Gränsfors Large Carving Axe

I am beginning to get an understanding of why the Anglo-Saxon "T" axe isn't around anymore. Look at this Gränfors Carving Axe, a design that has been around for centuries. It will last a lot longer than a "T" axe would, and it does the same job.
 
Carving axes as they exist today are a relatively new invention. While they use old technology in the sense of the asymmetric grind and a chip breaker, the overall form of the head is different than historical woodworker's axes.
 
I am not a fan of any axe, hatchet, or adze edge grind that has a large bevel on one side and a smaller (back) bevel on the other side. In my experience carving wood works best with only two grinds--either a knife grind (both sides with a equal bevel) or a chisel grind (only one side with a bevel). Depending on the work to be done the angle might change from job to job. One angle does not fit every task. That is why you need a lot of axes, hatchets, and adzes in your tool box. My wood carving these days is mostly bowls, spoons, or sculpture. But, during my working to make a living I have carved and repaired a lot of vernacular log structures, which are actually just very large wood carvings.
 
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You can understand why the axe was so popular with the Norsemen. Swords were expensive and were not good for much more than chopping and stabbing people. An axe, on the other hand, could chop wood for a fire, shape a chair leg, or help butcher a sheep. Then install it on a longer haft, board a ship to do some viking in the British Isles.
 
Axes made as tools and ones made as weapons were distinct from one another. Spears were also popular, on the economy and effectiveness front.
 
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