GB Wildlife Hatchet handle

[H.ASHDOWN]

Hello,

I am from the UK and have recently purchased a Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet and I would like to ask advice...

I have noticed a few things about my new Hatchet's handle that have caused a concern. The finish on the handle above the eye seems to be unusually rough and uncommonly long, compared to what I saw from them whilst researching and there even appears to be a small chip and crack in the hickory. I have contacted the company I bought it from (Woodlore Ltd), and in fact Gransfors bruk themselves to see if I can get an insight as to what may have caused this but I am a complete novice when it comes to this tool so should I be concerned?

Many Thanks,
HASHDOWN

 

[Hacked]

They recently moved away from using secondary metal wedges in their hatchets which I applaud them for. So it's possible this caused the length to be longer with one less step in the wedging process. The example I handled for an extended period from Gransfors had a bit of a rough finish on the top of the handle as well. It had obviously been run across a belt sander and without a great deal of care as it was wavy. It's also worth noting that the handles are seated by a press rather than by hand, at least I recall seeing that in a video at some point.