Gransfors, Hults, or Wetterling?

L

lambertiana

Gold Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2000
Messages
9,411
I am thinking about upgrading my small axe/hatchet, and I want to know how much difference there is in quality between Gransfors, Hults, and Wetterling. I want something with a thin profile for good cutting, it would be used for light chopping and splitting work. I am looking at the Gransfors Wildlife hatchet/Wetterling 16H or Gransfors small forest axe/Wetterling 20H, or something equivalent to that. I see that the Wetterlings cost about half what the Gransfors do, so tell me how much difference there is in performance. I don't mind paying extra for performance if it is really better, I just haven't ever handled any of these brands so I don't know how they compare.
 
Hi ,
the gransfors axes are the top of the pile , I have two , the mini and the hunter , they hold a wicked edge and come razor sharp, very hard to beat.

all the best,

Fishmonger:D
 
The Wetterling I used was very different from the Gransfors but mainly in cosmetic issues and ith some filing the performance was solid. However others have reported much better initial finish, and some have even reported better cutting/chopping performance for the Wetterling.

-Cliff
 
Hey
Idon´t se how the gb can be so muth better the axes from sweden are in same steel and made with same forging technique and they buy the handle in the same factory so what can be so muth better??
Cegga
 
cegga said:
Hey
Idon´t se how the gb can be so muth better the axes from sweden are in same steel and made with same forging technique and they buy the handle in the same factory so what can be so muth better??
Cegga
Click to expand...
Same materials & technique dont ncessaraly result in same product, there are some design differences- Wetterling hatchet and GB hachet have slightly diffrent head shapes some may prefere one to other, slight difference in handle angle also can make small to big difference in angle to wood.
Also quaility of execution in production not necessary same, most people see better fit & finish in GB, at least one reviewer says Wetterling is narrower cutting edge angle on the Wetterling which make for better performance although many GB fans say the reverse is true.
Same steel same technique OK, but end products can feel very different in the hand
 
Then you can buy a wetteling or hult for half price change the handle grindit to another chape and get the ax you whant fot 70% of pricing ??
 
If you are willing to do some work then Wetterling is likely the better choice assuming the steel is solid in general which seems to be the case from what I have seen and what I have read.

-Cliff
 
I have a GB Wildlife Hatchet and it is wicked sharp. Haven't had a chance to put to use yet but definetly high in the category of craftsmanship. My vote is for the GB. Prices are reasonable if you shop around online.

Ketum3
 
This was a couple of hours work, spread over a week or so.

3w.jpg


4w.jpg
 
cegga said:
Then you can buy a wetteling or hult for half price change the handle grindit to another chape and get the ax you whant fot 70% of pricing ??
Click to expand...
Well yes of course, no argument there if you are willing and able to do the work. But if you are not rich enough to buy all the necesary equipemente and your job + commute = 65 hours per week and you don't have very much time for "customising" your tools, then buying the better "stock" item is probably worthe the extra cost.
Same can be said in regarde to Wetterling, why not buy $8 ax at flea market, make new handle +$8 and regrind edge, now you have better ax then Wetterling for less then 1/2 its price. Bark River knife co. does this with the Vaugn subzero ($20market price), they put a lot of worke into "customising" it and they re-sell it as Bark Rive r Mini ax ($55 -80 depends where you buy it), I wish they would say on thier website it is customised Vaugn but still seems like good deal unless you have equipement and time to do so youself.
 
I have many axes I will send one for fri no stamps on the ax if someone are willing to do a test and then do objectiv judgement I will grind the ax so you can thell whith compani made it then we se whats happen send my a mail and I send the ax.
(to a guy convinced that there are so big difference on the axes)
cegga
 
GB make their own handles - which really matters. The mini-hatchet comes with a lifetime guarantee on the handle - if it works loose, they will put a new one in the factory (the head is punched down into the wood of the handle, so it isnt an at home job).

You can't take a mass-produced axe and make it into a GB - the quality of steel and the forging process matter hugely. My mini-hatchet sharpens faster than most knives, and holds an edge better - I have, literally, shaved with it (just to prove a point, and it wasn't a close shave, but, hey it impressed the guys round the campfire).
 
Hey!
The only company in sweden who make there on handel is wetteling so if you think that GB are make there own handel I say that your out on deep water :)
they have there own design a good design but they don´t make them .I have analyze the steel on all axe company in sweden an there are use the same steel .
If you want I can give you the company who make the handel.
Best regard
Cegga
 
The type of steel that you start with matters - but the forging matters more. I've not had a Wetterlings axe, so can't speak for their quality.

I don't believe that mass manufacture can produce the same quality as experienced hand forging.

It may be that GB handles are supplied to them by an external company - but if you get a copy of their axe book, it has pictures of the handles being finished in their factory.
 
I have pictures on the forgin teknik and the machine that make the axe and they are the same in all factory but yes there can be shit behind the tongs :D
so all factory in sweden are making the ax in the same way no mass manufacture. That you have to think at are that the axebook are a advertising book;)
Best regard
Cegga
 
Cegga and Alaistair are both right in this respect: it's what you believe that matters. Aesthetics counts, the care you take of the axe counts, the pride you have in it counts.

The only thing I have a problem with is Cliff Stamp's nonsensical statement that "if you are willing to do some work then Wetterling is likely the better choice". This is very flabby thinking. If you MUST do some work on it to begin with, then the Wetterling starts out inferior. If your work allows the inferior product to surpass the Gransfors, then presumably a little work on the Gransfors would put it in the lead again. And, of course, what is a little work to some would be nigh to impossible to others, either because of skill, tools or opportunity.
 
My comment about user mods to wetterling was in responce to cegga's post :

"Then you can buy a wetteling or hult for half price change the handle grindit to another chape and get the ax you whant fot 70% of pricing ?"

My statement noted I was in agreement with his point and yes if you are willing to do some work and the steel is solid then Wetterling is likely the better choice as it is cheaper. If you are willing to do a lot of work then a cheap hardware store axe is likely the best choice as Jim Aston showed awhile ago.

If your work allows the inferior product to surpass the Gransfors, then presumably a little work on the Gransfors would put it in the lead again.
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't work like that in general. The mods that you make in general to axes are to sand the handle, treat it with oil, rework the edge and polish the bit. Once this is done it doesn't get "better" if you put more work into it, it takes a certain amount of work to get near optimal performance, GB comes pretty close to that NIB for medium density woods others need more and if you are willing to do it you can get optimal performance for a lot cheaper - assuming as noted the steel is solid.

-Cliff
 
Your underlying assumption is that there is a work/price trade-off, that the buyer would rather supply his own skill/work rather than the maker's in order to buy the product at a lower price.

Most people would rather the maker gets it right the first time, and every time. They understand that the price they pay for something reflects design, care in selection of materials, pride and skill in production.

Some people are tinkerers, which is fine. They are almost eager to buy cheap and then spend hours fixing a defective product in order to make it "as good as". And, if they bought cheap, then the once-defective product becomes "better" because of their personal sweat. I can understand this argument, but please understand that it applies to a minority of buyers and users. Most of us want the maker to get it right.
 
sturluson said:
Your underlying assumption is that there is a work/price trade-off, that the buyer would rather supply his own skill/work rather than the maker's in order to buy the product at a lower price.
Click to expand...

No I didn't assume it, if I did I would have said :

"The Wettering is a better choice because you can do a little work and get the same performance as the Gransfors."

This assumes that the user is capable of and has a desire to do the work and that thier time is less valuable to them than the monetary difference between the two products, however what I did actually say was :

"If you are willing to do the work then the Wetterling is likely the better choice assuming the steel is solid."

This doesn't assume the user can or will do any mods, in fact it specifically asks the user the question of if they are going to do them and how much it is worth to them.

-Cliff
 
...and your very last statement is a clear statement of work/price tradeoff. Any semanticist (or anyone with an IQ above room temperature) would agree.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top