Council Tool Flying Fox Woodsman Hatchet 22 in. Straight Handle, thought?

[EngrSorenson]

I have the 22” one in my wish list. Birthday is coming up and my daughters (11 & 17) might get it for me.

I’m thinking: should I just ask y wide to coordinate the GB 19” and I’ll make up the difference to have a higher quality axe?

How much better is the GB going to be?

How would I tell, other than the handle shape?

As a guy who was saved from the false impression that Gransfors is better, I can tell you the Council Tool Flying Fox is outstanding.
I took the advice of some of the guys here and got the less expensive option, convinced I wasn't going to like it.
No looking back.

If you really want a premium tool that is worth the money, invest in the Woox Forte axe. Slip fit eye and it has two handle lengths available, 22 and 28.
It's cheaper than a gransfors and gets you an axe that's significantly different than the flying fox.
Forty two blades' did a great job designing that tool, and it's been a pleasure to use.

 

[Smaug]

As a guy who was saved from the false impression that Gransfors is better, I can tell you the Council Tool Flying Fox is outstanding.
I took the advice of some of the guys here and got the less expensive option, convinced I wasn't going to like it.
No looking back.

If you really want a premium tool that is worth the money, invest in the Woox Forte axe. Slip fit eye and it has two handle lengths available, 22 and 28.
It's cheaper than a gransfors and gets you an axe that's significantly different than the flying fox.
Forty two blades' did a great job designing that tool, and it's been a pleasure to use.

That Woox looks like a splitting axe though, which is not what I’m after. It also costs as much as the GB.

 

[littleknife]

I have the 22” one in my wish list. Birthday is coming up and my daughters (11 & 17) might get it for me.

I’m thinking: should I just ask y wide to coordinate the GB 19” and I’ll make up the difference to have a higher quality axe?

How much better is the GB going to be?

How would I tell, other than the handle shape?

It depends on quite a few factors.

1) what kind of wood you will be using it on?
The Flying Fox is more robust, it’s well suited for North American hardwood and will easily tackle softwood too.
The GB is optimized for softwood and softer hardwood (European birch, poplar, ash etc.)

2) what type of task will be the majority of your usage?
The Flying Fox is an universalist which handles splitting very well while you can still chop and carve very well with it.
The GB Small Forest axe is a chopping axe which can also split, but is not particularly good at the latter task. The GB outdoors axe is geared towards splitting. Both of these GB axes are shorter and slightly lighter than the Flying Fox.

3) How frequently will you use the axe?
For a couple of times a year use I would go with the one which looks the most pleasing to you, since pride of ownership and bragging rights are not necessarily bad things.
If you were a trapper working daily on the trapping lines, the Flying Fox would be my suggestion.
If you hike or camp occasionally with friends and extended family, then the GB is not only adequate, but also could be a fine conversational piece.

4) What’s your ( or your daughters’) budget?
The GB axes are significantly more expensive.
If not overpriced, they are certainly very high priced thanks to the good publicity gained in the early 2000’s when their prices were much more reasonable, both in absolute and in relative senses. At that time the Flying Fox wasn’t even produced yet, so then most people, including me, would have suggested either a GB or a Wetterlings ( which is not produced any more).

To summarize it: the Flying Fox is an excellent and well priced all around working tool which looks nice too IMHO, while the GBs are more expensive, more specialized and less robust axes with more emphasis on the esthetics.

Depending on your wants, either one would be a fine choice.
Finally, many people here would give you the classic forum advice: get both.

 

[EngrSorenson]

That Woox looks like a splitting axe though, which is not what I’m after. It also costs as much as the GB.

I promise you, it's more than just an axe than can split.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

That Woox looks like a splitting axe though, which is not what I’m after. It also costs as much as the GB.

It's quite good at splitting, but it was not designed as a splitting axe. Quite to the contrary, it's intended as an all-purpose work axe for use in remote locations where you are doing work serious enough to necessitate something heavier than a boy's axe, but still need it to be lighter than a typical full axe.

 

[EngrSorenson]

It's quite good at splitting, but it was not designed as a splitting axe. Quite to the contrary, it's intended as an all-purpose work axe for use in remote locations where you are doing work serious enough to necessitate something heavier than a boy's axe, but still need it to be lighter than a typical full axe.

and, to the OP's original point and not to be overlooked, you can swap handles between 22 and 28 inches without any tools. It's a breeze.

 

[Square_peg]

How much better is the GB going to be?

How would I tell, other than the handle shape?

The 'hook' on the handle of the GB will make it easier to use for chopping tasks. The Flying Fox has a straight handle because it has a hardened poll and can also be used as a hammer. If you're using both ends of an axe head you want a straight handle.

GB and Council both use high quality steel. Council is a little more conservative on the heat treat, leaving their bits a little softer and tougher than GB. You need to choose which best suits your need.

The cheeks of the Council are a little thicker than the GB. This helps the axe to pop the chip and release the axe. The thin GB cheeks will penetrate deeper but will also stick in the cut, slowing the work and stressing the handle.

I'd like to see GB's handle on a Flying Fox tempered to 53-54 RC.