Axes

The ax perhaps mans most useful tool after the knife.

I have a few axes that work great, a felling ax from the 1920's that was my grandfathers and a Plumb hand/camp ax that I have since the 60's. Some others that are not so good.

Does anyone make high end axes that are not geared to the lumberjack games?

I have a wild hare that if my Plumb was heat treated harder it would work so much better/ can that be done?

 

I like Wetterlings. I have a small hand axe from them. Hand forged. Not finished to the extent of the Gransfors Bruks axes, but I kind of like that and though pricey, about half the cost of the GBs. Mine no longer looks this clean I think it is a small hunting axe, but find it named differently on some sites.

 

I have for a few years been eye balling this Snow and Nealley "Hudson Bay Camping Axe"

 

Ric Furrer did a beautiful damascus axe that I always thought looked awesome.

http://www.doorcountyforgeworks.com/Axe_composite_5bar.html

Karring

 

that is a beauty. I think it is an old European design. I like my axes and hatchets with a poll on the back and a bit of a lug down on the shoulder.

Karring, Did you see the Nova show on the Viking Sword? I am pretty sure Ric replicated it at his Door County forge. A very excellent episode.

 

Wow that is a nice looking ax Karring, I am not sure how effective it would be with the exception of at hacking at Christians.

Mike I was looking at both the Wetterlings & Gransfors Bruks. At the smaller sizes they are pretty much in the same ball park price wise on the couple sites I found them.
The Snow and Nealley seems like a lot of ax for the money.
Seems like it would be easy enough to polish them up and blue them as a fun project. .

 

Probably true Jim. My axe fetish abated a few years back and I know that I found several companies that cater to the forestry and firefighting industry that make machine forged but high quality axes here in America. Council Tool has some nice ones. this link covers a lot of ground.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/search/label/Axes

Seems I read that Wetterlings and GB might have developed an affiliation or a buy out or something a while back, so the character might have changed. I searched quite a while to find a good deal on my small hunting axe.(it is called different things on different sites) I checked my records and found that I got it from Wise Men Trading. I see that the gap has closed but still significant. One thing I liked about Wise Men is communication. Since the axe is hand forged there is sometimes asymmetry in the finished product that passes final inspection but bothers some. That and grain in the handle could have qualities you like or don't like. I talked to them and they hand selected one for me, checking the hang of the axe and straight grain in the handle. Now this was probably 8 or so years ago, so don't know what has transpired since. Wetterlings sheaths are really bad.

http://www.wisementrading.com/knifeandsaw/camp_axes.htm

 

I see the price difference on wisemens site. The one I found was all out of stock so most likely has not been updated.

 

There is one guys from Poland who is forging tomahwaks and axes. You can see some of his work here:

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?135755-Paps-Tomahawks&highlight=

 

There used to be a beautiful axe that was posted on the old butcher and baker site. I can't find it now that they changed their site layout.

 

I finally remembered who the maker of that axe is, John Neeman. I'm not sure what the linking rules are here on the new forum, so I hope this is ok, but here is a link: http://www.neemantools.com/en/products/axes. Just scroll down to butcher's axe, though all of his axes are gorgeous.

 

Gransfors Bruck Small forest axe and Husqvarna hatchet here.

 

I just realized that I no longer own an axe or a hatchet, both of which used to be a staple in the toolbox on my truck. I feel less manly all of a sudden.

 

There is always at least a tomahawk in my Jeep.

 

You know a 6 pound Council Tool's Dayton pattern would fix that. Especially when wielded with one hand

 

The Neeman axes I've handled have been much nicer than the GB equivalents. I have one on my list of things I want but don't have any immediate use for

 

I picked up a Japanese Hand Axe a month or two ago. Haven't used it yet, I will get some better pics maybe tomorrow.

 

I'll second that Gränsfors Bruk make really nice axes, hatchets, etc.

 

I just ran across this axe via a former Army buddy. My new house has a boat load of logs that need splitting in the woods, and this really intrigues me. Just watch the video, but I have to say that the guy really didn't need 7.5 minutes to prove his point.

Essentially, it is a new type of ax that changes the center of gravity to also perform like a lever and pry the wood apart. It looks crazy effen easy.

k.

 

That's great!