CT Boys axe experiences?

The CT Boy's Axe is probably the best axe from Council. Every Hudson Bay axe of theirs that I've owned or reviewed (upwards of 7 if I recall correctly) have developed problems with the head coming loose within days, weeks or months. Had the same problem with their Jersey Axe, but it took a little longer. The two Boy's Axes I've had held together pretty well though. The main problem with Council is their use of aluminum wedges. Aluminum is really a terrible material for a wedge, since it contracts and expands much faster than most materials. Every Council in my collection that has an aluminum wedge has pieces of the aluminum wedge broken off in the eye because of this constant expansion/contraction.

I'm not sure I feel Council axes are as a great a deal as I once thought though. With the axes that are now available, like the Fiskars X15, Husqvarna Forest Axe, and the Bahco axes that Ben's Backwoods sells, the Boy's Axe starts to pale in comparison. Having owned/used/tested a bunch of Councils, I've found the steel to have inconsistent heat treats (the 5160 Velvicut heads are a little better), and are usually a little too soft compared to vintage American axes, Gransfors, Hultafors, Wetterlings, Fiskars, Bahco, and Helko, etc. Yes, I pushed Council axes pretty strongly for a while, but I've had to reconsider my view of them after testing them against a bunch of other axes over the last year or so.

Just my 2 cents.

CW
 
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coloradowildman said:
The CT Boy's Axe is probably the best axe from Council. Every Hudson Bay axe of theirs that I've owned or reviewed (upwards of 7 if I recall correctly) has developed problems with the head coming loose within days, weeks or months. Had the same problem with their Jersey Axe, but it took a little longer. The two Boy's Axes I've had held together pretty well though. The main problem with Council is their use of aluminum wedges. Aluminum is really a terrible material for a wedge, since it contracts and expands much faster than most materials. Every Council in my collection that has an aluminum wedge has pieces of the aluminum wedge broken off in the eye because of this constant expansion/contraction.

I'm not sure I feel Council axes are as a great a deal as I once thought though. With the axes that are now available, like the Fiskars X15, Husqvarna Forest Axe, and the Bahco axes that Ben's Backwoods sells, the Boy's Axe starts to pale in comparison. Having owned/used/tested a bunch of Councils, I've found the steel to have inconsistent heat treats (the 5160 Velvicut heads are a little better), and are usually a little too soft compared to vintage American axes, Gransfors, Hultafors, Wetterlings, Fiskars, Bahco, and Helko, etc. Yes, I pushed Council axes pretty strongly for a while, but I've had to reconsider my view of them after testing them against a bunch of other axes over the last year or so.

Just my 2 cents.

CW
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Interesting. Thank you for your honest appraisal on said axe(s).
 
coloradowildman said:
Having owned/used/tested a bunch of Councils, I've found the steel to have inconsistent heat treats (the 5160 Velvicut heads are a little better), and are usually a little too soft compared to vintage American axes....
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My experience with Council Tools is much more limited than yours. I've really only dealt with their Forest Service Spec Pulaskis. But I've found these to be consistently very hard. I've sharpened half a dozen or more in the past few months. I've seen the aluminum wedges but mostly I see PVC wedges. I've re-used a couple of those with no problems yet. I still prefer hardwood wedges.

It sounds like Council needs to expand their Forest Service Spec line of products. I think there's a growing market for FSS axes.
 
Square_peg said:
My experience with Council Tools is much more limited than yours. I've really only dealt with their Forest Service Spec Pulaskis. But I've found these to be consistently very hard. I've sharpened half a dozen or more in the past few months. I've seen the aluminum wedges but mostly I see PVC wedges. I've re-used a couple of those with no problems yet. I still prefer hardwood wedges.

It sounds like Council needs to expand their Forest Service Spec line of products. I think there's a growing market for FSS axes.
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Thanks for the feedback Square_peg. I will probably get one of these FSS Councils to test soon, so I'm hoping they'll be a little better. I wish Council Tool nothing but the best, but I also hope they increase their quality control and get rid of those awful aluminum wedges. I also think they should add some "ears" to their Hudson Bay axes to increase the surface area that grabs the handle to prevent all the loosening problems.
 
coloradowildman said:
I also think they should add some "ears" to their Hudson Bay axes to increase the surface area that grabs the handle to prevent all the loosening problems.
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That's a good idea. The problem is inherent in the HB design with it's short eye. I think if everything (haft, wedge) was super dry when assembled and soaked in BLO they could hold up to some vigorous chopping. But anything that increases the hold between haft and eye would help.
 
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