Gransfors Bruks Wildlife AXE/Hatchet Video Destruction Test Completed

[Cobalt]

My SHBM weighed 660 grams, so not much of a difference there except the balance point which is way in favor of the hatchet for pure chopping. But maybe blade and edge geometry is another factor in this as well.

ok, so where is the best deal on Gransfors??

 

[Broos]

I have both and really like both, but if I had to chop wood all day, I'll take the GB hatchet every time. There is less hand fatigue with a hatchet, IMO (not that the FBM is uncomfortable). And comfort in the long run will mean more cutting done. Now for clearing shooting lanes, cutting brush & saplings, with some tree chopping thrown in, the FBM will rule, baby.

 

[noss4]

Interesting discussion. The other axe Knife Hunter sent me is the GB Hunters axe
I'm going to take it out in the field with the FBM and put them up against each other. I'll be doing more long term chopping with the two so I should get a better feel for the advantages and disadvantages between an axe and fixed blade.

 

[Cobalt]

Actually, after reading you post, Cobalt, I took a closer look at the specs and have to correct myself some. I still believe that in general my argument is correct, but I was thinking of the small forest AXE (SFA). I believe, what Noss has been using is actually the wildlife HATCHET (WLH). So I was really thinking of the axe with 20" handle, one size up from the hatchet. I think the difference between a good blade and a hatchet is much smaller and I can easily see how the blade can pull ahead, especially when the blade outweighs the hatchet which is probably the case between the WLH and the FBM (my Wetterlings hatchet weights about 640 g).

Had to walk down to the basement and weigh my hatchet and correct myself: The Wetterlings hatchet with 13.5" handle weighs 640 g.

The CGFBM is considerably heavier than my SHBM which weighs around 660 so I would say that a CGFBM would come up around 750 grams +. But I don't know for sure. I would say that the small forest axe would be the best, except maybe against something as heavy as the FFBM that Noss destroyed or an 18 HI AK. Those two have serious weight behind them and the FFBM has excellent geometry.

Noss, I think the hunters axe should be similar to the wildlife hatchet since they are not to far apart in size but the ergonomics is different so one may be more confortable than the other.

Does anyone know what type of steel they use on GB's?

 

[Tyrkon Lawson]

Great job Noss4!

I had a GB Wildlife Hatchet a while back but needed to sell it to raise funds for another purchase However, I regret it now. It was/is an awesome tool and I definately plan on getting moe GB products.

 

[noss4]

Thanks HAM SOLO

They are nice. I still just love carrying a big blade in the field over a hatchet alone as a wood chopper/splitter. If I was going to carry a hatchet it would be GB wildlife.

 

[barrabas74]

Noss I have had one of my GB Hunters axe chip out, not by me but by someone else. They HAD to have full out hit a rock with it as it took a big chunk of steel out of the top of the bit.

 

[tarmix101]

Noss I have had one of my GB Hunters axe chip out, not by me but by someone else. They HAD to have full out hit a rock with it as it took a big chunk of steel out of the top of the bit.

Those are fightin' terms right there.

I personally have never had that happen, but I don't hit rocks generally.

When my Scandi Forest axe was new, I used it to chop up some hard, knotted cherry on a friends orchard for BBQ wood. I must have hit a knot about the size of an apple and noticed the top of the edge was rounded a bit.

Got her home and filed the edge back onto some harder steel, and haven't had a problem since.

Good video. Obviously the test are WAY outside anything I would ever do to my axe, and would punch my friends strait in the nose if they did, but it was nice to see the abuse the hatchet took.

 

[barrabas74]

Tarmix if I can get a pic you will see where it happened and where he tried to "fix it" and it made me litterally SICK! And its one of the few times I have been, it was a gift from my girl....luckily she loves me and bought me another

 

[Cobalt]

Tarmix if I can get a pic you will see where it happened and where he tried to "fix it" and it made me litterally SICK! And its one of the few times I have been, it was a gift from my girl....luckily she loves me and bought me another

now that's a good woman. :thumbup:

 

[barrabas74]

Not a good pick of the damage but thats AFTER its had been cleaned up a bit. The 2nd is both my hunters.

 

[tarmix101]

Not a good pick of the damage but thats AFTER its had been cleaned up a bit. The 2nd is both my hunters.

To quote Mors Kochanski from Bushcraft:

"It is poor manners to ask a person for the loan of his axe. Is is worse to use it without permission. If you have work to be done, ask the axe owner to do it for you. A moment of misuse on your part may mean many hours of work replacing a broken handle or taking out a bad nick".

From the looks of your picture many hours was about 15 minutes of your friends time.

 

[barrabas74]

Oh and your right, but he was a good friend and this christmas bought me a Scandanavian forest axe to "burry the hatchet" over this

 

[tarmix101]

Oh and your right, but he was a good friend and this christmas bought me a Scandanavian forest axe to "burry the hatchet" over this

Ahhh well there ya have it. Good friend indeed. We have already drifted a bit here, but don't ya just love the Scandi forest axe. Use mine more than any of them. It's so well balanced I use it one handed for carving duties as well.

 

[barrabas74]

Ahhh well there ya have it. Good friend indeed. We have already drifted a bit here, but don't ya just love the Scandi forest axe. Use mine more than any of them. It's so well balanced I use it one handed for carving duties as well.

Yes....it has quickly become by GO TO axe for working on blowdowns and the like. but in co-ordination with the thread GB is awesome and I love the product!

 

[noss4]

Not a good pick of the damage but thats AFTER its had been cleaned up a bit. The 2nd is both my hunters.

At least you were able to remove the damage and you still had a usable axe left. The one I tested also chipped out some on the corners but not as bad as your photo shows.

 

[HoB]

On the outdoorsmagazin.com forum there are a few reports of GB axes that have badly chipped. One person, of whom I had the impression that he probably wasn't a skilled axe user but had a good idea of what he was doing and is taking care of his tools, reported gross failure (big chunk missing out of the edge) on one of the GB models. I wonder if there isn't sometimes a microcrack going unnoticed in the edge.

I got this one from Wetterlings and even though they have clearly a lower standard than GB, I really wonder why they bothered to sharpen this, let along let this piece leave the factory. If a small, difficult to detect fracture goes right through the edge, edge failure is preprogrammed.

 

[brians]

Here's what some frozen ironwood did to my poor forest axe - notice the chip at the end of the bit - brings a tear to my eye even today

 

[noss4]

On the outdoorsmagazin.com forum there are a few reports of GB axes that have badly chipped. One person, of whom I had the impression that he probably wasn't a skilled axe user but had a good idea of what he was doing and is taking care of his tools, reported gross failure (big chunk missing out of the edge) on one of the GB models. I wonder if there isn't sometimes a microcrack going unnoticed in the edge.

I got this one from Wetterlings and even though they have clearly a lower standard than GB, I really wonder why they bothered to sharpen this, let along let this piece leave the factory. If a small, difficult to detect fracture goes right through the edge, edge failure is preprogrammed.

After seeing all the photos posted by barrabas74 and brians and hearing the outdoorsmagazin.com story. It seems GB may have some issues from one axe to another. I also wonder if they are just brittle near the edge after heat treat and chipping can be reduced by grinding the axe back some. ? But if the outdoorsmagazin.com guy had gross failure and lost big chunks of the edge then the problem may be more severe ?

 

[tarmix101]

After seeing all the photos posted by barrabas74 and brians and hearing the outdoorsmagazin.com story. It seems GB may have some issues from one axe to another. I also wonder if they are just brittle near the edge after heat treat and chipping can be reduced by grinding the axe back some. ? But if the outdoorsmagazin.com guy had gross failure and lost big chunks of the edge then the problem may be more severe ?

Noss as with any shop (Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw ect...) there are failures in the Q.C. process to be sure. If you look had enough at just about any manufacture you will find problems. Especially here.

Being the "axe crazed" guy I am, several Wetterlings, and GB's have gone through my hands. Wetterlings axes sometimes needed some work, but still performed well in the end.

I have never had "gross failure" as seen in these pictures, but I have had an edge roll before.

The good thing is Gransfors and Wetterling stands behind their products 100%. A lot like other top notch makers.

From MY EXPERIENCE GB axes are second only too custom makers and their performance has never failed me. Could happen in the future I guess, but I'll just send it back if it does.