Bushcraft Axe Project

E

engle's-wilder

Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
82
Ok, so I found an article online of a guy who made his own bushcraft axe. He used the 24 oz. camp axe from northern tool pictured here:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200316257_200316257

His article is posted here:

http://thesharpenedaxe.blogspot.com/2010/11/cheap-alternative-to-gransfors-bruks.html

To sum up what he did, he got that cheapy hatchet and removed the handle and rehung a GB small forest axe handle on it (adding about 8 inches of grip from original length)

So my question to all of you is, would this be any good. It's a cheapy alternative to a Wetterlings or GB, but is the steel on this any good? Anybody ever used the inexpensive 24 oz. camp axe before? how does it take an edge? would this be a good idea with a different head? if so, any ideas on what other head I could get? (please no China crap :barf:) oh, & my intended use is also bushcrafting.

thanks
 
also, I have been doing some research online for vintage axe heads to do this with... I just have no Idea which heads are made well (even if their rusted or dinged a bit). I don't know which vintage heads would work for this either... anyone know what old-school brands are safe-bets?
 
Plum is older and a good bit. Picked up a few at local flea market for 2-3 dollars each, took them home, sanded them down, sharpened them and now I process wood with them for my fire place.

There was a post a while back about older bits and what to look for, Ill see if I can find it.

Thanks for the links btw, I may pick one up to play with.
 
I buy pretty well every axe and hatchet I see at yard sales and honestly have never got a bad one. Got a true temper hatchet last week in a junk store for 2 bucks. I have so many heads in my workshop they're in the way. I carry a sharp file with me and just run it across the edge, you can feel the steel in a good head. That true temper hatchet is soooo damned hard I ended up redoing the edge on my disk sander, now you can shave with it.

Best regards

Robin
 
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You might find something you like at the auction site I won't name. Last week I got an old Collins 1-3/4 pound hatchet head for about $15 shipped.
 
I think it's worth the efort and the money you save. (15-20 $ / 100 $ for a small Brucks!)
If you want it for bushcraft you wont use it very often and hard like a normal axe, so, with a good haft/handle, it can be a fine choice.

In my humble opinion, Granfors Bruck are overpriced.
 
Hey guys. I'm the one who put up that guest post on Mike's blog. The reason why I used that head is because it seemed to work well. I've been using it ever since, and it has held up just fine. It can still outperform the GB.

I was thinking of using an old axe head, but I could not find anything that was of the right time period and was also small enough. Most of the working axes from the glory days of axe making were large, over 3lb. That was more than what I wanted for a Small Forest Axe replacement.

Again, the axe has held up very well.

Best,

Ross
http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/
 
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