Granfors Bruks - no more metal wedge on small axes

Square_peg said:
I'd wager that they stopped using the metal wedge because they were losing too much money replacing axes with split hafts. These decisions are always driven by the bottom line. But the cost of the wedge is nothing. The cost of replacing an axe is huge.
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This comment makes the most sense of all.
Continually having to refund or replace frivolous warranty returns just because of a 'perceived defect' (which is not easily/cheaply corrected) becomes very costly for any manufacturer. Axe assembly lines don't have provisions for re-newing a returned product, whether it be for a cosmetic or functional defect reasons, once a steel wedge has been set. And I suspect that many of the buyers of 'boutique' G Bs are hipsters and outdoor wannabees with unlimited money and no realistic expectations. Practical folks tend to toss a Walmart/Harbor Freight $15 tool if it suddenly doesn't look good or fails, but not so the caliber of buyers that got lured-in by 'satisfaction guaranteed' extravagant $200 jobbies.
 
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300Six said:
This comment makes the most sense of all.
Continually having to refund or replace frivolous warranty returns just because of a 'perceived defect' (which is not easily/cheaply corrected) becomes very costly for any manufacturer. Axe assembly lines don't have provisions for re-newing a returned product, whether it be for a cosmetic or functional defect reasons, once a steel wedge has been set. And I suspect that many of the buyers of 'boutique' G Bs are hipsters and outdoor wannabees with unlimited money and no realistic expectations. Practical folks tend to toss a Walmart/Harbor Freight $15 tool if it suddenly doesn't look good or fails, but not so the caliber of buyers that got lured-in by 'satisfaction guaranteed' extravagant $200 jobbies.
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I understand what you are saying in regards to the hipster price tag but I guess the same can be said for any premium product in any category including knives, tents, cars etc. You don't necessarily get 2× the quality if you paid 2× the price but there has to be value whether it be exclusivity or aesthetics.

I worked my way up to the Wildlife hatchet and am confident that GB will look after me should there be any quality issues. I've used it for 3 trips thus far and it's a beast for making tent pegs, pot hangers, carving, kindling (instead of using my knife) and plenty more. On top of that it's as easy as can be to keep razor sharp.
 
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