1. {Name}
    Welcome to the KKF!
    Please take a moment to register and stop by the New Member Check-In and say hello. We sincerely hope you enjoy your stay and the discussion of all things sharp.
    Feel free to jump right in on the conversation or make your own. We have an edge on life!
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Take a look at our new AUCTION SYSTEM

    This service is available to all KKFora members to both Bid on and Auction off (Sell)items.
    Dismiss Notice

Axes

Discussion in 'The Great Outdoors' started by Jim, Mar 27, 2014.

  1. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

    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?
     
  2. MotoMike

    MotoMike Founding Member

    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. wetterlings-liten-jaktyax-small-hunting-axe-115.jpg
     
  3. MotoMike

    MotoMike Founding Member

    large_212_SNhudbayax.jpg I have for a few years been eye balling this Snow and Nealley "Hudson Bay Camping Axe"
     
  4. mr drinky

    mr drinky Founding Member Gold Contributor

  5. MotoMike

    MotoMike Founding Member

    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.
     
  6. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

    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. .
     
  7. MotoMike

    MotoMike Founding Member

    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
     
  8. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

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

    BathonUk Founding Member

  10. snowbrother

    snowbrother Founding Member

    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.
     
  11. snowbrother

    snowbrother Founding Member

    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.
     
  12. Gransfors Bruck Small forest axe and Husqvarna hatchet here.
     
  13. Argonaut

    Argonaut People call me French sounding words Founding Member

    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.
     
  14. John Fout

    John Fout Founding Member

    There is always at least a tomahawk in my Jeep.
     
  15. MotoMike

    MotoMike Founding Member

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

    Tom Founding Member

    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
     
  17. Taz575

    Taz575 Founding Member

    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.
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Andrew

    Andrew Have Pen Will Travel Founding Member

  19. mr drinky

    mr drinky Founding Member Gold Contributor

    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.
     
  20. Andrew

    Andrew Have Pen Will Travel Founding Member

    That's great!
     

Share This Page