A thing is only worth what someone will pay for it. As soon as no one is willing to pay the high prices, those prices will drop. Just wait, you'll see them for cheap eventually.
My favorite for the 2017 - 2018 season, is a $10 local bit, hung on an almost perfect $8 local handle. That doesn't include hanging, scraping and oiling but $18 isn't bad for an axe that's a joy to use.
That being said, the gransfors Forrest axe I bought cuts unbelievably well. The first time I swung with it, I had a grin on my face that has lasted to this day (4 years and many camping trips later).
It might matter if you're in a city and don't necessarily want to bother with sharpening tools. I spent some years on a farm as a kid and later occasional summers or winters and I have no idea what make of axes I used. You had a manual grinding wheel right next to a chopping block so you just used that if you weren't happy. And with a good swing I wasn't really paying attention to how finely or fast I chopped stuff up anyway.
My first axe I bought brand new at 18 years old from the local hardware store 34 years ago. I still use it today. It cost me about $15.00. To me, mine is the best axe ever made!
I have found that local used tool stores, antique shops and yard sales are a great source of good quality, US-made axes from companies like True Temper, Collins, Sears/Craftsman, etc. Oftentimes the handles are junk and the heads may be rusty/pitted/need filing, but it's rewarding, not too difficult and not too expensive to rehang an axe yourself.
SkillCult I just picked up a Council Tool Railsplitter at an estate sale this weekend for $5. It still had a shipping decal on it that showed it was delivered in February of 1990. Can't wait to scour and sharpen it and try it out.
SkillCult hahaha nah I got the gold lined crocodile skin sheath. It even came with a Starbucks gift card so I can order my Iced, Half Caff, Ristretto, Venti, 4-Pump, Sugar Free, Cinnamon, Dolce Soy Skinny Latte!
Agree with supporting local artists / brands in general (especially when it comes to food purchasing). This video was so spot on for general buying advice. Replace the word “axe” with anything (computer, weight lifting equipment, car) and this is great advice. Well done.
As a 2nd generation tradesman, I was taught that good tools are earned when your skills are up to par to the tool itself, but you learn with basic tools first. Your first real good quality tool you receive as a gift from a journeyman who taught you when he feels you're worthy of it like I received from my old man and like I passed on to those that I taught the trade when it was my turn to pay it forward. And I've made the same argument with the Council Tool Boy's Axe VS the Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian Axe for typical chores (splitting, chopping, delimbing, etc...). It's not $100 better in my opinion. A $30 boy's axe in the right hands will last a lifetime and outperform a boutique axe in typical real-world uses. For the record, my first two boutique axes came ridiculously poorly hung and were unusable (the first one and the replacement). My $30 Council Tool boy's axe I bought to hold me over and I never put it down. It came hung right, I beat it winter, spring, summer, fall and it went through softwoods and hardwoods (my boutique axes couldn't last the first hour of use).
I don't know why I even comment on your videos bro. I always just find myself repeating what you already state in the footage. LOL Always good to hear what you have to say man. Keep it up. Oh, and I own a $300 custom forged 3/4 camp axe made to my specs. Truth be told, I don't use it. But I have no problem whipping out one of my $30 CT's and sometimes, my vintage axes and beating them like they owe me money. :) And I'm not beating up on Swedish axes. I just bought my 3rd and it came with the absolute straightest grain I've ever seen on a haft, a nearly perfect hang and I couldn't have handpicked something better myself. The great thing is that it only cost me $57/shipped in 48 to my door. It's the Husqvarna-branded Hults Bruks Carpenter's Axe and I got it mainly as a crafting & camp axe when I won't be needing a 3/4 axe (I don't do hatchets really). Then again, the Hults Bruks despite costing 1/2 of what their premium cousins cost for some reason come with a lot fewer issues for the most part. The Gransfors, the Wetterlings, etc...they make great carving axes. But I don't carve much really. Plus, they are designed for mostly softwoods use. That's why so many first time users chip their edges to death and have to reprofile them. Other than that, for light duty chores, they are great. Then again, who needs a $130 "light duty" camp axe when a $30 axe will do just a good or better? I digress.
I think the Hults are probably much closer to modern drop forged process, because they don't seem to have much in the way of hammer marks. custom forged stuff is different too. That is art if nothing else and that is worth something.
When I started as a carpenter at 14, I was a labourer and was taught to cut wood with a handsaw, nail with a hammer, and move rocks with a shovel. As my skill increased, the necessity of my production went with it. That's when the nailguns, power saws, and front-loader were entrusted to me; when my work became more valuable than the limitations of my tools.
*sigh*, Wranglerstar. I unsubscribed from him because all he does is try to sell me stuff. Edit: But the same is true for almost anything. Cooking? Don't go out and buy a really expensive chef's knife and all this stuff you don't know how to use. Woodworking? Don't go out and buy a $3,000 table saw and all this stuff if you're just starting out. And you're right, enthusiasts will always try to upsell you. I think they just want you to have something nice, to enjoy what they enjoy, but I think this advice extends to everything: get something minimal and cheap until you know what you're doing and know _which_ expensive thing you might want, if at all.
And it's funny you mention him because the video that really prompted me to unsubscribe was a video about an axe. He'd only taken a few swings with it and was using words like "faithful" and "reliable" to describe it, he has no idea if that's true or not. He's so very obviously trying to sell the axe because (surprise!) there's an Amazon affiliate link in the description. Most of his videos go something like this now.
W-Star seems to be a nice enough guy but I gave up on him. The final straw was hearing the repeated mantra about the simple life and then he goes and makes a video where he's driving his $60K BMW to the ski slope. It was that and his $290 pocket knife. I know "live and let live." Sorry.
uzimonkey, A lot of truth in what you said. Each tax bracket seems to have it's sweet spot. For me it's Vortex scopes, Forschner knives, Husquvarna axes (which is a love/hate thing), and so it goes. If I can find a used tool for a bargain, great. What I hate are tools that cannot complete the intended task due to poor engineering, or bad material spec. In all categories there seems to be a baseline tool for the job. Buying below that line brings a poor return on your investment, and a headache to boot. It doesn't have to be top shelf, but there's some truth in the line "Buy once, Cry once".
When trying to figure out the right axe to buy quite a few years ago, I ran across your recommendation of the Council Tool 28" Boy's Axe and I ordered one. I loved that axe. I learned I need to bend my knees more with that axe by one slip while I was sick and a bit worn down. Lost it in a fire. As I use my current collins axe I find myself missing the Council axe. Excellent recommendation. On the plus side, I just found a no name 24" boy's axe at a flea market. It was sitting out on the weather for some time but looks as if it never had any use more than a weekend. She has come back beautifully and is making a perfect companion to my power saw for pounding wedges and an occasional chop. Thanks for all the work of your videos. I appreciate them.
You want to know who convinced me that I needed a high end axe? YOU did! All of your critique of off the shelf axes, all of their flaws... Only natural to think, "Hey, I'll skip all those deficiencies and buy a premium axe." Not to say that I have bought a high end axe. I have a sordid axe history, but right now I'm using an X15! 23.5" long, no weight for the handle, and I use it as a backpacking/bushcraft axe. I did some file work (with that bahco file you recommended, thx, and bought $500 of other stuff through your link), and now I like using it. And I have to say, what I see, people are paying serious premiums for old quality American axe heads. No 5hit, but I just saw someone buy a $75 Plumb head, rusted to hell. I think this idea of finding $5 quality heads maybe is already in the past. I can't tell you how many times I've been out on my lawn in just my chonies, gut hanging out, screaming, "Get off my lawn!" People coming into my space, jacking the prices up. A couple of years ago, we escaped California, moved to a free western state. 2.5 years later, 1/2 of all the license plates I see are from California, it can take 3 green light cycles to make it through an intersection, mid day, and home prices have gone through the roof. That whole scenario has played out so many times, in so many ways. If y'all could get off my internet, that'd be great. I will, if able, buy a GFB small forest axe for backpacking. But only after I wear out that X15. Then again, we may buy them all for axe mask construction. And finally, I was staring at an old beat up pair of my New Balance this morning, thinking I'm such a cheap bastard, paid maybe $45 bucks for them. Thinking about all the people who needed a taste to get them to me. All of the raw materials that had to be created, shipped, all the machinery, all the humans, all the fuel to get them to me. It is insane that I can get them for $45. As hand makers of leather goods, we've really come to understand the cost and VALUE of hand produced goods. In my thinking of late, all this "deal" culture, like everyone (especially millennials and younger) wants a smoking hot deal on EVERYTHING. F'ing loosen up that wallet cheapo, and pay people for their work, and hey, maybe you'll have a job if people start including some freaking margin in their purchases. I'm totally a part of that deal culture, in a big way. Have been disabled since 2010, don't collect any kind of disability, money is TIGHT. But still, when there is a small company working hard to compete in this marketplace, spend a little money, man. Serious WOT, early morning ramble! Thumbs up if you actually made it this far.
Ha! sucka. Most of those Californians stupidly pass NorCal and move straight up your way. I'm just praying we aren't "discovered". You can have 'em. Good point on the deal culture. There are still plenty of axe heads out there. More in some areas though.
That's funny you found that. His example looked awful thick to me though lol. It was more like he had to look around and still couldn't find a good example. I saw one, the axe in the window that looked like old American axe handles do. There is also a really weird handle in the early part of the vid up high on the wall. I'd like to take a look at that one closer. Looks like a hewing or carpentry axe. the string example is almost an interesting way to look at it, just to try to explain something, but a handle works quite a bit differently. It could communicate a couple of things though., One is that it's not necessary to push the axe into the cut with the handle at all. The handle is just there to get the head to the target. and second, that it's that same mechanical advantage of a wheel at work, whatever that mechanical advantage or movement is called. The take home on handles is that the handle should be under very little stress if it's not gripped tightly when it hits the target. There is always side impact and hitting the handle, but for straight chopping and splitting under normal use, probably not much stress if the handle is viewed as just a way to get the head where it's going and not as a thing to force the head into the wood. Those companies should put someone on salary whose job is just to test and use axes year round. Either that or sponsor serious traditional craftsmen to get as much feedback as possible. That would be a good selling point. Like if they heated the offices with strictly axes ala cordwood challenge. Credibility is good.
Perhaps you can apply for that position, CAUO, Chief Axe Use Officer? Also thinking that you could swing a head on a rope, like he says, and drive that into a log. Viral gold there. Think about it!
Good video! I started by repairing an axe with a broken handle and then a flee market axes. After a few years my wife and I found a retail that had Gransfor Burks in stock. She picked me up a American felling axe. I was shocked!! Best axe that I currently own. I split wood with it regularly. I agree with you, start off with a beater from the flee market. When you rehandle a head it almost makes you develop a relationship with your axe. From there you can grow.
When I started selling my woodcarvings and hand carved Epoxy Furniture I had purchased literally two of each Gransfors Bruk so I could carve and then make the most of my time and sharpening the whole lot of my axes at the end of the day. Prior to me deciding to sell my woodcarvings and hand carved Furniture I had been a Wildland Hotshot Sawyer and paid Structural Firefighter in the mountains of Colorado where I still live off the grid having wielded a axe and using one daily for close to 12 years now and have used a axe multiple times a week for 20 years now and being a outdoor enthusiast and enjoy Mountaineering and backpacking, have honed and fine tuned my survival skills and edible and medicinal plants having joined a Search and Rescue Team at the age of 13 years old and started my own sons in the wilderness at 4 and 3 with their first weekend survival training @ 10 and 9 years old and they were Able to walk off in the morning from my cabin and be gone all day coming from the ridge or the river with fish or something for dinner they had snare trapped. The reason I just went into great length was to give my own qualifications and state that those Gransfors Bruk axes were stolen from my dad's house wh4n we went on a long weekend vacation thought it best since ce I never locked my cabin to lock them up at my dad's and his insurance coverage was great replacing most of my stuff except for anything I used for work and so all that money I spent on those axes which I used for sure. However now that I am obviously more tenured and experienced in the axe market then even I had been before and I own only 5 Gransfors Bruk now out of my axe collection of 50 to 60 axes most certainly are cheap axes that is what I used for 20 years paying anything from $15-$40 and biggest thing I learned was valid in about everything a d i make suggestions all the time to do your research and keep an eye out for a good deal online. I purchase vintage axe heads still regularly basis to restore. purchasing the same axe heads that sell for a disgusting amount of money when hafted with a clean custom handle talking $400-$1200 and I buy the axe heads for $20-$59 and won't spend over that for collectors axes. I also think if a person learns how to haft their axe right away learning how by watching videos and they will be less likely to jack their axe up and that is because humans tend to appreciate shit more when we have to put the work in which applies to not fucking up your axe and dating .
I think its more of an attitude than tool issue. I noticed other people (i.e. really me, but I would rather blame other people) always have an excuse for not using whatever it is they have. If they have a $25 tool then its not good enough, and if they have the $250 tool then its too nice for the junk work they are doing with it. In the end you just have to get out and do it. You'll never get better at driving unless you drive. It doesn't matter if you are in the ferrari or civic, you just have to drive. You'll get better at driving by driving either just the same.
More people need to listen to him and thin their handles. I ended up jacking up my hands pretty good. I found an old axe handle, I started patterning my handles after it makes a huge difference. Width of the axe handle should be roughly the width of the eye by 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tall, thats my starting point anyways
When I got my last main working axe where I wanted it, I looked up Dudley Cook's recommendations and I was pretty much right there with him. Can't remember the measurments though. I prefer not to give measurements anyway, because I think it should be more about the feel and just tuning it till it works. It's hard to go back once you get it right. I think there is an advantage derived from the physics too which a few other commenters have also brought up. I forget the name for it, but it has to do with what is basically a whipping action, though I think it's more complicated than that.
Finially someone gives the straight goods. Internet is full of 16yo kids giving advice on what to do, with no life experience. Garage sales, flea markets are all good places to get a decent axe. Split your winter heating wood for at least 5 years and you'll know what you need to about axes... experience is the best teacher.
Steven, You're right about the use of cheap hand tools. Presently, I have a large supply of ash that I got from a recent job. I am steadily cutting it up into blocks and splitting away with a cheap three and a half pound axe that I got about twenty years ago. The only change that I made to the implement was to replace the loose fibre-glass handle with a nice timber one. I do keep it sharp though. You got the thumbs up for a very informative video and some good old-fashioned common sense.
Bit of a fun ramble but all so true. I'm 70 years old and used axes most of my life. You swing 'em at wood. They cut the wood or you sharpen them and swing again. If you don't know how to swing an axe or how to maintain it, it doesn't matter if its a Collins or a high dollar Swede! Don't have to cut wood for fuel anymore but still love axes and axe work so now I'm teaching myself to carve with an axe. No high dollar one though! Bought a $29 camp hatchet, re-profiled it and fixed the wimpy handle. Sharpened to a razors edge and will put it up against any of those European axes as a practical tool. Thanks for the chat.
Thanks for sharing that. I recommend people start carving with a regular camp hatchet, just because it build skill and familiarity with a multi-use tool. I can see why some people would use an expensive carving hatchet like the one that Liam and Max at woodsman's finest just put together. I'm sure it's great. Not anything anyone needs to get started in hatchet carving though.
Martin LE =) interesting story thanks for sharing. When I was 12 I modified a carpenters/shingle hatchet I secretly bought (my parents thought it was to dangerous) at a garage sale down my street for $2 ...16yrs later still have and use it and there is still no significant wear yet.
Newby axe guy here who caught the tom sawyer fever; I've been a gun guy most of my adult life since joining the army in 2004 and I've gained the mentality that "you buy once cry once" so I've been eyeing some pretty spendy axes lately. Well... after helping a buddy splitting some logs I was humbled a little and realized that I didn't like the heavy ass mauls so I picked up a fiskars splitting axe and that sent me down the axe trail; what it also did was made me rethink starting off with a spendy GFB or hults. Well after watching a few of your videos and really listening to you I scored a fiskars x15 off Amazon "used, like new" for $25. I'll beat the piss out of this one and then graduate on up. Thanks for the content!
hippies smell, and by the way, I have a $30 Estwing hatchet that I love and use for everything that a hatchet can do. I slightly changed the profile (very slightly). It holds an edge better than I was expecting it to. Ive had Estwing hammers for 25 years so I figured Id give there hatchet a try. Also really like the stacked leather handle. One of these days Ill get a fancy smancy Gransfor, but most likely a Hults Bruk
I love the last clip where you’re taking the logo off a granfors. I don’t own one, but I have a 3.5 pd Hulta Bruks felling axe, and my buddy couldn’t believe the first thing I did after getting it was to seriously shave down the handle. Even the good companies make those things like clubs.
That's actually ian from lolita's garden. The one I thought was funny was the laser etched Snow and Neally handle, which was so thick that even the deep laser cuts would be long gone just to make it anything close to reasonable. This video is funny. I hadn't watched if for a while.
I love this video. You can barely contain your scorn for the neo-axe collecting community. Your arguments are so flip and to the point that I was almost laughing at myself for ever thinking of buying a two-hundred dollar axe when I only use it once a week. Anyway, thanks for the entertaining and informative content.
My Dad, now deceased, did not have many tools but, I did inherit a USA Collins that had been around for as long as I can remember. I'm now 51. I've no idea how he ended up with one of those over here in the UK. It is regularly used and still lovely in every way.
Agreed on the buying a cheap one TO GET STARTED.... Once you're comfortable and find that you enjoy using it and or use it a lot....I am a strong advocate of spending the money and buying a tool that you absolutely love....saving the money and finally being able to get it and use it is so rewarding. Ps if you're still reading this take note: DONT EVER LOAN YOUR AXE TO ANYONE!! It WILL NOT return as the same tool that you sent out. I know that from experience:(
Amen to that, my friend. I've been bitten like that a couple of times. Loaned a neighbour my splitting maul, collected it after a couple of weeks and had to spend hours cleaning the rust off the head, re-shaping the edge and sanding/oiling the woodwork. Also, Son-in-law borrowed my chainsaw which came back to me ruined because he used it to cut into soil and neglected to top up the chain oil. Never again.
s10m0t10n Jesus, he ran the chainsaw in the dirt?? I imagine you had to have a nice stern discussion with him after that. If nothin else just so he doesn't ruin his own chainsaw if he ever buys one. ...I can't seem to wrap my head around how people think it's ok to borrow something and not return in "the same or better" condition. Never seizes to amaze me.. Anywho, it's not much fun, but: a lesson learned the hard way is a lesson never forgotten!
Hi Shane-O, Yep I've worked with that young man on several occasions and found that he is death to tools of almost any kind. He tends to buy budget priced stuff and works them past their capacity to perform at any satisfactory level. Consequently, I take my own tools if he needs help with a project and try not to let him get his hands on them. If I owned an anvil, I'd think twice about letting him use it - he might break it. He's a lovely young guy but, as you say, a lesson learned.
Just came across your channel and this video, I'm glad to see someone not touting expensive axes! I've been using a collins double bit and a council Hudson bay for years with GREAT success.
I read a rumor that they don't like selling to the US due to liable. I haven't seen any major importers here. Husqvarna sells a few of their models fairly cheap, but otherwise, they tend to cost a lot more here than anywhere else it seems.
@@SkillCult Yeah, recently I bought the basic Agdor (900g) model, and I really like it. But still, spending $50 on an axe makes me feel that there are no excuses now - I have to go out and do some camping :) Especially now, during the global pandemic I feel like I need that little push.
I think it's due to a bit of resurgence of people wanting "artisan" tools...more as a showpiece than tool...but there are those who appreciate a good quality tool...having grown up in a household without the proper tools for DIYs, having access to the right tools for the right job now is a godsend. One benefit for a beginner to see/experience an at least decent quality axe is that would give them some comparison point of what a properly tuned tool looks and feels like. Maybe not buy, but at least have someone show them. Started out with an Estwing from the hardware store that wasn't actually properly ground and was an exercise in frustration...and didn't realize how bad it was until I saw something with a proper profile...similarly to axe handles being too thick, something I hadn't considered until I ran across your videos. Another potential argument for having something that is a (supposedly) known properly tuned tool is that learning on an improper one can cause someone to develop improper technique/habits. P.S. Great shirt choice heh
Definitely needs to be a well designed and tuned axe for sure, but that is also part of the journey. That is one possible advantage to som of those expensive axes is they are set up better out of the factory as far as the grind goes.
I've noticed the same thing you have on RU-vid and the axe craze. I'm 15 and don't have a whole lotta money, I only get a few bucks here and there from shoveling driveways and such. Yet I have not spent more than 10 dollars on all 5 of my axes combined. By the way 5 axes is probably more than I need but it's fun to fix up a broken handled axe. So I only see a few reasons to buy a 200 dollar axe, none of them very good and most of them lazy reasons to do it.
Cool. People like to accessorize, but I think it's a trap. I like good gear, but it's also a skill to make due with what is available. Fortunately, there are plenty of good axes around. I just picked up a couple the other day from a yard sale.
I enjoyed your video.A refreshing viewpoint on the fact that many people buy what they think is the best when in reality it is not a whole lot better than something more affordable.Also that they think the best will make them better too.There was a time when I watched the videos and read the reviews and actually thought about buying a premium axe but somehow spending that kind of money made me reconsider.In that time I realized that I never had a problem with the stuff I already had.
I want a tool that works every time i need to use it without having to overhaul it to make it work.. My take was one of several things , where i live i have dealers that carry tons of made in China axes/hatchets , ahhh nope not for me .. But these dealers also sell axes made by Stihl , Husq, Estwing (which i have owned , which produced more glancing blows that any axe i have ever owned) just didn't like the grind, so it was an overhaul of filing some of the convex out of the blade.. Better but i don't use it much now .. Fiskars made in Finland axes started to show up with their fiberglass hollow handles ( a bit too large ) but i bought one around the $40.00 mark and found the steel and grind (flat) to work very well, then i bought one with a shorter handle length of 19" I like it .. Some folks hate them, but in over 10 years of use they both just keep on going fine .. When blacksmiths didn't really have much more that an anvil and a set of hammers and a way to heat steel glowing red, forged steel has strength that the way it was back in the 1800, what other choice was there .. So next for me was to move up the line with either Wetterlings , Granfors , Hults Burk , yes as you know anyone of those three is expensive , well the days of the $17.95 made in America axes are gone off shore, my grandads axe prices are also gone .. That's the way it is, plus 60 years has passed us by and tools just cost more today.. I did look at Council tools which is like 136 year old company and i'm sure would have been very happy with a model but could not make up my mind on a certain model , plus the made in USA is very good .. Their top line models were not that far from the Swedish axes in price i discovered.. Gransfors it was for me, my choice was finally made after a year.. I use it a lot and really like it , i cannot find one thing i do not like about the tool ..At today's prices out there for almost anything in quality tools i didn't think $150.00 was unreasonable to pay.. Do i have regrets i ask myself , no i don't .. Could i chop the same wood and complete the same wood tasks with a $40.00 axe , yes i could and have done so .. Your video clip was very well done , i really enjoy them and learn things i did not know much about ..
Even better, find an old one that needs repaired. You'll learn a lot about what its functions are, what kind of haft it needs, how to sharpen it, and how to take care of it.
Agreed. Using an axe well includes having a set of skills that go along with it, and which can only be farmed out to other people so much. Might as well dive in and start learning early.
I can't agree with you on this video. When you buy a tool of any kind, you should always buy the most expensive (I meant to say best quality but you usually get what you pay for to a large degree) you can afford and then you don't have to buy it again. I've been in forestry most of my life and I've only broken a few axe handles. I don't abuse my tools. I still have the first axe I ever bought because I didn't buy junk. It's that throwaway mentality that is ruining the tool industry. I can't see any reason to buy a $30 axe if you're actually going to use it. Pay a little more and get something that you'll enjoy using. Unfortunately council tool is one of those companies that's trading on their good name and producing a lot of junk now. Sad. They do you still make some decent stuff in their premium lines.
Most expensive doesn't always mean most best. I have a bunch of old heads around here that when hung on a good handle will be as good as anything. Part of the premium price of some axes is just marketing. i'm not advocating that people buy total junk.
I totally agree with you on old axes. But the reason is that they were the best axes ever made. (and were very expensive new). Pretty much all production US axes made during the late 1800s and early 1900s were decent quality and no one wanted to buy junk. Most of my axes are old US made Sager chemicals or Kelly Works Perfect's that I made my own handles for. You just can't buy that level of quality anymore. Even Hoffman has decided that proper grain orientation is too expensive to use on his axes. If you want it done right you have to make your own handle.
PS I still disagree a little with you on buying cheap stuff but after watching a few more of your videos I see you really know your stuff. Respect and keep up the excellent work. Subscribed.
I just have a weird gut feeling that the proper grain theory might be just some kind of urban legend multiplied by internet. I might be wrong but forest service requirements does not even mention grain orientation (not having runouts is the key ). I just had opportunity to hold in my hands 1800s hewing axe and the grain orientation was horizontal.. For "S" shaped fawn foot kind of handle one needs vertical orientation, because of runouts, but for semi straight handles it might be actually the opposite
I think over time I've leaned more toward out of the box solutions for people. Even a year ago I was more about vintage and people hanging their own, but I keep hearing that people can't find heads in some areas and quality handles is always an issue. After my last handle buying experience I'm gun shy on buying anything sight unseen. I think Adam's handles are going to be great, but then there is fitting. It's a journey to figure all that stuff out and one I think people should make eventually anyway, but fitting a handle is more of a thing that many people will pull off the first time around. Hard to know what to recommend. My thinking on council is that I've used them and they seem to work okay (we'll see about the consistency issue) and they are cheap and unexciting enough that hopefully people won't be too shy about getting in there with a file and rasp. Still, agree that vintage is more ideal value wise. Expensive new axes that are also only allegedly high quality and design, isn't the best first step for most people. I'm hoping to deter people from that route until they know they are ready and know what they want. Also hoping that many will realize they don't need to spend much at all and will be perfectly happy with vintage stuff. Cheers.
I watched this wen it first came out and took the advice. I bought a cheep Collins axe from the hardware store and put a better Handel on it sharpened it and it’s great I’m working on a large felling axe now I got out of a rusty bucket at the flea market
Well I have a lot of cheap axes and one gransfors bruk axe. I have a lot of time in using axes and the expensive gransfors bruk is worth every penny. But your right its not the tool, its the man that wields it, that really matters.
I've had a cheap crap axe that gets shit on all the time and used for chopping roots. Works good but doesn't really chop well. Finally got a gransfors, it's much more axe then I need but it's also only has a days use. Still love it, cute amazing and I love just looking at it. It's like my saw. I don't really need it but I just love having it and looking at it every time I grab my lawn equipment, just waiting for the next time I get to break it out. It makes using the tools more special.
Bang on Steven! I took your advice and bought a cheap axe from a box store (Council doesn't ship to Canada). I've been learning to swing it, learning to file an edge and shaving down the handle a little at a time. As you say, it's a cheap axe so who cares, right? The funny thing is, now that I've put time into it, I'm damn proud of my cheap axe!
Dude I found a splitting maul & pickeroon combo online. The metal is German and the handles are American hickory. I got that combo for 120 bucks. To me, that’s a great deal. German forged steel and American Hickory handle.
Best "AXEs" for the cost ?? · Cold Steel Riflemans Tomahawk $22. Good weight. 22" handle. Friction fit head. If handle breaks easy to replace in the field. Axe blade. Hammer poll. · Cold Steel Travel Hawk. 22" handle hatchet 2" edge. Axe Blade. Hammer poll. Friction fit, etc... $22. · Cold Steel Pipe Hawk. Hammer Poll. $30. · Cold Steel Norse Hawk. $20-$30. No hammer poll. No spike. Just a huge 6" edge. · Cold Steel 30" Replacement Handle fir the WarHammer. Fits all cs tomahawks. · CRKT Nobo Tomahawk. $50-$60. No hamer/spike. Friction fit. 19" handle. · CRKT Chogan Tomahawk. $60+. Hammer poll. 19" handle. Friction fit. I like to be able to remove the axe heads for other uses.
I've never met a tomahawk that I liked yet for anything but throwing. Cold steel should make a plain dayton axe, but their market is more sensational/style it seems to me. Trail boss is basically a hudson bay type, which I'm not a fan of either.
I love refurbishing old tools. In the last couple of years I’ve picked up some great old axe heads at the swap meet or online all from $2-$20. Most were made here in North America 1960’s or before. One (a Swiss) I found on an army surplus sight. I fix them up, grind off the rust, sharpen them, and make new handles for them. After that I’ll make leather covers and handle protectors for them. ( most people I know don’t know how to swing an axe so they beat the crap out of the handle from overstriking) it’s turned into a fun little pastime. I give them to my friends who have cabins, fire places, or do a lot of camping.
Great to see more of your personality and humor coming through in these videos. I think some of these companies charge so much just for that "new axe feeling" haha
Great video with some excellent advice that can be applied to much more than just axes.... I really enjoy the videos where you show your sense of humor. :)
Your very funny when you do.... In that same vain....I am thinking about getting a badass tattoo of a ax with the words.... "proper axes come from sweedin" and or "wranglerstar approved"
I bought the $24 cold steel trail boss axe that wranglerstar reviewed with a glowing opinion. Its a pretty nice axe. I stripped the varnish with a cabinet scraper, oiled it up, then wrapped the handle with jute, and made a sheath for it from leather that I had in my shop. I live in Arizona, so I use the axe for processing "large" blue Palo Verde trunks for wood turning. I need to move to a green state
yeah, that's gotta be a buzz kill to be into axes and be looking at saguaros and brush all the time. I've looked at that axe, as an inexpensive alternative, but I really shy away from shallow eyes on axes from past experience.
SkillCult Thank you for the thoughtful response. I was thinking something similar. The eye doesn't have enough depth to keep it from wotking loose over time.
I think I could possibly say almost the same thing if anyone asked me about axes. The only thing I could say to recommend an expensive axe for a beginner was : IF you had a lot of money, so the cost didn't matter. AND you were not willing to put in work to modify the axes You likely would be better off buying an expensive axe because in general they will tend not to have the significant problems which can happen with cheaper axes and a novice would not immediately recognize/fix. A lot of cheaper axes, especially locally come not sharp, edges are over thick, apexes can have heavy angles/burr, etc., handles with perpendicular grain, heads not properly aligned, etc. . In comparison, someone trying to sort that out who swings a Bruks for the first time on wood which matches it profile likely will feel like he has a lightsabre. Now IF you were willing do do a quick head/handle inspection, AND modify the edge/bit profile, AND shave down the handle, that $30 axe will outperform the Bruks by the same amount.
I'm generally in favor of people jumping in right away to modification and tuning of axes. I have a video scripted out that deals with that, but in short, an axeman has to come with three things, a decent quality axe, the health/ability/skill to swing it and as important as anything, the ability to set up repair and maintain. And a beginner is actually the person that will most likely need to repair and maintain anyway, so when do you learn? After spending enough to buy three perfectly good axes and then messing up the axe? And I would never use a gransfors out of the box. They still need filing and the handles are still ridiculously thick. Granted, truly excellent resources to get people started out of the box with modification and set up are not that accessible. I've been chipping away at that, but will be making it easier in the future.
@@SkillCult I would agree, if the desire is to become competent, you have to be willing to put in the work to modify axes, any axe. However, even though I have no data, I would be willing to be a large amount of the market is for people who will never actually do significant modification, they are just weekend campers, etc. . In fact I would not be surprised if actual working axes were in a small minority - again I have no data, just from conversations, looking at internet commentary, etc. . How many posts/videos show modification to a Bruks vs commentary/praise on them as-boxed? I don't disagree with you, I think we just might be speaking about a different market.
I have no problem with US steel, in fact the last I heard we know quite a bit about manufacturing and production. I'll buy American. Thanks for the video
Great video. I've noticed a lot of Scandinavian axes have very thick handles. I think it might be because they use it differently than you. So the handle might not come from ignorance or pandering to the newb but from a different philosophy of expert use.
I'd like to hear a well considered argument for that. It's been proposed that it's because the woods traditionally used were less dense and or less strong than hickory and the designs over there just haven't compensated. The eyes are consistently larger. I feel like I have a very light handed technique and I can't stand those thick handles. Maybe I'm missing something though. Thanks for commenting.
SkillCult yes, light handed but with a nice snap that would probably be impossible with thick one. I don't you if you're much of a golfer (I'm not) but driving is all about club head speed and flexing the handle to get that snap at the impact of the stroke. Just like you do with an axe. It would be a fun experiment to measure what your axe head speed is at impact and compare it to others. You might be onto something with the boys axe tho. Putting a lighter head with a snappy full length handle might be the ticket. Ooh! A titanium axe head - the formula-1 of axes
I did not know that about golf clubs and thanks for telling me because that's another brick in a wall I'm building. I'm already pretty well convinced that a flexible handle operates as a whip like that. I first knew about the effect with atlatl darts and throwers. I'd like to measure it sometime. When I'm rich and famous and fix my honda, buy boots, and get a new camera and move out of my trailer, I'm buying a goddamn chronometer! it's either speed or mass. The real trick is to gain speed without a lot of effort. I'm not sure that sort of high physical efficiency can really be taught. Some fighters have it for instance and some don't. Floyd Mayweather definitely has it lol.
SkillCult you're a smart dude so you might already know this about physics… The measure of collisions, which is what an axe striking wood is, is kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is (1/2)mass x (velocity squared). Therefore if you reduce the axe weight from 3.5lb to 2.2lb [a 36% reduction] to make up for it you only have to increase the head speed at moment of impact by 25% To put it another way, if you increase the axe weight 5%, you increase kinetic energy 5%. If you increase axe speed 5%, kinetic energy yields a 10.25% increase. In short, head velocity has a better impact than its mass, it's not a 1 for 1 thing
The real trick is to gain speed without a lot of effort??? Maybe consider Frankenstaining the sh###t out of your boys axe.. Hang it on 36 inch handle; with the same angular speed you will achieve higher tangential velocity... it will not be nicely balanced anymore and because of higher speed it might be prone to breakage but it might be an interesting experience
I buy cheap tools until I find they’re inadequate, then I buy better ones. I bought a 24” Fiskars axe for $33 three years ago. It’s still just what I need.
Hey Steven, in another video you said that removing metal (1-2inch?)behind the edge is necessary but a chore. That was also tought in Bavaria in 1940-50 so a new axe was invented, the "Iltis-axt". Ochsenkopf (Oxhead) makes it or Müller Austria. It comes in teo patterns, the europe and the american pattern. (smaller edgelenght, heaver poll for different balance idk). The one thing it is different from older axes is the higher steel quality and the thinner cheeks one can achieve. The blade is nearly up to the eye evenly thin so it can bend a little. If you want i can send you the Study "the constructionprinciples of the axe" but it is all in german, there are a few interesting topics covered; doublecurvedhandles, axeheaddesign history and others. One thing i remember the clearest and will adopt in the future is lighter Heads. It was calculated in there that heavy heads (2kg ,atleast for european trees) have a higher kinetiv energy and get nearly swung as fast as light ones (900g) but it gets tiring quickly, but that is all observed by practice too. If you want i can send the scanned copy on your website. As far as i remember the study agrees with you and Ben scotts observations, but i will need to watch your videos again!
Thanks. I know about them, but haven't used one. It doesn't seem like they would make a good general purpose axe with that super thin bit. They are not that common here, although I think Stihl sells a rebranded version.
One of my best splitting axes is a 10.00 no name double bit and the plumb single bits are relatively cheap and are great splitting axes. Most of my axes I pick up at yard sales and if you know what your looking for you can find some pretty good deals.
Great advice on axe buying, like your neighbor I too spent a bit on tools, but I'm an axe and tool junkie when I can I enjoy putting money into my tools, the better the tool the less you have to work to a point. When I don't have the money to put in that's when I get practice my forging skills I'm getting the hang of it nothing to brag about yet lol. At least nothing I'm ready to send to you or wranglerstar yet.
I bought a Gransfors Bruks for carving. As wonderful as it is, I can only use it for about ten minutes before my wrist is done in. Found that the old Plumb head from my parent's basement with a handle (of apple yeah, I don't find much hickory around here), does a better job. The only upside is that the Gransfors Bruks is good for dispatching chickens with.
Weight is real important with carving hatchets. Max at woodsman's finest talks about that in a video. Most people will do best with a fairly light hatchet. I have used mostly regluar camp hatchets. I don't own any carving hatchets, though I'm sure they are nice, much can be done with a regular hatchet, or a hewing hatchet for more efficiently making flatter planes.
Hey Steve, not followed you for a while, but this video and its proposition follows what I was saying on my video about 'Bushcraft Knives', lots of money to be made in axe and knife sales. Most of the axes I have acquired in the last 5 years have cost me $5 to $10 dollars CDN, then then an average of $10-$15 for a haft (or for 3 hafts out of a length of Ash, Hickory, Birch or Beech from a lumber store, averaging $10-$15 per shaft if I custom make them..Refurbishing axes is a good process for a beginner to get into, it teaches a lot about the balance and potential of the tool in question. Some folks struggle with or hate sharpening tools, but again it is time well spent and a learning process about perfecting edges for a particular task. I hope all is well with you, Chris.
Hey Chris. Long time no see. I should bop over to your channel and see what you've been up to. I remember that knife video you did. Good stuff. Personally I would not have bought any of the new stuff I have except for looking for something close to an affordable out of the box solution for beginners. Maybe pushing people out of their comfort zone and into the skills they need to cultivate to hang and set up axes is better. I'm not sure.
I have had quite the year so far. I had been trying to sell by home (acreage) 70kms west of here in order to get some money to begin to develop my property up in the hills. Unfortunately money got very tight as at point of sale the house market prices had gone down a lot, the consequence of which was that we are now on a limited budget and trying to manifest a frugal plan B :) Also in the process of moving my camcorder went missing, I just got a new, 'budget priced' camera yesterday. I have not made a video for about 2 months, so I have some catching up to do. I have a few ideas for new content, including some documentation about establishing a new homestead from the dirt up. Good to hear from you Steve and see the great content you are putting out, Chris
This video is really helpful. I bought the Council Tool boys axe (24" handle) instead of the Woodcraft Pack Axe, as I'm still learning how to use an axe. The boys axe is great, and if the handle gets skunked, then I'll re-hang the head on a new handle. And it was cheap, so I'm not panicked about using it as a learning tool.
I have a double bit axe,a 2 1/2 lb single bit and an old boy scout hatchet (yeah I know how to use them) but the point is I have a grand total of about $30..just new handles..all the heads are old and very high quality steel.
check out the balance on that CT Boy's Axe. it balances right at the head and the head doesn't tilt fore or aft. Try that with your Euro fancy's. That's why I think it works so well. I use one to teach Boy Scouts how to axe (thanks to you and Dudly and Cook)
What an appropriate shirt for this video! Haha! I bought at least 100 axes before I bought a GB. I have no where near the experience as you but I know my way around an axe. I grab the old cheap ones before the GB all the time. I will say this, I do enjoy owning the new velvicut line of axes from CT. It's not a must have. Just cool to support a company keeping alive the American way. But old axes are very good quality. Very good!
Ok dude, 10-4; great great video! I'm a landscaper, I do a lot of cutting and clearing and not much splitting. My 100% most used axes are (1) the husq carpenter because I can limb a tree 1-handed with that big bastard head on it, helps when you gotta control the limb with the other hand. (2) A 26" estwing full metal because it was the cheapest way I could find a super thin bit that takes a real sharp edge. I've learned a ton about a man axmanship with these two, total cost
Chopping with an ax is a quaint old hobby. If you cut a lot of wood the only thing you need an ax for is banging felling wedges. I limb with my favorite yard sale Jersey ax but it took a long long time to become efficient.
I really wanted the Arvika 5 star, only if I can buy it right(less than 100) but I have seen a similar model at Home Depot for like 35! So I'm reconsidering. And actually now I would prefer to find an old head at a garage sale and build it myself. I've enjoyed your videos very much. Essential Craftsman has sent me here. Thanks and keep on what your doin. Sam
Hi Sam. I have heard good things about Arvika. Good tools are worth paying for usually, but with axes, good can just mean an old cheap head on a new handle. That home depot axe could very well be garbage, so proceed with caution.
Great points man. As someone that is pretty proficient with axes I slapped a new handle into a super old double bit made by Sager chemical axes and got good with it. Still have it and it holds a great edge. I plan on getting a nicer single bit again because my dumb ass some how lost my council tool velvicut ax I have no idea where it is 😢. I also reshaped that handle after I broke it and it fit much better in my hand. Of the hand forged Gränsfors Brük is pretty cheap. There are a couple companies that charge 400 for one ax. I’ll say it again get good then get a nice one.
My father came here from Cuba in the late 50s and worked a short time in logging. He taught me on absolute junk. I have a GB now and it's light years from them. But you're right. Learn to use stuff that you don't worry about messing up and for gods sake learn to not hurt yourself.
It all depends on how much you use it and your skill. Experts need better ones. Amateurs and beginers don't. Also, if you can't take care of it or abuse things, go cheap. If you use daily or weekly and do heavy use, live in the Boreal and have cut many trees down and such, you need a better tool. It simply works better. Bit thinness is absolutely *_critical_* to be honest, at least for pros. Also, proper temper, proper handle grain direction, proper handle material and shape, and also steel with impurities worked out cost money. You do get what you pay for, the question is, will it benefit you. Everyone is different. I'm a pro, been using axes almost weekly for 30 years, and thus I have a heck of a collection. Not everyone is me, and that's okay, too. Also, some don't have the cash to spend, that's okay too.
Amen. My first hatchet was a Harbor Freight special and my first axe was a $3.00 garage sale mystery make wonder that I beat and modified to hell. I'm still learning what type suits me best, but there is no replacement for trial and error. Some people have more sense than money and some people have more money than sense. I'll take the *sense* , money or not...
I myself am not an axe pro @ all as a matter of fact far from it. My most expensive axe is an Estwing 26". I once bought a used axe with a poly handle at a swap meet and It has been outside for over 5 years. It takes an edge really well & holds that edge for a long time. Thanks for all your videos & all of your advice on axes. - Marco
Awesome video! If I may give my poor-ass Pole perspective. Reasons why I personally considered buying a premium axe. There may be no middle ground on the market. In Poland you get useless axes for $7, >perfectly fine steel< axes for $10 and then there's premium. What I don't like about the $10's is that they require reprofiling and sharpening from the ground up. This may take hours for an inexperienced workshopnoob. Second, they may even come kinked! Third, the handle is often just for looks, poor beech with poor grain orientation. You might as well consider it an axe head purchase. Also keep in mind that USA is Eden when it comes to vintage tools. In Poland we have poor availability and the prices are at least 3 times higher. 1 kg blacksmith's vintage hammer, hung? $40 please. All that said, when I'm done with my cheap frankenhatchet I'm experimenting on I'll certainly consider buying Robinwood's hatchet which is of perfect quality AND comes razor sharp.
Good point on the time fitting up an axe for use. Of course that is good experience, but it's true, no cheap axes are ready to chop out of the box. Reasonable handles and quality are obviously pretty essential.
I've been meaning to do both short and long versions of some videos, but for now I'm able to just pull off stuff that is easy to stand in front of a camera and talk. I think that's a good idea though. Thanks.
Really agree with you on all points. Ah, retail therapy...........never does it. I like your recommendation, get an old axe head, buy a good handle, learn to haft the thing and if you screw it up, do it again. Love the old heads. This applies to everything - knives, skillets, tents , packs on and on.
