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Council's changed the look of velvicut axes

I agree with SC T100 ... there is no point in fully polishing a working axe ... and its very easy to create a patina to whatever look you want ...
 
I think I like this better than the "polished" version. Which weren't polished at all, but just sanded to less than a matte finish in my opinion. I don't like the sanded look. IMO they should either give it a decent polish or leave a rustic forged look. I think this is better.

I think the best look would be a dark forge, scale look. You really can't recreate that look with any bluing etc, it is not the same. Council's process may not lend itself well to that, however.
 
Here is a Witherell axe made before 1921. All the grinding and polishing were done at the bit and poll with the rest left a raw forged finished. The difference here is hammer forging with a lighter hammer of Witherell versus the larger modern drop forge. So it's not a new concept. If only Council or GB would go back to hammer forging process. Not likely I know.

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Mr. Tettnanger said:
Another American manufacturer cutting corners and cheapening a product with expectations that us American DOPES will accept mediocrity because "If it is cheap enough.........it is good enough!"!

Shame on Council!
Click to expand...

We all know that they are cutting corners. If they cut the price by 10% it would be right. I'm glad I got my Dayton and HB Velvicut before this happened. Too bad I didn't pull the trigger on the Boy's axe.

Tom
 
Well this bites. I have a Velvicut HB and was fully intending on picking up a boys axe as well as a felling axe. Don't think that is going to happen now. Shame, because they were really putting out a nice product. I know that this will not affect the ability of the tool to perform, but if I am going to pay for a premium finish, I want a premium finish. I think the old finish made the Velvicut easier to maintain and asthetically, it just looked better. This looks half assed. I have to ask Council if they really understood why the old style Vevilcut was selling so well. Edit - I would pay an extra 10% for the old finish.
 
This is still up on their site. Shows the making of their Velvicut HB. It still has the nice finish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNQbzQCByX4&feature=youtu.be

They can take it down now...Too bad, shame on them.

They can also take this Headline down from their site:

"We Don’t Make A Work Of Art With Each VELVICUT® Axe – We Make An Axe For The Art Of Work."

Edit: I just sent them an email to share my thoughts on the "new" finish. NOT HAPPY.

Tom
 
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I wouldnt mind them unpolished, but all the grinds on this "New" version just look sloppy and unfinished to me. It might work fine, but lets be honest, so do their NON Velvicut axes. For this price point, they should be finished imho.
 
Square_peg said:
If they want to change something then I suggest they put a higher centerline in their axes.
Click to expand...

That right there would be a good comment to pass on to them. They do listen, we know that. They're also letting out the rumour that they're expanding the Velvicut line to include a DB. They might not be reading everything that passes online in every forum, but I got the feeling from talking to Ms. Council that they're aware who the players are and what's being said about their products among the professionals as well as the serious non-professionals. Pass the comment along to them, and maybe the DB Velvicut will be a real classic.
 
While the performance will not be effected, I would just buy their standard line of axes. They will cut just as well.
But for the premium they charge for the Velvicut line, I will not pay for them as they are coming off the line now. I did expect to pay for them with the better finish and steel.

As priced on the CT site.

HB w/ 28" handle...$53
HB Velvicut ..........$130

Dayton w/ 36" handle...$53
Dayton Velvicut............$170

Boy's axe.........$41
Boy's Velvicut...$140


Other than a slight difference in the steel used, I can't see a justification for the price differences as they are done now.

Tom
 
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I saw this Best Made Co. axe posted on another forum. Looks like there may be more than one of these around.

FINAL_HEADS-HB-600a_bbfaec9c-4168-4d22-9c65-08690255f96f_1024x1024.jpg
 
You would think with all the axe geeks around today an American company would step up and give use all what we really want. No short cuts, just a good well designed axe. How hard can it be? Many American company's made them.
Until then I will just keep doing what I am now, buying good vintage axes that are better in every way to what I have seen and used from Council tool and can be had for less than $20 most of the time. No need to settle.
 
garry3 said:
You would think with all the axe geeks around today an American company would step up and give use all what we really want. No short cuts, just a good well designed axe. How hard can it be? Many American company's made them.
Until then I will just keep doing what I am now, buying good vintage axes that are better in every way to what I have seen and used from Council tool and can be had for less than $20 most of the time. No need to settle.
Click to expand...

Axe geeks today in the USA number under 50k individuals, out of a population of over 300 million - so from a business stand point the "need" to make changes in product is just not there. In the golden age of axes, you had Mann Edge Tool alone was cranking out over a million axes a year in 1913 - 100 yrs ago. And that was just one company, didn't include at the time larger companies Kelly and Collins, then the others like Warren and Plumb. That was when demand and use was high. Not so in today's world. From a business standpoint are you going to sink a ton of money into the axe market? I wouldn't. This whole axe craze will die when shows like surviorman and similar shows run their course, and hipsters contact the hippy plague and die out. Then we will get back to regular life, axe will lose its "cool thing to have - I'm a man cause i own an axe" era and all will be balanced again. I'm just happy we have a USA company still making a good axe that will enable anyone to do proper axe work. Yeah it's not a Mercedes Benz by any means but that is the modern day spin we have put on the axe. That's not the way it used to be. Functionality with a marketing name was the game then - Flint Edge, Legitimus, Perfect, Chemical, etc. those were good axes with even better marketing names. Similar to cars. Now it's just the standard patterns - Dayton, Michigan, boys, rigger, etc. And that's ok for today.

as far as how hard can it be? Well look at it like this: I have contacted basically every axe manufacturer to bring back the Connecticut pattern. Everyone loves it right? All 25k - 50k of us. Story i keep getting is the dies alone to make the axe would be at a minimum 25k to create or purchase (if not more, and more like 40k), then legal stipulations on responsibility once johnny hipster buys your axe then goes home and chops his toe off(yes it's true, I looked it up cause i didn't think that was right either), then handle costs bc grain just has to be perfect now, then wedge(better be perfect), payroll, etc. that's just the basic beginning of the process. Still have packaging, shipping, advertising, website maintenance, etc. and you haven't even sold an axe yet. Then the reviews come from any guy that spends a weekend in the woods in a years time. If it isn't perfect in every way imaginable you get the hell bashed out of you online because someone couldn't make a feather stick or some other "as seen on TV" practice. So yeah, it's hard.

My council boys axe and jersey I have chop, limb, buck, fell, etc just as well as any of the other vintage axes i have. The difference everyone thinks they get out of a Kelly perfect, true american(vintage), etc is just not there from an overall performance standpoint. Most performance issues of an axe are self inflicted - not sharpened correctly or bad swing technique. No "proper high end" end axe is gonna change that. Some issues such as center line a slight argument could be made for, but only if you are swinging that axe all day everyday, then maybe.

Like i said im just happy we still have a USA company trying to make axes and give us a good functional product. Cheers to them.
 
Just a late night thought.

Any possibility that the "Issue" with the finish of the axes is from the quality of the dies they are using?
I mean the machinery they have has to have a lifespan. After a few runs they start to wear.
The dies change, the amount of grinding and polishing on their end says the same, and you get a rougher head.

BTW, if all was right in my world I'd get a forge finished axe with the working end having the polish. (Just sayin)
I'd also love to have a high carbon bit wrapped in low carbon steel, but that's more of an older style, although very cool.

That being said, I still think it is wonderfully cool that we have a Made in USA company making axes out of a high quality tool steel.
Many times in life I get tired of guessing quality.
Even if it came without a handle, a very rough edge, yet decent steel and heat treatment, I'd still love it.

Sure it requires some work, every axe does. I wouldn't consider a $100 axe a custom piece. Nice, yes. Custom, no.
Lots of effort is made to churn them out at the price that they are.

That being said, from what I see they are still a quality piece.
Let's see what happens over time with them.
 
Operator1975 said:
Axe geeks today in the USA number under 50k individuals, out of a population of over 300 million - so from a business stand point the "need" to make changes in product is just not there. In the golden age of axes, you had Mann Edge Tool alone was cranking out over a million axes a year in 1913 - 100 yrs ago. And that was just one company, didn't include at the time larger companies Kelly and Collins, then the others like Warren and Plumb. That was when demand and use was high. Not so in today's world. From a business standpoint are you going to sink a ton of money into the axe market? I wouldn't. This whole axe craze will die when shows like surviorman and similar shows run their course, and hipsters contact the hippy plague and die out. Then we will get back to regular life, axe will lose its "cool thing to have - I'm a man cause i own an axe" era and all will be balanced again. I'm just happy we have a USA company still making a good axe that will enable anyone to do proper axe work. Yeah it's not a Mercedes Benz by any means but that is the modern day spin we have put on the axe. That's not the way it used to be. Functionality with a marketing name was the game then - Flint Edge, Legitimus, Perfect, Chemical, etc. those were good axes with even better marketing names. Similar to cars. Now it's just the standard patterns - Dayton, Michigan, boys, rigger, etc. And that's ok for today.

as far as how hard can it be? Well look at it like this: I have contacted basically every axe manufacturer to bring back the Connecticut pattern. Everyone loves it right? All 25k - 50k of us. Story i keep getting is the dies alone to make the axe would be at a minimum 25k to create or purchase (if not more, and more like 40k), then legal stipulations on responsibility once johnny hipster buys your axe then goes home and chops his toe off(yes it's true, I looked it up cause i didn't think that was right either), then handle costs bc grain just has to be perfect now, then wedge(better be perfect), payroll, etc. that's just the basic beginning of the process. Still have packaging, shipping, advertising, website maintenance, etc. and you haven't even sold an axe yet. Then the reviews come from any guy that spends a weekend in the woods in a years time. If it isn't perfect in every way imaginable you get the hell bashed out of you online because someone couldn't make a feather stick or some other "as seen on TV" practice. So yeah, it's hard.

My council boys axe and jersey I have chop, limb, buck, fell, etc just as well as any of the other vintage axes i have. The difference everyone thinks they get out of a Kelly perfect, true american(vintage), etc is just not there from an overall performance standpoint. Most performance issues of an axe are self inflicted - not sharpened correctly or bad swing technique. No "proper high end" end axe is gonna change that. Some issues such as center line a slight argument could be made for, but only if you are swinging that axe all day everyday, then maybe.

Like i said im just happy we still have a USA company trying to make axes and give us a good functional product. Cheers to them.
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
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