AAD = Axe Acquisition Disorder

[Blackhorse]

Yeah...I don't collect knives, per se, but sometimes one just calls out. It's like my recent binge with axes. I kind of discovered the Husqvarna line of Swedish forged steel axes and had a major episode of AAD. Thank God they only have three! They do a 15" hatchet, a sweet Carpenter's Axe with 2.2 lb head and 19" handle and a 26" Multipurpose equivalent to a Scandinavian Forest Axe. Steel is high carbon tempered to a Rockwell of about 57-58. Handles are straight grain American Hickory. The thing is they have minimal hand finishing done...butvare 1/3 the cost of their Gransfors Bruks equivalent. So you pay $60 instead of $170. I also picked up one of what I'm guessing is one of the few remaining Wetterlings Foresters Fine Axes. Not an easy item to find and to my mind as close to the ideal Bushcrafting Axe as is available with it's 1.25 lb head and slim graceful handle of 23-24". The Husqvarna axes are made by either Wetterlings or Hultifors (where they have been making axes continuously since the 1600's!).

Here's the Husqvarna trio:

And this is the Wetterlings Forester's Fine Axe:

Here's a fun size comparison looking at 4 popular axes:

 

[Idlefellow]

I like axes as well, though I admit to not having much occasion to use one these days, as I order my firewood cut, split and stacked , and I haven't been camping in years.  That said, here are two of mine - a Marble's Safety Axe and a Marble's #9 Belt Axe (or are they hatchets?  I never did know the difference).  Neither of these are vintage, but they are Gladstone products before Marble's moved their production to Pakistan...

Love your photo of the Wetterlings Forester's Fine by the way!

 

[Blackhorse]

I regret to inform you that while the Axe is indeed mine, the photo is not.

God bless Google image search.

BTW...call it an Axe or a Hatchet, whatever you want...
it seems like the break point of calling something an axe is more than 16".
Either that or anything one can get two hands on to use is an axe.
Just guessing.

I love the Husqvarna items because of the value.
I love the Wetterlings Forester's Fine Axe because of the design.
I also have a Stihl Splitting Hatchet that is awesome. Burley fer sure.

This one has a 19.75" handle and a 2.75" head.

[

 

[Mordechaj]

I'm a proud owner of a Husqvarna hatchet.

It's light and small enough to run/trek with it, and it's versatile enough to fell a acacia tree thigh-thick, split dry logs 50+ cm wide in diameter, cut watermelon slices, bacon strips or carve a roasted hog. All of that actually happened on a same day

Gränsfors' axes are double the price of Husqvarna's, and considering how easier it was for me to do all the chores with a good quality hatchet, compared to how my friends struggled with same chores and full-sized but cheap axes - I just might pay what it takes.

 

[Blackhorse]

I would LOVE to find a Gransfors Hatchet for twice the price of the Husqvarna!

Check out what Amazon USA is asking for Gransfors Bruks products right now.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gransfors+bruks+hatchet&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=80722850768&hvpos=1o2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13665170951078296725&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_1kr920ipm6_e


I bought my Husqvarna 13" Hatchet for $35 USD. An equivalent size in the Gransfors is now over $200 USD.
A Wetterlings Hatchet of the same size is about $100 USD. CRAZY!

 

[Mordechaj]

I guess it's just a question of the Husqvarna price here, rather than Gransfors being cheaper

 

[Natch]

Blackhorse hit it on the head. Gransfors are fantastic, but over priced. I've had good luck with both the Husqrarna's and Marbles, (if you don't mind changing the handles on the Marbles when they break, and they will).

These are real tools!

Natch

 

[Blackhorse]

I’m also the proud owner of these two. Top is the Gransfors Swedish Carving Axe and below is the Robin Wood Carving Axe. The Gransfors is solid and heavy...the Robin Wood (a famous spoon carver from England) Axe is very light.

 

[Idlefellow]

Not as upscale as some shown in the thread, but old school cool, virtually indestructible, made in the good ol' USA, and currently $35.00 out the door; Estwing 14" Sportsman's axe...

 

[Blackhorse]

Those Eastwing axes are great. The blade is so thin they don’t split very well at all...but they’re excellent cutters.

 

[Richard Burley]

This is the way a real man such as myself splits wood. I can do this while smoking a pipe--though I do cheat a little by using a Softee bit.

In my dreams. (Suggest reducing the play speed to 75%.)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OGQI2-Ug6n0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen ></iframe>

 

[Blackhorse]

My God...I truly hope no friend of mine tries to split wood that way. Not only very hard on the maul (chopping that hard into dirt, hitting a rock here and there, good way to take a big chip out of the blade no matter how soft the steel) plus a nearly certain trip to the ER.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Ah yes, young Balok, the Orc Slayer from Banff....

 

[Brewdude]

Jeeeez.........

I was waiting for one of those blows to ricochet into his lower leg or foot. He had to be pooped at the end of that!

:affraid:


Cheers,

RR