Gransfors Bruks SFA Failure

Gaulois

Gaulois

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My GB Small Forest Axe edge had chipped badly this winter while chopping a frozen pine,is it possible that i got a lemon or the task was simply to hard for this kind of axe?

I know the edge profile on these is very thin but i was very surprised to see this kind of chip happen

I don't have the axe right now to show you how bad it is,the axe is at the camp of a friend.

Do you know if i need the axe book or anything else to have my SFA covered by the warranty?

If i can get a remplacement axe i'll bring the damaged SFA to home & take some pics before sending it to GB.
 
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Difficult to say whether the axe should have failed or not. Frozen resinous pine may have been too much for any axe, especially if the axe was very cold. It is recommended that axes be warmed by body heat, such as placing it under your arm, on a cold day. The weather could have contributed to the failure.

Regarding warranty, I do not have experience with GB warranty but suspect proof of purchase may be required. As you know, GB has an outstanding brand image which would be difficult to maintain if they did not stand behind their products.
 
I don't know anybody that warm their axe before using it even at -25 celcius but we are not used to use hand forged axe.

I really love the sharpness of these GB but i think my next axe will be a drop forged one,probably an ox-head one.

(Edit: my next purchase will be a Gränsfors Bruks Scandinavian forest Axe :-)

If i get a SFA remplacement i'll keep it for light summer tasks.

(Edit I'll use it on any seasons of the year)
 
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sounds like user error to me.

sorry, no disrespect intended - GB will cover it anyways, don't sweat it.

vec
 
Granfors Bruk WILL take care of you. Send it in.

for the record, i have shattered both forged axes and drop forged axes on frozen wood. Its not uncommon
 
Fatwood is hard to begin with, if you hit it while it's frozen. Yeah, you could chip the hell out of it.

However, jurisprudence is right, you should warm the head before use on a cold day. Just because others have gotten away without doing it, doesn't mean that's a good idea.
 
I took the SFA back from my friend's camp today & the chip is not as bad as i tought but there is a part of the edge missing in the botom of about 1/2''.

The axe is still usable so i don't know if i'll ask for the warranty.

Thanks for you're reply!
 
Gaulois , take advantage of their warranty, GB likes to get back damaged steel so they can determine what went wrong. The do not chastise the forger (the maker who's initals are stamped on the axe) but they like to check the steel to see if it was a bad batch, or a bad forging. This IMPROVES qaulity control.

for the record, i do believe they have had less than 100 returns in as many years.
 
I'd return it with a note stating how it was damaged; and then ask them to either please replace it if it was a defect, or ask them if they could please re-profile the blade if it was user error.

That way no one loses anything they shouldn't, and either way you get a useful axe back.
 
This is the axe in question

gb003.jpg


gb002.jpg
 
I just sent an e-mail with pictures to GB Canada to see what they think of it.
 
Gaulois said:
Over swing? not exactly sure what you mean but the swings was done by a 200 pounds country boy.
Click to expand...

a 200 pound country boy can break almost anything.

if really want to break it, just get a five-year-old involved....

vec
 
vector001 said:
sounds like user error to me.

sorry, no disrespect intended - GB will cover it anyways, don't sweat it.

vec
Click to expand...

You're probably right about the user error i'll remember to not lend my quality tool to this friend.
 
Gaulois said:
Over swing? not exactly sure what you mean but the swings was done by a 200 pounds country boy.
Click to expand...

Looks like the swing was past the target and only the corner hit. Then leverage broke it. Not that the outcome was predictable.
 
GrinderMcgee said:
Looks like the swing was past the target and only the corner hit. Then leverage broke it. Not that the outcome was predictable.
Click to expand...

The tree was already fallen & my friend was chopping it, maybe as you said the swing was past the target i really don't know.
 
Hey!!
I think that this is a bad heat treated axe and will get you a new one on warrety.
That´s a problem you can get when you make the axes to hard .
Cegga
 
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