rely on speed to do their work.
If it works, keep using it. If you have experience with tomahawks or with fighting axes and you are happy with the performance, then rock on and don't let anyone else's opinions matter to you. But if you feel they are not meeting your needs, a more traditional wood axe may be something to try.
I'm still using my $12 (1.25lb) tractor supply Truper hatchet... with the head swapped onto a 28" boys axe handle.
Or my trail hawk, it takes a bit longer due to taking smaller bites, but it cuts well.
this is just what works for me.
Estwing Campers axe with the long handle (26") has been a great tool for me for years.
Good price on them here imo. https://www.ruralking.com/estwing-26-all-steel-camper-s-axe-e45a?rkgfblink=no&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_ceZxuuR9gIVdSs4Ch3qXgEVEAQYAyABEgI93_D_BwE
.
Hatchets can really vary. But not as expensive so easier to have a few.
What I'm looking to upgrade is my axe and settling on: https://youtu.be/jNV66gwfY-0
Price is steep but the above is a very good review and it seems to earn high marks elsewhere.
I've always read great reviews about the Husquvarna Forest axe. It was said to be made from the same steel plant as Granfurs. Last I looked i found one for $65. Those days are gone as are the Husquvarna forest axe i believe. I think its been replaced by their multi ourpose axe.
I found it for $54. It added to my cart. But i did not go as far as shipping. They do use Paypal. So you'd be protected. Seems like an excellent price.
https://www.globalmowersdepot.com/husqvarna-traditional-multi-purpose-axe-576926201/
I could only find the forest axe on ebay for like $200. You can still read the reviews. It was thought of very highly. I have not read any reviews about the multi purpose axe. Or if its just a rename.
A while ago I stumbled onto the Harbor Freight axe videos and it made me want one...but none of the four HFs around me have had them in stock for almost a year now. Houston has a lot of bushcrafters, so I'm going to blame them for the shortage. Lol
-Blast
Quote from: Ghost on April 01, 2022, 06:43:59 AMHatchets can really vary. But not as expensive so easier to have a few.
What I'm looking to upgrade is my axe and settling on: https://youtu.be/jNV66gwfY-0
Price is steep but the above is a very good review and it seems to earn high marks elsewhere.
Pulled the trigger as I wanted this bad and got one off Amazon. Its veerrrrrryyy nice. Used it camping and it chopped through anything thrown at it.
Quote from: Ghost on June 21, 2022, 05:54:24 PMPulled the trigger as I wanted this bad and got one off Amazon. Its veerrrrrryyy nice. Used it camping and it chopped through anything thrown at it.
Which one did you get? (seeing that they have a whole lineup with similar names)
Quote from: EBuff75 on June 21, 2022, 07:13:17 PMQuote from: Ghost on June 21, 2022, 05:54:24 PMPulled the trigger as I wanted this bad and got one off Amazon. Its veerrrrrryyy nice. Used it camping and it chopped through anything thrown at it.
Which one did you get? (seeing that they have a whole lineup with similar names)
This one: https://clutchaxes.com/hultafors-classic-hunting-axe-review/
I just researched the crap out of axes recently. Majorhavoc turned me onto Ben Scott on youtube. And I spent a fair bit of time on bushcraftusa.
A big complaint about gransfor bruk is that alot of bushcraft consumers get hung up on steel types. Because most come from the knife world. They get humg up in comparing steel type. And this has affected the steel type of gransfor bruks a great deal. The steel they use is so hard that Ben Scott claims you really need a belt sander to sharpen them. So they are inappropriate for alot of field work. I beleive he is a logger. And does not use gransfor bruk at all.
He is much more fond of typical axe steel types like the Council Tool and Oshkenopf(or however its spelled! Terrible name for a product. Lol!) Etc. Which use a more typical carbon steel. That can be easily sharoened in the field.
There is also a big difference between felling axes and limbing axes. In EU trees are typically felled very low to the ground. To conserve as much wood as possible. As trees are a more finite source than in the US. In EU they cut them almost to the ground and near the root structure. Which lends itself to the thinner bladed EU style axe. That can cut thru rougher material and less likely to get stuck.
US logging was typically done at waist or swing height. Or even higher on big huge trees. As trees were more plentiful and much larger. So no one worried as much about tall stumps. And mills didn't want to deal with the harder knottier wood in the stump.
Which also meant both cut at different angles too.
In EU a single logger would typically carry a felling axe and a limbing axe. And do both jobs. Where as in the US more skilled felling loggers used a single style felling axe. And less skilled limbing loggers used another type of axe. This allowed the owners to separate the two jobs and pay limbers less.
So thats basically the history behind the more scandinavian style EU axes. And the US axes.
Generally speaking I got the idea that US style axe heads like the Council Tool are preferred for felling and bigger trees. While the EU style head is preferred for dropping smaller trees, and limbing etc. Both can do either job. And guys like Ben Scott like axes of both types. For felling and limbing. Its not like the EU can't cut down trees. Or that the US style can't limb. They can. But each style was developed for two different, specific purposes.
Ben Scott has great reviews. And great suggestions for axes in every category. He loves Council Tool as the steel is good and they have what many believe is the nicest stock handle in the industry. They also have a new way of placing heads on handles. That involves high pressure of some sort. And iirc two round stays in the top of the handle. To better keep the axe head on.
But he also likes a number of axes. EU and US style.
I originally wanted a Husqvarna forest axe. Which was $64 five years ago. A EU style head made of Swedish steel. But its been discontinued. And its next closest model is now creeping towards the $150 mark. But both had a shorter handle. But at 6'3" I wanted a longer handle.
I then wanted a Council Tool 3.5lb 36" jersey axe. And then an Oshenkopf with a 3.5lb EU style head and a "34 handle. But once I heard about the handles on the Council Steel axes. And how tiring a 3.5lb axe can be vs a 2.5. I changed my mind and found the Council Tools Boys axe in a 28" handle. Rather than the 24" it normally sells with.
Its rather expensive at $80(?). But sort of in a sweet spot for a variety of uses. Including loading it into the back of your car or trunk, hiking with it, felling fairly good size trees while not making you quite as tired, the list goes on. But we'll see. Its been ages since I swung an axe or splitting maul. In my younger years I was expected to split wood. And drop trees while hunting and hiking. But in those days (or maybe in my families income bracket) you never analyzed a simple tool like the axe that much. It was an axe. "Go get some damn wood!". Lol. I couldn't even tell you the brand of our axes. I don't remember even looking. But I guarantee they were good but not expensive. And whatever you had was good enough. And it got used. No matter how well suited it was for any given job.
This time around I thought I would go for "good but not expensive" again. So I think the Council Tool boys axe will be fine. And later I might get a more bushcraft friendly EU style hatchet. For more fine work.