Grans For Hatchet Question-is it worth the money

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winchester73

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Jan 6, 2008
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I looking for a good quality hatchet with a wood handle that the head won't fly off for camping and general use. Is a Grans For really wotrh $110.00? Is it that much better than a Wetterling Or Husqvarna(if you can find one).
 
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The Wetterlings and Huskys are very nice hatchets and will serve you very well. That said, I really love my Gransfor small forest axe. Bigger than a hatchet, but smaller than a full sized felling axe. Perfect size for my pack. Try to handle a few before you buy one.
 
i think their worth it. but as the above post said; i prefer a longer handle as well.
i would definitely go with the SFA over the hatchet. the price isn't much different.
however, i have had my eye on the huskys as well. they seem to be of good quality, but i haven't used one. maybe someone with experience with them will chime in.
 
I would at first say no. Unless you were really going to be using it enough to quantify that price. If it is more for just weekends and such, maybe. Other than that, get yourself a good quality old school manufacturer and go with it. COst you maybe 1/3 tops as much.
 
Is a BMW worth it? Not at my income level. Its that same kind of thing, but on a smaller scale of course. If you want a GB and the $ is no biggie for you then get one. It's fun to use and show it off. If money is a bit tight and you just want to be assured of a good hatchet, do as Operator1975 said. Get a nice vintage head and put a fresh handle it and you are set for life.
 
I couldent agree more, an old Bluegrass, Plumb, Kelly etc..You or the wood will never know the difference :D
Now that said, the gransfors are a fine,fine axe made from good steel (1050) with proper heat treat..I wont say they are not worth the money, they are..BUT are they worth the money for what "you" need it for???? Thats the question ;) That has to be answered by you and you alone :)
 
Are they worth the money? Depends on how you calculate value of the product versus the utility of its use.

Certainly, they are very, very well made, and many think they are expensive, but those same people would shell out $500 for a Sebenza without a second thought about cost.

My personal opinion is that Wetterlings axes are 90% of the quality of Gransfors Bruks' axes at 75% of the price, and I would personally suggest considering one of their hunting axes with a 20 inch handle over a hatchet. That length handle is long enough to be used with both hands as an axe if needed, but can be choked up on to allow use with one hand as a hatchet. This axe runs around $75-80 online.

My choice of vendor for this is Ben's Backwoods, here
http://www.bensbackwoods.com/servlet/Detail?no=52

(BTW, I am a satisfied customer but not otherwise affiliated with Ben's Backwoods. I shore wish I was as I have spent several small fortures there).
 
BTW,,, GB bought out Wetterlings, and husky hires others to make their hatchets and recently that company was Wetterlings.

i/e Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet. They will all get you to work. Also, nothing wrong with fixing up an oldie as mentioned.:thumbup:

Pat
 
Picked up a Husky yesterday for 40.00 in the hatchet flavor to see what all the fuss was about. The company only had one. They said that only 3 have been sold in the last year. Grain was good on the handle with no wedges. Sharp polished edge. Sheath for it was way too loose. Must have been made for something else. Hope it was made by GB just for grins. I can't tell the difference. Good hatchet for the money. The Plumbs and Norlunds from the junk store were a much better buys. It is a pain to haft but worth the effort for a bargain.
 
Also keep in mind that the Wildlife Hatchet has a 1 lb head. Most other hatchets have a 1.25 lb head, which for me makes a difference. As much as a love the GB hatchet, I like something a bit heavier.
 
My hatchets were mostly purchased with discretionary money. I could afford to pay a little more for a Wetterlings than for a Fiskars or Estwing. I like the look and I appreciate the improvement in craftsmanship. I'm not sure the sheer improvement in utility would be worth the price.
 
I have a 25" Gransfors and a 19" Wetterlings, there are some things I like better about the Gransfors and some I like better about the Wetterlings. The grind was even out of the box on the wetterlings, the Gransfors I had to fix, the handle finishes are slightly different, the Gransfors is smoother, the Wetterlings a little more grippy, the Gransfors has a 20year warranty, Overall I'd say they're pretty equal, and if I was deciding between the two brands for a different size I'd go with Wetterlings for the price, if I had the extra money I'd say GB for the warranty.
 
I bought my GB Mini after months of reading owners reports, reviews and watching vid's. I knew nothing about axes previously, and originally intended to buy a small Gerber.

For me, the craftsmanship and quality of the GB, and the pleasure of ownership and usage make it worth every penny, so much so that I've now added a GB Wildlife Hatchet, and will probably get the SFA, too.

Look at it this way, $110 works out at $5.50 a year, for the 20 year warranty period, and with care, it will last considerably longer, and therefore cost even less!
 
If you know and can appreciate a quallity cutting tool, when you hold it in your hand, then "yes", it is worth it.

If you are an incipient foot chopper, then it ain't worth it. Whos got those pics of the guy that chopped into his tennie with a sharp competition axe?

Hey, Ray Mears likes 'em. That should tell you something.
 
A lot of people spend many $100s on a knife they feel they can depend on, so $110 is not that bad comparatively. GB makes some nice tools, and there are a lot of reviews to back that up. With that being said, You can find probably 6-7 (maybe more) vintage hatchet heads that you can fix up for the same price as one Gransfors, and each of those hatchets will be as good as the Gransfors. Not a knock on GB, but America (and others) use to make some very nice axes/hatchets. GB is only revered as the best because modern axes are not made to the same standard they were decades ago.
 
In short, yes, they are worth the price.
You're paying mostly for the fit and finish. They try to make sure the grain alignment of the haft is perfect and they come shaving sharp out of the box and carry a 25 year warranty.

Can you get a lot of lesser axes for the money? Yes, but then you have lesser axes.
Can you get a few vintage axe heads for the cost? Yes, and the steel will be just as good. But you will have to find a good haft, file it down to fit the head, de-oxidize the head and put your edge(s) on the head. So, what you save in money, you pay in time and effort. If you're one of those guys that likes tinkering with things, and likes to restore old axes, it's not a big deal, just chalk the time and effort up in the "hobby" category and have fun. If you don't really like it, then bill yourself for the time it'll take you to properly select a haft, hang the axe, and finish and sharpen the bit. Likely it'll cost more then the Gransfors.

The expense of the Gransfors is all in the fine details. Axes that cost less don't put as much attention into those details. Even recent Wetterlings have come with some major flaws. Now, if you look at Council Tool's website, you see they sell fairly low-cost, American made axes and hatchets. Then go down to the bottom of the page and click on their "Velvicut" axes. These get attention paid to a narrower heat treat tolerance, proper hanging of the head and a sharp edge. Price-wise, they are right up therre with the comparable sized Gransfors. Quality costs.
 
I recently purchased a GB Wildlife Hatchet...I was impressed enough to order one of their Small Forest axes as well.

As to price I don't see where the big problem is. I've spent twice what I spent on both axes on one custom knife before. Quality doesn't cost in actuality it pays.
 
winchester73 said:
I looking for a good quality hatchet with a wood handle that the head won't fly off for camping and general use. Is a Grans For really wotrh $110.00? Is it that much better than a Wetterling Or Husqvarna(if you can find one).
Click to expand...

If you've never bought an old axe head, cleaned it and handled it you should give it a try. I've just been getting into this and I find it extremely rewarding, much more rewarding than the quick rush you get from buying something brand new. There are many good quality heads out there that can be had for relatively cheap, and you can personally select the handle for it. If you don't enjoy the project you will not have lost much anyway.
 
While looking you could also check out Snow&Neally axes out of Maine they make a great Hudson Bay axe . I have been using mine for a few years and it performs very well ...but it is not a GB or a Wetterlings and I carry a GB into the woods . but for around $60 you will get a great axe.
 
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