Post your axes Gransfors Bruk splitting maul - Love it Grandfather's

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You should take a Silky saw rather than an axe into the woods next time.

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>>930662
Old price list with correct names

>>930677
cool, but...k?

>>930671
Nah, not as much fun or as useful for all round purposes.

>>930671
yeah ive heard theyre great for splitting rounds

>>930671
have you tried batoning it?

>>930771
Have you tried batoning an axe?

>>930677
Really neat. What year is that?

>>930671
You should try a Dustrude bow saw.

>>930662
Just putting this out there, I found Granfors SFA in stock last night after scouring the webs for the scandi forest axe. Good Price too. Was hoping in return someone might have info on Scandinavian forest axes. I know from talking to a lot of shop owners that GB doesn't actually tell businesses what they're being shipped until they send them. But If you have info, please share.


https://survivalschool.com/product/gransfors-bruks-axes/?attribute_item=Small+Forest+Ax&wccf_qv_conf=1

>>930777
It would stil work better than batonig a saw

Anyone have experience with the cheap fishers X7 hatchet? Or other hatchets in that price range?

Main concern about the fishers is I've heard the steel is pretty soft. There's the estwing but the metal handle sucks and you can't choke up on it, plus I've read bad things about the edge geometry but IDK.

I'm sort of in the market for a hatchet for bowyery I guess and other general wood working and carving.... Not sure what to look for though and I'm poor so no GB or Wetterlings. I would go used but the flea market here is just mexicans selling cheap plastic garbage from china and airbrushed shirts.

>>930843
Fiskars goddamn autocorrect.

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muh axes

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Repost from the last axe thread. Missing the broad axe(?), the big splitting axes and a few random ones. The ones on the left need a bit of love.

>>930849
Nice DSI

>>931101
thanks!

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Dumping some of muh axes

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>>932321

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Muh wetterlings

>>932321
did you forge the axe?

>>932330
Nope, bought it in Serbia for 6 euro.

>>930746
>fun
clearly you have never had to do serious work for more than 20 minutes before going back inside your heated cabin

>>932704
If you're working, carry both.
Because both tools have a purpose and both excel at different things.

If you're doing it for fun then its up to you.
An axe is fun, but good saw is extremely satisfying to use too.

>>932704
Oh yeah, working with an axe for hours felling trees with an ax is obviously nothing, it's nothing using an axe all day in the cold winter miles from any house or civilization, but yeah, i should use a saw that can't be resharpened and will break unless you feel like sawing all day long.

Best axe for under 50 shekels?

Most axes where I'm from only have a single head, and nobody really uses them for chopping wood these days.

What's the advantages of a double headed axe? I see them fairly regularly on here.

>>933659
Different profile for hard/soft wood, better balance, heavier weight, more ergonomic straight handle.

Has anyone else tried out the axes from LIDL?

I have a full size axe, a splitting axe, and a hatchet with a 1.5kg head and 9" plastic handle.

The steel in all of them is good. 1055 according to the package.
Not sure who made them.

The profile out of the box is thick and dull.

I reprofiled the hatchet to a very thin edge and it really impressed me.
Because of the weight its great for carving.
It holds its edge well. Can still shave arm hair after hours of chopping and carving.

The handle isn't too good. I might replace it soon.

>>933697
Thank you!

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>>930671
So true. So sad all these ladies need to haul a maul around with them so they can spend 3x the energy doing half the amount of work.
>Splitting rounds
Do you even /out/?

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You guys know anything about these axes?
The're lots of them on ebay for around $25 a piece.
They all ship from Bulgaria so I guess that's where they are made.

>>932902
You missed my point and failed to make your own point. I don't understand what the fuck you're saying.

>will break unless you feel like sawing all day long
what does that even mean?
>Oh yeah, working all day with axe.... obviously nothing
what? that's the opposite of what I'm saying yet you write it with clear sarcasm like you're mocking me

Also saws can be resharpened. Even silky saws. Do you think the old timey lumberjacks just threw out their crosscut saws when they got dull? No, they sharpened them until the teeth were nubs.

>>932717
I only end up using my axe for prospecting dry wood and limbing. Its worth the effort of carrying it around to save the effort of cutting through an 8 inch diameter log to find out its soaked and frozen. This is why I take only a tiny axe.

You're right, an axe is fun to use but not in lieu of a saw. Chopping down a big fucker with a 3.5lb axe stops being fun after you fell it and realize you have to go through all that effort several more times to section it.

>>934021
I think the problem people have with saws is they have never used a sharp one so they can't possibly know what a good saw is capable of.

They think every saw is the same as that battered old crosscut saw they have hanging up in the shed.

A sharp saw requires ten times less physical exertion than an axe does.
The only thing I hate is how tedious they are to sharpen.

After a long day my eyes are tired, the light is fading so I go to sleep.
Then I end up wasting the best time of the day to do hard work on something like sharpening.

As far as bucking goes, the saw is the only choice. You are literally throwing wood away if you use an axe.

Good hatchet for 50 yurocoins?

>>934053
Is this gud?
http://m.ebay.ie/itm/HULTAFORS-Swedish-Hickory-Trekking-1-3-4Lb-800g-Splitting-Axe-Hatchet-HULH008SV-/390255254342?nav=SEARCH

>>934054
its pretty good, you could do a whole lot worse

>>934053
Bahco, Husqvarna, Iltis(oxhead), Stihl, Fiskars, Hultafors, Helko Werk.

Lots to choose from. All German/Scandinavian patterns that are widely available.

If you want southern patterns without a wedge, you will have to look locally.

>>934018
What i mean is, a folding saw is terrible for doing anything more than small saplings or for carving because when you get tired (which is waaay quicker with a saw than an ax) you snap the blade, i've done it to 4-5 saws, always the same story, saw a 4-6 inch piece of wood, hands get tired because le shit short blade and the blade snaps. I think i know for myself which i prefer, you can go around telling undecided morons that your overpriced Jap Silky saw is so amazing and the best thing ever, but i would never get one, a few chops and i'm through a 4-5 inch log, with a saw i'm not only very limited to a diamater, but it takes way longer to get through a log only to find out it's wet or rotten.
>Do you think the old timey lumberjacks just threw out their crosscut saws when they got dull?
False equivalence, a crosscut saw with big ol' teeth is not nearly the same thing as an overpriced folding saw with tiny ass teeth that require a tiny file that you can hardly find.

>>934043
>A sharp saw requires ten times less physical exertion than an axe does.
Ever tried sawing through a thick or dense log? I carry a sharp 12" bow saw, but it is incredibly tiring to use on even 7 inch pieces.
>As far as bucking goes, the saw is the only choice. You are literally throwing wood away if you use an axe.
I take it you're shit with an ax? Because if you weren't, you'd know that if you chop properly when bucking and throw big chips those chips effectively function as kindling or tinder.

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Heres my old Norlund. Just sharpened it and waxed the head

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>>934113
Too bad the original handle is going to shit, Ill have to replace it soon

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>>932331
I'm from Serbia. Where di you buy it? Is it an old or new one? How is the steel?

Pic related are my favorite axes

Anyone else think this stupid little axe renaissance we have had for the last ten years is focused too much on Scandinavian and German patterns?

>>934286
Yes. It's not only about axes tho, all hand tools have had a renaissance and most of it is modeled about northern europe/american tradition

>>934293
Numales trying to make up for an adolescence wasted in front of a computer screen.

>>934340
I can actually appreciate that but people need to stop being faggots about it.

>>934256
I can't remember exactly where i bought it since i bought it like 4 years ago from some dude who was selling them, the steel is OK, it's not great but not terrible, definitely superior to cheap shitty hardware store axes.

>>934590
If you find him again, partner up with him and begin selling them on ebay or etsy

A few posts above is one of the axes Bulgarians are selling on ebay.

>>934293
Can you show me a few examples? All hand tools I own are pretty standard in pattern.
The only regional differences I've seen are in things like pointing Trowels

>>933731
No idea, looks like a carving pattern?

>>933731
It's a typical Slavic pattern ax. It could be a splitting ax, camp hatchet, universal ax or some other purpose ax.

>>934113
>>934115
Sucks that handles' so damaged, it looks like a really nice handle.

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>>934590
Yes the steel is not the same as in swedish axes, it's plain carbon steel like what they used in the old days. It's softer than the swedish steel but I find that it takes a sharper edge and it's easier to file.
In the US baryonix sells them, he's got some videos about them. However he carries only a few models and they are overpriced, in Italy you can find the larger axes for about 30 euro

http://www.baryonyxknife.com/

>>934601
I don't understand, examples of what?

Pic are my Serbian axes

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>>934692
More axes

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>>934712
Carpentry

>>934717
This one I made for a friend and I painted the small Italian hatchet, I just got tired of looking for it in the woods all the time

What's a good idea for carrying a hatchet like that when working with a chainsaw? Tucking in the belt is kinda uncomfortable

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>>934719
ops forgot the pic

>>934719
Get one of those hammer carrying loops, that's what i do.

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>>930662

>>934692
>I don't understand, examples of what?
Of hand tools that aren't Northern European.

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>>934870
Well all the axes I posted above are good examples. Italian Spanish Slavic axes and adzes are very different. I lived in Italy for many years and many loggers there carry on their belt a roncola (billhook pic related) because it is traditional and it is a very useful tool to have. Billhooks can be found in every home in Italy, I guess it's like the kukri in Nepal

There are are masonry, carpentry, blacksmithing tools that are unique to every country. Hammers come in many different shapes for example. Also woodworking tools, for example every country has its own type of hand plane and there are hundreds of them but online most planes you can find are the Bailey metal planes or english and german wooden ones. Same for woodworking benches.

This renaissance is centered on north european/american tradition because that's where it has been developed. Why would they care about other countries' tools if these countries don't give a shit themselves. In my country there is absolutely no culture about fine hand tools and people make do with the crusty old blunt tools they have laying around, or crappy chinese ones

>>931098
When did an adze become an axe?

>>934712
>>934717
>>934721
Eh he, these pics make me remember the smell of my grandfathers shop.

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Purchased a metal bucket full of splitting wedges at a farm auction. These were in the bucket.
Have not had time to mess with them.

>>934098
1. You assumed I use a silky, I wish I could afford one, I use a $13 CAD 36 inch swede saw. Just saying.

2. The only way this is even possible that you are this efficient with an axe is that you are extremely experienced with one. This still doesn't excuse being so shit with a saw but anyhow, 99.99% of people are capable with a saw and with almost no learning curve, can be damn near as efficient if not more so than a professional axe user. That 99.99% of people will never need to use an axe enough to get as good as you claim to be.

3. I don't cut through the log without checking. I take a small axe to prospect dry wood by just cutting into it a little bit and feeling if its damp.

You might be right actually about sharpening a Silky. I have only heard you can sharpen them but of course I have never had one to sharpen myself.

Also props to you if you really are that good with an axe, I'm jealous. I've only ever seen those youtube videos of axe competitions with guys who can hack through what must be a 9 inch diameter log in less than 10 strokes with a 5lb axe. Jelly.

Oh yeah and saws are way safer and can be safely used in the dark.

>>935183
Using an axe is not that difficult git gud faggot

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What's the best way to tighten a loose axe head? I tried soaking it in linseed oil for a few weeks but it didn't work. Can I wedge it from the bottom or should I get smooth out the indentation at near the top and then drive a wedge through the top of the handle? See this artist's rendering for further detail.

I'd rehaft if it were any old axe but this one is a tomahawk with a fancy carved haft.

>>935251
Nope, you're fucked.

question:
my grandpa used to sink the axe in a water bucket since the head would never stay still, doing so made wood absorb water and blocking the head
was granda autist/senile or that the normal way?

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>>935251
You can plane the back of the head and add a wedge on the back side from above, no need to split the haft.

>>935355
Not senile he was autist many people fall for that and it triggers me. Soaking in water is a meme and it only makes it worse

>>935361
yeah it would rust all over and in the end go back to how it was before once dried, but im not experienced in pratical jobs so i said nothing

>>935355
It helps. For a day or so until the wood dries and shrinks and eventually rots from the water.

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Don't see axe general so gonna ask here. Looking for a small hatchet mostly to chop down trees no wider then your wrist drag them to camp and process them (using laplander for that). So i started looking at fiskars X5 but judging from the videos it looks very uncomfortable and then the XA3 came up. Its a brush axe and looks like it could do the cutting job about as good(aka barely), is designed to remove small branches, the front can be used as as an improvised digging tool, and you can use it as a machete to clear your path in some deep woods. Anyone have experience using it or something similar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTSePz-QfEA#t=1m00s

>>935875

see this >>935052

>>935875
Seems like it works fine, but Fiskars hatchets and axes have stupid soft steel and that worries me a bit with this thing.

>>935251
Maybe try re-seating the head all together.
>Take out the wedge
>take off the head
>reprofile the top to make a new shoulder just a tiny bit lower so the head sits further down
>seat it properly noice and tight
>cut off excess wood from the top (because now the head should be lowered down)
>make or buy new wedge
>wedge it in
>soak it in boiled lin-seed oil
>profit

I have never done this but I've seen it down and have an old axe that I can see has clearly had this done to it before and it is perfectly tight. It won't look weird because you're only lowering it less than an inch in all likelihood. It will look normal. This also gets rid of all that shitty mangled up wood you find on old axes.

If it were my axe this is probably what I would do.

>>935361
Like remove metal from the head? No. Don't do this. You'll ruin the axe head.

>>937243
He obviously meant the handle

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>>935052
Italy loves that shape of blade.
The curved Opinel may even be the most popular model.

>>934870
Swedish patterns are very common, but Finnish pattern "twelve" style axes are rare and they're north European. German and American patterns are gaining popularity recently.

>>937305
i want that so hard, it wouod be good tier for hand harvesting herbs and such

>>937649
The Billnäs nr 12? Never seen anything like it.
I can see a little bit of the Roselli in it. Probably was the inspiration.

My favorite pattern is the Kent, from England. Known as the Shipbuilder's axe in the us. Looks similar to a hewing axe but is nothing of the sort.

Long, thin cheek and wide blade. Excellent for felling trees with thick bark. Not a bad woodcraft axe either used with a short handle.

>>934680
Its a beatiful handle, im hesitant on giving it up

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>>937709

Speaking of axes. The axemanship in these old log house building videos are insane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3J5wkJFJzE

>>938523
That's because the old timers in those videos didn't have chainsaws, axes and crosscut saws were all they had and needed so naturally they're great with them.

>>938726
That video was filmed in 2010 by the Finnish National Film Service.

They had chainsaws back then, even in Finland, but the gas was too expensive because of the potato famine the previous year so the chainsaws went into storage and the axe came back out.

>>938752
Thats... idiotic...

The cost of powering a chainsaw(with fuel) is *NOTHING* compared to the cost of powering an axe(through a human eating healthy calories). If theres *no* fuel, thats one thing.... But it would effectively have to be something crazy like $500usd a gallon for it to be cheaper to use hand tools than gas powered tools.

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Heres my collection at this point.

1. 28" Swedish forest axe. Pretty much done with it. Has that ugly water-line near the head cause thats where my dad had soaked it in a bucket for a few months. I cleaned the handle up as best i could, and brushed the head off with a rotary brass brush after soaking *just* the head in vinegar. Iv done maybe 8 coats of boiled linseed oil. Only thing left is to scuff the surface coat up so it isnt tacky.

2. another 28" Swedish forest axe. This ones handle is in much worse shape. I'm thinking i'll ask a woodworker friend to splice a piece in on the shoulder/in the eye, since that part was chewed up by past owner. 90% of the shoulder is still there, so it *should* still be safe to use, if hung properly, but id feel safer if there was not a hollow part in the eye.

3. MasterHunter hatchet. This is the first one iv fixed up that gets a new handle(fitting it now, which is why its so far off the shoulder). Not all the circular scuffs on the axe head. Thats cause i used a steel rotary brush. I figure its smarter to just use one $5 steel brush for 5+ axes and clean them up a bit more with 800 grit sandpaper, than replace the $8 brass one every axe.

4. Old family hatchet from cottage. Its junk. Entire head needs re profiling. I just put it on the MasterHunter handle to practice hanging an axe.

5. Hatchet i picked up at a 2nd hand store. Might clean it up,(scrap varnish off the handle, scrub the rust spots with WD40 and brush).

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>>938815
close up on the heads

>>938815
here again

Just to be clear, the only ones that are fully hung are 1 and 5. Everything else is still okay to be fidgeted with. I know 4 and obviously 3 still need to be moved down a bit more to be fitted properly.

>>938803
Raindeer is plentiful so Raindeer stew is cheap. Thats what they're eating in the video.

The Finnish economy was based on export of potato based spirits.
When the potato famine hit, exports dropped to record lows and the Finnish currency crashed as well.

Gas is an import and with a weak currency and the Government rationing all stock it became impossible to obtain at any price.

The Army was even deployed to stop smugglers from Norway and Russia.

For a while, there were thousands of Finnish women on mail order sites.
Should have got one while I had the chance.

>>938928
In 2010...? I don't think there are many parts in Russia where things are that dire. And Finland is near the top of the human development index(probably above the USA)

>>938942
It was 2010 for sure. These things happen often, even in countries with high development.
I remember because the same year a similar thing happened on a smaller scale in parts of Russia and Ukraine when Wheat fields burned due to an extreme heatwave and they lost 30% of arable land and Russia banned all exports of wheat.
theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/05/vladimir-putin-ban-grain-exports

I remember phoning flour mills in Estonia and, Lithuania, Latvia at 2 in the morning trying to buy as much flour as I could before they rationed their stock too. I flipped it and made €380,000 from €40,000 in a two days off of dumb speculators.

Also, semi related was the butter shortage in Norway during Christmas of 2011 when the average price for a stick of butter was €500.
The Government declared a state of Emergency.
This time the Finns were the ones smuggling into Norway.
The Danish national TV station held a charity drive where people could donate butter to Norway.
The ad showed Norwegian families gathered around a dinner table looking at an uncooked Turkey.
Another one showed a little girl eating an unbuttered slice of bread.


Also three Russian smugglers who tried to pass off margerine as butter got murdered but the killers never prosecuted.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_butter_crisis

>>938994
>500 eur for a stick of butter
Holy shit seriously? Is there a story on that?

>>930662
Hey /out/. I want to fell a mesquite tree that's ~12 in thick at waist height, thicker at the base.

What axe do I need and why? Price is an issue, but I'm willing to spring for something if the money gets me quality I'll need.

>>940663
You need a bow saw anon

>>940674
Lame. I wanted to fell it with an axe.

Any recommendations?

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really regret not buying this bahco splitting axe, really feeling the urge to go back and check if they still have it if so im buying it

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>>940810

>>940810
Looks kind of memey even though I know its not a new design. I remember seeing one of those in Sweden in Gransfors Bruk's Axe Museum, the Chopper1 I think it was from the 70's.

>>940675
a chainsaw

>>940663
The axe used to cut trees is called a Felling axe.

Mesquite is a hard wood. You will need a sharp axe otherwise you will wear yourself out.

>>940663
Get an ax with a broader head shape, like a Wetterlings or if you have the money and time, get a Hoffman ax.

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>>941446
That's the opposite of what you want, broad heads are for softwood, like the american ones. Traditional hardwood axes have a long and narrow head with a thin edge for best penetration

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>>941486
love these :3

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>>941491

>>941491
That makes me hard

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>>941610
is MOAR what you want?

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>>941620

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>>941621
swedish meme axes don't even come close

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>>941625
she's for hewing

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>>941626

>>941620
Pls yes

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>>941659

>>941677
Whats the name of the pattern?

Im physically lusting after it

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>>941678
kek it's a northwestern italian pattern I guess

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>>941681

>>941682
it is quite sexy

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>>941682

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>>941687
These are working tools not someone's toys

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>>941689

>>941486
Oh shit, is mesquite the super hard wood? I was thinking about softwoods.

>>942037
>Is one of the hardest, desest and knottiest woods in the world super hard?
lel @ u

>>941486
Long cheeks work a lot better on trees with thick bark too.

>>942044
I was thinking about a different wood and couldn't be bothered to look up which one it is, sue me.

>>934712
Nice axes. What are these used for?

>>942067
Those are bearded axes. Pretty much the basic axe in Slavlands.

>>942067
everything

>>942067
It's basically the Slav version of the Swedish axes, it's an all-rounder.

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bought the last one (maybe the only one ever produced)

>>943748
>600 eur
I'd rather not pay that much for a simple ax with a beech wood handle. I'd rather buy one from Liam Hoffman or John Neeman for $300

>>943760
>$300
rip off

>>944399
Yeah i'm sure a guy making high quality axes by himself for his living is totally ripping us off.

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>>944399

>this is what people who shop at walmart actually believe

>>944461
Eh... I mean i dont doubt $300 worth of skill, workmanship, materials, etc.. all go into it. But its not going to be 6x better than a $50 council tools axe.

That said, $300 for a beautiful axe that'll probably(hopefully) be passed down to your kids and taken care of is better than trying to do that with a council tools one... Though honestly, i think a GB is the sweet spot for value in that department. Plus id feel weird using a Neeman axe hard, and possibly damaging it.

>>944453
>>944461
did he forge it with his peinis

>>944478
Yes, how else would you forge a true quality axe?

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>>944473
>passed down to generations
Its a meme, son. Maybe vs. council tools yeah but in general, not great for these high end axes either. You can pass down any axe head that's made of decent steel.

Also the handles are specail. If you have to replace the handle, you either have to make one new yourself or buy one from the company. If in 50 years the company no longer sells this handle, tough luck, you have to make one from scratch.

>GB is the sweet spot for value in that department
Go to a garage sale and find one marked US or Sweden or something. Those axes are going to be at least 50 years old and will last another hundred years if you want.

I'm saying this having bought a $200 axe. I usually end up using an old swedish axe I got from my grandpa because I don't have to care so much about it. I don't abuse my axes but sometimes its nice to be able to bring a bastard file to sharpen an axe rough in about 30 seconds rather than sharpen it using a stone for 20 minutes for fear of ruining a $200 axe.

Also before somebody says something about using a file to sharpen an axe, I don't have time to waste putting ridiculous amounts of time into my tools to preserve them for a bit longer when I can just go get a replacement every 5 or whatever years for basically no cost. I don't exclusively use a file, only if I can't do the same job with a stone in 1 or 2 minutes and only lightly. If a bastard file is good enough for the forest service, its good enough for me.

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>>945706

>>945706
>>945707
That Les Stroud ax is kinda ugly and looks pretty shit in design. I'd rather get their Hudson Bay pattern for a bit less money. The sheath is sexy as fuck tho, where'd you get it?

>>945706
I agree that an old axe will often be on par if not better than the $200 Swedish axes, the problem is the old ones tend to be heavier and bigger so the bushcraft meme cool kids don't tend to like them since you can't put on a 20" handle like uncle Ray's small forest axe has.

>>942077
>>942076
>>942074
Thank you.

>>941689
have I maybe seen you on some Italian forums? mi sembra di aver già visto questa collezione di bellissime scuri...

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Opinions on my art project?

>>946920
Sì, il forum è lamotosega.forumattivo.com e le foto non sono tutte mie, sono anche di altri utenti

>>947286
Viva il duce, Sua Eccellenza Benito Mussolini, Capo del Governo, Duce del Fascismo e Fondatore dell'Impero.

>>947428
viva il duce

>>930662
How's that steel collar stand up to over strikes? Is it made of crappy thin sheet metal or actual hardened steel?

>>947994
actually you don't need much more than sheet metal for adequate protection but not the thin ones. I use scrap zinc plated steel sheet from rain gutters and it holds nicely

>>948028
I'd imagine soft sheet metal would deform quickly with overstrikes. Am i wrong?

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Found this on some random bushcraft forum, how sexy is the Rockaway/Jersey pattern?

>>948068
Yes it will deform but it doesn't really have where to go, it will adhere to the wood, and it will not tear like thin metal. It's still a better solution than a hardened steel sleeve which would have to be thick and heavy, and that instead of deforming will crack and shoot shrapnel into you.

>>948080
I can't imagine something like Rotband Plus from Ocshenkopf cracking very easily.

>>948087
I don't really know but I guess that is mild steel and not hardened. However I still prefer sheet metal. A steel sleeve and the handle have to be shaped exactly the same to fit snugly while I can just bend the sheet metal around the handle and fasten it with nails. And even if it wears out it's easy to replace

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God I wish I had the money for one of these beauties.

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I have a few

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>>948589
wats dis

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>>948590
French mining axe. Used for shortening shoring beams in mines and stuff. The odd shape is so you can swing it in tight spaces. Sometimes they'd be properly forged, other times just have a riveted eye. I made that one and find it to be a really good carving axe because of the shape.

>>948591
What an interesting design for an axe, i have never seen that before despite my interest for axes.

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How did I do?

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>>948590
>>948591
That's very simple to make, you just take a plate of steel and fold a bar to make the eye and forge/rivet it to the plate, in the roughest form. More elaborate forgings are made smooth however like these felling axes >>941491 >>941677

>>948799
what's the purpose of such a tiny handle?

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Got this one. Gonna restore it this spring.

>>949082
Where did you get it? Can i have it?

>>948799
Kind of an ugly grind senpai
>>949056
Probably meant for a small hunting hatchet.

>>949082
It's like the axes in the finnish housebuilding video

this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3J5wkJFJzE

Wonder how good that poll is for hammering stuff

>>949088
Got it used from interwebs flea market. I'll be keeping it thanks.

>>949108
That is because it most likely is same model. This Billnäs 12/2 was really popular. I haven't used it for hammering stuff yet but have heard it is adequate.

>>949109
I wonder how would it be if I welded a plate of spring steel on the poll of an ordinary axe for the purpose of bangin plastic wedges

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muh baby at work

>>949111
You can pound plastic wedges with any regular axe.

>>949082
Isn't that the Billnäs Nr. 12:3? Can you wedge the handle like any regular axe or is there some special method of wedging them?

>>949890
It is 12/2. 12/1 is heavier and 12/3 is lighter model. The eye is quite narrow but I assume that regular methods work ok for new handles. There are many traditional methods for wedging them. I'll see if I find my folder with old finnish axe documents.

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>>949890
Found one traditional method from outdoor book.

>>949994
So, there are two pegs (pictured at the bottom, dimensional numbers are millimeters). This particular model is not Billnäs 12 though. This model is most likely number 2 and it seems to have larger eye. I think I saw one wedging method for Billnäs 12 that used X shaped cuts for 2 wedges.

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Found some pictures of 12/3 being wedged. This is the traditional käärmekiila (snake wedge). As you can see the handle has been split multiple times and the handle has been carved to fit the narrow eyelet of the axe.

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Also some other methods compared.

>>938994
500 NOK, not €500

>>949994
>>950003
Didn't the Finnish military have a hatchet similar to the Billnäs Nr. 12 but smaller for carrying in their survival kits?

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A rehandling job. German army military surplus Helko axe 4lb, paid 13 euro

>>950515
that's about 56 euro which is still a lot

>>950739
Yes I think they had. I saw once a loose Billnäs head with SA stamp. Was very similiar to the model 12.

>live in 3rd world shithole
>will never have a rich family/local tradition of hunters and outdoorsmen with quality craftsmanship tools

One life and I'm trapped in this shit destiny

>>950750
I live in 3rd world too and I'm poor as fuck but I still have plenty of quality tools. Not fancy maybe but still good quality

>>950740
The handle's a bit iffy, no swell on it and looks a bit thick.

>>950754
I would never put a swell on a handle and thick is good

>>950757
Actually, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, a thin and flexible handle is better as it bends instead of breaks, it also transfers less shock to your hands. There's a reason old timers used thin handles on their axe, a thick one has properties similar to glass or ice: it's strong, but it risks breaking with too much vibrations, a thin one on the other hand will just bend since it's flexible and not stiff.

>>950763
yes with hickory, but that handle is beech

>>950764
And the reasoning for not putting a swell on the handle?

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>>950783
It's uncomfortable

This is what the axe looked like when i bought it, the handle was not bad, it was very thin, about 20mm and made of ash, and I'm not a fan of curved handles
The beech handle is not really that thick tho, it's 25mm

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What the fuck is this

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>>950818

>>950818
>>950820
Looks like a broken bit that was sharpened. Might be useful for chopping at roots.

>>950845
no it's more than one axe and they're all the same. They are ground that way and painted, it should be a firefighting tool

>>950851
Could be a rescue hatchet meant for cutting through stronger materials like sheet metal.

>>950818
that's a NATO serial number.
4210-12-124-7437 Beil

beil doesn't mean anything to me, but it's listed between extinguisher, fire and ladder, fire, single.
so i'm guessing it's a firefighting hatchet.

>>950929
beil means hatchet in german

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Alaskafag here. SO many axes, how do I decide which one? Looking just for a general use axe.

Can someone recommend a good double bit axe for under 75? Preferebly from amazon

>>951864
scandavian forest axe is good for all around use. Or any forest axe

>>951913
Gränsfors Bruk?

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>>951864
Sup AK bro. Juneau here

Forest axe or boys axe. Get something cheapish, made in USA/Europe and hickory handle. None of that polymer/fiberglass bullshit.

Here's my kit from last summers harvest. I burn wood for heat.

Axe and maul are old garage sale heads I've restored and rehung. Unknown manufacturer but both stamped USA. Maul is about 8lbs.

>>951908
Condor and Marbles make decent ones.

>>951864
Don't listen to >>951913 faggot, the bit is too narrow for chopping, it sticks like mad in conifers and soft hardwoods, unless you're mostly chopping oak, maple and other hard hardwoods, get a wide bit like a Wetterlings or restore a vintage axe.

>>951908
Knifecenter has the Condor CTK4051C175 on sale for $59.95 plus shipping.

The handle needs stripped and treated with boiled linseed oil, and it needs some sharpening work, but it is good quality steel and heat treat in a decent pattern.

For me it is the perfect size and weight for a double bit.

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>>950003
heres the fanciest wedging iv done so far... On a stanley geologist hammer. The eye is in the shape of a trapezoid so i had to really split the kerf a lot. So much so, that i accidentally split the handle putting the middle one in. I jammed a bunch of wood glue into the crack and clamped it overnight and it seems to have held... though honestly i wouldnt trust the tool for hard use.(not that i had any use for a geologists hammer anyway...)

$3 from a 2nd hand store, maybe an hour of labor cleaning the handle up and scrapping down the head, and $1 worth of linseed oil and some scraps of hickory wedges i had laying around. Dont want to use a steel wedge on it since i only have a few spare ones atm, and again, i doubt this'll ever see any use(more just to practice fixing up an old tool)

>>951864
>>952114

We've had this discussion on this thread already, stubby and broad axes are better for softwood, they take large chunks out and don't stick but they are not suitable for hardwood because they do not penetrate really well. For hardwoods a long and narrow axe is preferrable.
I'm in eastern europe and my favorite axes are the Italian ones with the slide-on handles which I prefer over the wedged style, they come in a variety of shapes and you can find some models in the US on the Baryonyx site http://www.baryonyxknife.com/

>>952252
I'm from Slovenia and i'm partial to my Husqvarna, it's okay for chopping through beech, oak and ash, but meh for pine, spruce and aspen which are more common, i'm gonna either get a Wetterlings or a Hoffman Blacksmithing one since i need a good axe for pounding in wedges when felling with a saw.

>>952886
American style axes with the long poll are really the best for pounding wedges. I made this for this exact purpose >>950740 it's 4lb and 80cm handle, but even a 70cm handle would work well

>>952904
That's kind of what i'm looking for, an ax with a heavier and chunkier head and a poll big enough to pound wedges, the handle has to be thin enough to be comfortable for chopping.

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>>952925
Yeah but if you're felling with a saw you're not going to do a big deal of chopping so don't concern yourself too much with that. You would chop occasionally if your saw is stuck in smaller limbs, but you won't chop down a tree that has sit back on your bar with an axe. Also consider that these axes will get thrown around a lot in the dirt and everywhere so they will get dull often and there is a real chance you will lose it so don't get fancy with them, but don't cheap out either. Get a fancy falling axe if you are into that shit, for a saw work axe I would stay in the 30-50 euro/usd range or get a vintage one. Bizovicar, Tovarna Kos, Jeklo Ruse make nice axes, you know

I use this hatchet when I'm falling it's a very old Italian head 700 grams with 70cm handle, very good steel very sharp, I tuck it in my belt or have it laying nearby. I don't like the smooth paint but painting an axe in bright color is a good way to not lose them, you won't spot the axe when it's camouflaged under leafs and dirt
I don't use the plastic wedges when falling because I've never felt the need for them, I use smaller wooden wedges (cigarette pack size) and only when I really need them to keep the saw kerf from closing and pinching the bar, so I don't pound on them. But what I cut mostly is oak beech and hornbeam so maybe it's not the same for pines

>>952939
I pretty much only use my Wetterling Hunter's Hatchet for pounding wedges since it's always on my belt in one of those hammer loops, the only time i use a bigger ax is when i'm chopping with it as the main tool or i'm pounding in wedges into larger dead standing trees since they need more wedges because there's not enough weight on top. I had a Jeklo Ruše ax for a while but then i broke the handle and it got chipped real bad from carelessness, now i'm very careful with my axe work, i don't just throw it about like a toy.

>>952946
Jeklo Ruse handles are absolute junk but the heads are good quality

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>>952946
>>952947
This one is Jeklo Ruse 2kg, I paid 20 euro and fit an ash handle on it, I use it for splitting. I'm not a fan of this shape, they are good at everything and at the same time good at nothing.
Slide-on handle is always the superior choice tho

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>>952955
Bizovicar are a bit superior you should try kranjska

>>952947
>>952955
Jeklo Ruše make shit handles and the eye is so big you can't really make a thin handle for the axe. I've heard some good things about Kovačija Krmelj, might give one of those a shot.

>>952961
If the eye is big you can make the nadle as thin as you like, it just has to be thick in the eye section which is good it makes it sturdier.
Why the thin handle meme tho?

btw I'm looking for a nice splitting maul but it's nowhere to be found in Serbia. I need it to split meter logs which for me is a problem having only these bearded axes

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I found this one what do you think? I'm poor so I can't invest that much in it

>>952963
The point is when hitting stuff with a thin handle you get less shock vibrations transfered to your hands, most people don't know this because they don't have a thin handled ax.
>>952967
It's probably gonna work fine for what it is, if you're mostly splitting huge wood it might be better to just get a sledge hammer and splitting wedge, whole lot less energy wasted assuming you're accurate enough to not smash the the wedge with the handle.

>>952971
I understand the vibration thing but it's not really a big deal, you're never going to swing it for so long that your hands will get sore, you'll get arthritis from a chainsaw's vibrations well before you do from swinging an axe

Also to make a sturdy enough thin handle you need a wood like hickory, here in europe there is a limit to how thin you can make a handle, I guess with ash you can go pretty thin but it still has to be the right kind and have a perfect grain and it will just be easier to brake unlike hickory which is a pretty unique wood

You made me remember about an axe with an ash handle of the same shape as the one in the picture above that I have. I was cutting logs into meterlogs and I had this axe standing upright leaning on a tractor trailer. The tractor guy skidded an entire limbed oak tree 40cm at the base and pulled it as close to the trailer as possible (we load them on the trailer by hand). This whole log sat on the axe which bent in a half moon shape but did not break. When I cut the log into pieces and freed the axe it just popped back straight like nothing happened to it and it's still sound

>>952973
If that were a thick handle, it would be likely to break because it's stiff.

Guys I'm thinking of getting the Husqvarna H900 or their normal wooden hatchet, any advice? No I can't afford a $100+ gransfors

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WHOOPS THAT'S AN AXIS NOT MY AXES

XDd

>>953316
The H900 is okay, it comes dull because of the paint on the blade, the "sheath" is meh at best, not compact but mine has lasted well over 2 years. The wooden handle hatchet comes with a terrible grind, shit thick handle and the eye is more akin to an ax than a hatchet.

>>953310
it was a thick handle, don't believe what you read on the internet but try for yourself

>>953370
Yeah the fact i broke thick ash and beech handles while bending them but not my thin hickory one whilst bending in and chopping it sideways into a log and standing on the end, that's all totally irelevant.

>>953376
Beech is brittle you can't do much about that but ash should resist bending, maybe it had not straight grain or a knot in it and it broke. I cut my own wood and I split mountain ash rounds once they are seasoned to make handles so I know they are straight

>>952957
Why are so many finished axes sold with the heads mounted so high on the shoulder? The head on that axe looks like its maybe 5" higher than it should be, to be 'properly' hung. Noticed that with Stihls and Bachos too.

>>953574
Because that's the "proper" way to mount an axe and makes the handle sturdier where it should be, which is immediately below the head which is the area most subjected to stress

The "proper" way does not have to be the american one

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Here is an old TruTest I am going to clean up rehandle. I don't know anything about them but I'm sure it is worth the $5 I paid.

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Got this from my grandpa. Says Norlund on the top.