Been thinking about a getting a good axe...

brewcitymike

brewcitymike

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
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I have had me eye on the new Council Velvicut 4lb felling ax cuz it made in America and it looks so damn nice:D. Plus it got a great test/review from Steven Dick who was a forester for several years and really knows his axes. I know many of you will probably say for that kind of $$ just get a Gransfors-Bruks but they are a bit more money and they don't look half as nice(to me). Plus the Velvicut's head is made of 5160 which is really sweet and should prove somewhat easy to sharpen, and for me that matters a lot because I can't sharpen for squat and I really can't seem to get the puck sharpener down. The other company I have been wanting to experience for a few years has been Wetterlings, I really like the size, looks and price of their carpenters and bushcrafters ax. Of course there are still the less expensive but still good brands like Estwing and Fiskars but I feel they're mid grade and I want at least one 'high end' ax. Council also has a smaller, less expensive Hudson Bay ax in the velvicut line which looks even cooler than its big brother and still has the 5160 head. But the one ax that truly has me smitten is one from Kanetsune in Japan. It so beautiful I'd buy it just for its looks..I know I'm shallow;) It made of white steel which I've heard to be an awesome steel, its got an oak handle and the hand hold is wrapped in SHARK SKIN!!:eek::D You know I had to add some porn with some of these sexy beasts;)
Here's the Kanetsune
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The very good looking Julia Kalthoff, CEO of Wetterlings, getting her hands dirty;)
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Hudson Bay Felling ax(top) and Hudson Bay(bottom)
JP20HB&JP40DV.jpg

So give me your thought, opinions and most of all experiences if you have them.
 
I dont think your gonna hear get a Gransfors from the guys who run things hear. Maybe do some searches through the forum before they jump on here. The guys here know the tools that have been workin our Earth from the beginning. Man, I wish I had me a Velvicut. There's plenty of em here. I play with Tomahawks and a shovel mostly. I'll watch from the sidelines.
 
brewcitymike said:
.....Of course there are still the less expensive but still good brands like Estwing and Fiskars but I feel they're mid grade and I want at least one 'high end' ax.
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The Estwings are nothing to sneeze at and the Fiskars are outperforming many more expensive axes. If you want a 'boutique' axe for the sake of owning one, and you have the money, then by all means get whichever axe strikes your fancy.

The other route you can go is to find a quality vintage axe and re-sharpen/re-haft it as necessary. Odds are you'll end up with a tool at least equal to anything made today and you'll likely save some cash in the bargain. Plus you get the experience of caring for a quality axe.
 
Wetterlings is the most expensive axe I have owned, and I would say they worth every penny. I do love the designs and craftsmanship in the John Neeman axes as noted above. I have done nothing more than oogle the pictures of them but if you can afford it they might be worth checking into.
 
Unfortunately I have basically no money so whatever I decide to get I'll actually have to save for,lol. But I totally agree with the vintage axe idea. I've been eyeing some onebay that are listed as vintage Collins axe. Are/were those good quality axes? The big problem I have is that even for my knives I have yet to even buy a Lanksy or any other kind of decent sharpener cuz every time I get a bit of $$ I buy another knife:D I only have a couple stones and a few smaller hand held sharpeners with the crossed ceramic rods but none of them are particularly great. As for sharpening an ax, I can't figure the pucks out to save my live and I got rid of my bench grinder years ago so I would have a real hard time getting an old dull head nice and sharp. I think the sharpest ax I ever bought(hardware store axes) was no where near sharp enough for the paper cutting test or to shave hair off an arm, but Ray Mears said if your ax can't slice corners off paper in one swipe then it isn't up to snuff. Personally I have a hard time believing that ax heads,as thick as they are could have that sharp of an edge. Well here's a pic of one of the few 'vintage' axes I'm watching on ebay, so if you can give me some advice of suggestions on Collins axes, I'd greatly appreciate it.
$(KGrHqRHJCIE9EwuE0U3BPVGWm1G5g~~60_57.jpg

Square_peg said:
The Estwings are nothing to sneeze at and the Fiskars are outperforming many more expensive axes. If you want a 'boutique' axe for the sake of owning one, and you have the money, then by all means get whichever axe strikes your fancy.

The other route you can go is to find a quality vintage axe and re-sharpen/re-haft it as necessary. Odds are you'll end up with a tool at least equal to anything made today and you'll likely save some cash in the bargain. Plus you get the experience of caring for a quality axe.
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I keep an eye on the axes on ebay. I own around 50 vintage axes. About Collins, I would stay away from anything manufactured after 1966. The current Collins name was purchased around 2000 and are produced in Mexico. I stay away from those. The problem I have is I can't always determine a vintage Collins frim a used newer one. Or a newer one that has been abused and rusted.

I prefer Kelly's and Plumb. A Kelly Prefect is my prefered axe. I own at least 7 of them. Refurbished and treated right, I'll be handing down my Kellys to my grandson.
My regards, Double Ott
 
brewcitymike said:
The big problem I have is that even for my knives I have yet to even buy a Lanksy or any other kind of decent sharpener cuz every time I get a bit of $$ I buy another knife:D I only have a couple stones and a few smaller hand held sharpeners with the crossed ceramic rods but none of them are particularly great. As for sharpening an ax, I can't figure the pucks out to save my live and I got rid of my bench grinder years ago so I would have a real hard time getting an old dull head nice and sharp. I think the sharpest ax I ever bought(hardware store axes) was no where near sharp enough for the paper cutting test or to shave hair off an arm, but Ray Mears said if your ax can't slice corners off paper in one swipe then it isn't up to snuff. Personally I have a hard time believing that ax heads,as thick as they are could have that sharp of an edge. Well here's a pic of one of the few 'vintage' axes I'm watching on ebay, so if you can give me some advice of suggestions on Collins axes, I'd greatly appreciate it.
View attachment 268887
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You are using a file, especially for old dull / chipped axes, right? Dumb question, but profiling the first inch of your chopping bit is extremely important for getting the axe sharp. Properly profiled, a cheap puck with little experience is more than enough to get the axe paper cutting sharp. Oh, and bench grinders are a no no, way to easy to burn the tempering out.
 
If you buy that Kanetsune, I'd love to know what it's like!!

I don't know when garage sales kick up in your area, but that would be a great way to get started. Ebay is nice but the prices have been getting higher and higher. You almost have to find a piece that for whatever reason stayed under the radar. The other ebay issue is that it kinda sucks when your purchase shows up in the mail and it's just not quite what you had in mind. You may find steals on a file or two and some stones too.
 
leebrewer said:
I dont think your gonna hear get a Gransfors from the guys who run things hear.
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Why is that? I have a Gransfors Scandinavian Axe I got while I was up in Alaska and I absolutely love it. I can't imagine a better axe.
 
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