Axe Heaven

SasquatchMan · October 12, 2003, 07:22:03 PM

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere, so I thought I'd let everyone know that the axes which Gransfors Bruks make in Sweden are well worth the money. I have a small one, and it holds a ridiculous edge and feels incredible. Any serious woodchoppers should check em out. www.gransfors.com

I'm in no way affiliated with this company - I just really like the product.

DanG · October 13, 2003, 05:55:37 AM

Took a quick spin through the site and noticed a couple of things. The site opens with a word of appreciation for their employees.

They had a big segment on safety. 8) 8)
Their products look nifty, too, but I'll bet they're a bit pricey.

Bibbyman · October 13, 2003, 09:23:41 AM

Yea, I'd see a guy selling those at the Paul Bunyan show a couple of years back. You're right. They are well made and expensive. A couple of years ago they were over $100 for a simple ax. They didn't have the style I was wanting bad enough to beg Mary for the money. :-[

I've looked at axes at about every place that carries them and have not found one I'd take if they gave it to me (except those above). Some are so crude I doubt if they'd brake a snake's back.

DanG · October 13, 2003, 09:36:18 AM

That's why all mine are old. If you scrounge around at flea markets and second-hand stores, you can find some fine old heads with very few miles on them. I have a couple of local sources for good handles, and have several nice axes that cost me under $10 each.

BTW, I read through the safety segment of the site in question, and didn't see anything saying that I shouldn't be chopping in the dark. ;D :D :D

SasquatchMan · October 13, 2003, 12:30:37 PM

They are expensive, but the difference between a good axe and even a relatively expensive axe from the hardware store is night and day. As for chopping at night, I guess maybe it's not that dark in Sweden?

I have two woodstoves, one in home, one in shop, and so I constantly cut kindling and split, and I haven't found anything that touches these axes... the steel is fantastic. Bibbyman, I wonder if they'd custom make one for you?

Bibbyman · October 13, 2003, 12:37:07 PM

I'm kind of going the DanG route. I've got a small collection of good brand ax heads but all are well worn. Just a shame there is nothing between junk and a custom made export.

Dad has a double bit ax we used when we spit stave bolts that was thin and light. It was just right for cutting splinters as you wedged open the stave bolt. But over 20+ years of use, it's pretty well used up.

SasquatchMan · October 13, 2003, 12:39:44 PM

It's funny to see a "simple" technology go absolutely extinct. You'd think getting a good axe would be no problem, but like you say, you're stuck between a super premium import or fishing through garage sale refuse to find a gem... bizarre.

shopteacher · October 13, 2003, 03:41:15 PM

Of all the axes I own I like the small Norlund Hudson Bay the best. I use it quite often at the mill for trimming off enough wood to let the head pass or to cut out trash metal. It's small head is easy to hit the mark consistently and it just feels good to hold. I got this one at a flea market for 8.00 but see them sold at about 27.00. I also have the same style hatchet. Their made is Sweden and seem to have some good carbon steel in the head for holding an edge. I wouldn't want to go timbering with it, but for everyday chores it does just fine. I've seen a double bit version a couple times on Ebay, but they went over a 100.00. I'd like to have one of them but that's a little to pricey for me.

Gus · October 13, 2003, 04:44:35 PM

We've got a cook stove in the house we use in the winter so I use a double bit regularly. I've got this old one I just love it is small, thin and stays sharp for a long time, BUT, I broke the handle on it a couple of weeks ago and can't seem to find another anywhere. :'( It had a short handle and was nice for one-handed splitting. I'd give anything for another handle for that thing.

Gus

shopteacher · October 13, 2003, 05:41:07 PM

SDSaw, you got to get yourself a good piece of ash and a draw knife. Shouldn't be very hard to mimic the old one. ;D

Jeff · October 13, 2003, 05:45:00 PM

What constitutes a good Axe? When you go to a garage sale and see one, how do you know when you have found "A gem"

Kevin · October 13, 2003, 05:49:36 PM

That's easy, ...when you walk back to take a second look... it's gone.
:-/

C_Miller · October 13, 2003, 05:57:29 PM

QuoteWhat constitutes a good Axe? When you go to a garage sale and see one, how do you know when you have found "A gem"

My question too, I use an axe for thumpin' wedges and the occassional chainsaw release. so the right length handle is important to me.

(with the thread title I thought this was gonna be some kinda prayer thing, But I thought Hip-Hop was a new kind of pancake house too.)

Kevin · October 13, 2003, 06:36:02 PM

I suspect hardness of the steel plays a factor.

Jason_WI · October 13, 2003, 07:06:21 PM

I bet that he edge on that 100 dollar axe is no match for a hemlock knot. I have folded the edge over on my craftsman axe chopping hemlock knots.

DanG stuff as hard as stone.......

Jason

Don P · October 13, 2003, 07:21:55 PM

I've heard nothing but good about those axes.

On broken handles, depending on where the break is I just fiberglass cloth wrap and use resin. The broadaxe handle there is very weathered but I just wrapped it and kept swinging. When you are looking at one of those used make sure that it hasn't been sharpened on the backside, only flattened, just like a chisel. There is a hammer welded tempered edge on it that has not been ground past.
Hope others have more to look for in a used one, I don't know that much about 'em, they always make me tired ???.

Minnesota_boy · October 13, 2003, 07:52:19 PM

You don't want to use a good axe to limb balsam fir in the cold of winter. It tneds to remove chips from the edge of the blade. I have a couple here somewhere as a sample. Seems like about a quarter of an inch square chipe taken right out of the center of the blade.

DanG · October 13, 2003, 08:12:24 PM

I've had that happen when trying to bust a "lightered knot" with a flea market grade axe. That'd be the Chinese variety. Not worth bringin' home.

Jeff, as far as I know, recognizing a good old head is strictly a subjective matter. It just has to feel right in your hand. :

A good hollow-ground face is usually a tip-off, and if it has a maker's mark, it is usually a pretty good one. The cheapoes usually ain't marked. I'm sure there are experts who could tell you all kind of things to look for, but I'm ignernt, so I just go with what feels good.

Gus · October 13, 2003, 09:37:12 PM

I'm a little like DanG. I pick the ax up and see how it handles. . . how it feels. Like any good tool there is usually a great deal of thought put into it so that it handles without effort. I would be under the assumption that if they put enough thought into it to make it feel good they probably didn't skimp on the metal. BUT, like DanG said, I'm sure it is a highly subjective matter.

Gus

Haytrader · October 14, 2003, 05:04:46 AM

I carry an axe on the PU during the winter to break ice on the stock tanks. A Yapeneese one works just as good as a spensive one.

What do you need of an axe for anyway? Won't yer chainsaws run? No log splitter?

;D ;D ;D

SasquatchMan · October 14, 2003, 05:23:25 PM

What makes a good axe? Quality and temper of the steel, and a well forged head. How can you tell? I guess you gotta swing the sucker. What impresses me about the gransfors axes is that they'll hold an edge so well that you can use em like a drawknife and get little slivers of kindling.

As for making handles, it is relatively easy, even with just a block plane. make sure the growth rings are parallel to the swing plane for best strength.

pappy · October 15, 2003, 05:24:27 AM

http://www.peaveymfg.com/axes.html

Noble_Ma · October 15, 2003, 06:34:09 AM

http://www.snowandnealley.com/

I own their kindling axe. Great axe and reasonably priced too. Shop around too, you can get better prices than their home site offers. This is where I bought mine.

http://cspoutdoors.com/snownealpenb.html

Scott · October 15, 2003, 02:58:17 PM

We have lots of axes at the house. I've always loved double bitted axes and prefr them over any other type. I have an old Cambells XXX that use for splitting, chopping and limbing. I'm not sure how these axes rate as far as quality goes, can anyone tell me? I was thinking of buying one of those Peavey double bitted axes but those ones in Noble_Ma's post look nice too. Collins makes a nice axe as well.

DanG · October 15, 2003, 06:48:22 PM

Had a chance to lay hands on some Granfors Bruk axes today at the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie. They are quite nice. They aren't "polished" like you might expect an expensive tool to be, but you could feel the quality in them. The plain old, straight-handled choppin' ax was $116. They have a really sweet broadax for $123. That's a bit out of my range. If I had one, I'd be afraid to make any sparks with it.

SasquatchMan · October 16, 2003, 08:17:20 PM

I haven't used a double bit axe - are they really that much better? Everyone seems to say so... better balance?

oldsaw · October 17, 2003, 11:34:28 PM

The cheap mild steel with a quasi-tempered edge axes are pretty easy to spot. Instead of looking like they have a logical, streamlined "line from back to the front, have more of a "convex" line..."big cheeks". The better the steel, the more "concave" they seem to get. I've got a cheap one that I got to split some wood up. Works really well for that, and keeps an edge better than I expected, but, go into a log sideways, and many times it is only slightly more effective than hitting the log with a pillow in harder woods. You do get a good shock coming up the handle though...the energy has to dissipate somewhere. I keep looking at garage sales and flea markets, but only seem to find ones with too many miles or so rusty and pitted that they are beyond hope.

Double edge axes swing very nicely. I really like them for felling if you have to. Tend to be a thinner casting and more concave blade. But a good quality single bit can have a good feel too. However, I think a double feels so good because there is more weight in the same plane as the edge(s) and less weight further off the plane that would tend to "twist" if you weren't straight on your follow through. Theoretically it shouldn't make that much difference, but you don't get the extra leverage of the little "hook" in the single axe handle which gives you considerably more leverage on the follow through of the swing. Kind of evens out.

Maybe a double is more fun to swing, and the single is more fun to make chips fly with...but only if it is a good one.