Council's changed the look of velvicut axes

[Square_peg]

I wasn't aware there was an Axe craze going on... When did this come about?

It's been gaining momentum for the past several years.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Well said, Op. I just really think that Council is making some weird decisions from a marketing standpoint.

 

[Alocksly]

Well said, Op. I just really think that Council is making some weird decisions from a marketing standpoint.

Well, to be honest, when there are folks out there arguing the virtue or desirability of hammer marks and forge scale for a more "authentic" axe and spending three digits on a handle paint job it's gotta be a little confusing if your company has just been making straight up functional tools for the last century. I imagine their marketing department, if they have one, may be a little hit and miss trying to figure out what this new breed of hipster homesteader wants.

 

[Operator1975]

Well said, Op. I just really think that Council is making some weird decisions from a marketing standpoint.

No doubt. I wouldn't want to be in the axe market now. Way too many angles for one of the oldest tools of all time.

 

[Hammer67]

Operator -

Your previous post is spot-on. :thumbup:

I imagine their marketing department, if they have one, may be a little hit and miss trying to figure out what this new breed of hipster homesteader wants.

Not to mention that if/when said marketing does get it figured out, the fickle hispter crowd will probably have moved on to something else. "Axes are so last year..."

 

[nickzdon]

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.

Nope. This is the finish that all the heads have coming out of the drop forge. I've been to the forge. Council gives them a 1/4 grind job just on the cutting end of the bit, and the rest are finished up on what's basically a belt sander with a flexible abrasive pad.

I'd like to point out that Gabriel Branby, CEO of Gransfors, has pointed out that the reason Gransfors went to the forge finish in the first place (remember they used to be fully ground and painted blue) was so that they couldn't hide the mistakes in forging by grinding them away, and they dropped the paint so they couldn't hide the mistakes in grinding by painting over them. The removal of those two steps were critical to creating a better quality product. Not a cheaper, shoddier one. Not saying this was Council's intent, but wanted to add this info for context to the Gransfors comparison.

 

[nickzdon]

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.

Amen to that.

 

[garry3]

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.

Ya, but they made this thing!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1182399-whai-is-this
If they can burn money with that they can give us a proper axe. Just look at all the old Plumbs. They had it going on. There is no excuse for not doing it right.