Hults Bruks/Husqvarna re-hang - in-use pix added

[daizee]

Remember the HB/Hsq promo hatchet I picked up for peanuts a few weeks ago?

Oops...

The head was too heavy for the handle from the beginning - felt like more than the 1.25lb advertised in the stamp. In fact it weighed right about 1.5lb on my trigger pull gauge.

Turns out the eye is a perfect fit for a boy's axe handle, not the larger one I'd expected. This further confirms to me that this head was on way too short a handle. It didn't take much fitting. This time I slopped BLO on the top of the handle, in and around the kerf.

I also slopped some on the wedge - again cut from a block of wood I had handy since the wedge that came with the handle was too steep, in my estimation. With the wedge driven home and the top trimmed you can see the BLO in the joint. The eye is now tight enough that some BLO was squeezed out from between the eye and the haft. Hopefully that's the good sign I think it is. No glue on this one.

I left the handle proud similar to the original hang. I like it.

This handle is the replacement that Seymour/Link sent me. It is slightly bent to the left near the bottom, but I'm not gonna harass them about it a second time. Not for $12. Decided I'd use it anyway. I think they may be shaping their handles a bit too green or something, but the contour is really nice.

By traditional proportions this head is a bit light for this handle, but I'm not sold on the intermediate lengths and didn't have any handy. Imagine this as a GB Small Forest Axe head on a longer haft. The balance is quite nice to play with in the house. I'll give it a little workout tomorrow. It's a light little package, and only 27" overall after hanging and trimming.

 

[scruffuk]

That looks like a good sized handle for that head. Nice job!

I like the crook in it....reminds me of those Finnish axe handles.

 

[Liam Ryan]

Nice, looks way better on that handle, bet she performs well too.

 

[Square_peg]

.....since the wedge that came with the handle was too steep, in my estimation.

That's a common problem. Good catch.

By traditional proportions this head is a bit light for this handle, but I'm not sold on the intermediate lengths and didn't have any handy. Imagine this as a GB Small Forest Axe head on a longer haft.

I think a light axe on a longer handle is a good combination. The higher head speed and lower mass of the head make them great for limbing smaller branches that would bend under a larger axe. It makes for a great camping axe, too.

 

[daizee]

I had 5 minutes between phone calls this morning and took it out to whack at some stuff.
It splits nicely for its small size, and is a joy to carry around the yard. I beat the hell out of a fallen trunk too, and was satisfied with the results - I'll never try to chop through a, 8-inch tree with it anyway.

well-lit outdoor pix later when I get a chance.

 

[John Frankl]

Very nice!

Just a random thought, but I sure wish the Swedish axe makers would stamp near the pole rather than putting such big indentations so close to the cutting edge.

 

[daizee]

This afternoon I got to put the little axe to work. I split two wheelbarrows of too-large firewood logs down to size and limbed some old stormfall for kindling.

Next to my 3lb Mann connecticut, the dedicated splitting machine. I kept it handy, but only had to call in the boss once.

working'... with a glove for scale.
It lands about half an inch to the left for me due to the slight sideways bend toward the end of the handle. If I focused my aim half an inch to the right of my intended strike point it was very accurate.

Ok, that's getting boring. Let's chop on this downed tree. It's an invasive species. They get soft for the first inch and then harden up toward the middle where they retain moisture a long time. This is the top end of the trunk, about 10" in diameter:

Gleeful Daizee took an axe and gave the tree trunk forty whacks...
The photo is at a lousy angle to show the depth, but you can see how the growth rings are tightening up as I approach the center. Not too shabby for a 1.5lb hatchet... I wouldn't go after something this big on purpose, but it seems to punch above its weight:

There was a fairly large (4"?) fallen maple branch over the wall, so I limbed it a bit and dragged the trimmings back to the chopping stump:

Choking up on the handle, I squatted in front of the stump and chopped things down to size. It works VERY well as a hatchet - in fact it's a much better hatchet now than it was on the short handle because the new haft balances out the head very well. So the entire tool weighs more, but the improved balance makes it very effective. It is easy to swing one-handed.

The pair for the afternoon:

Conclusions:
This is an excellent tool, but it took as much work to get it there as it would have to restore a vintage flea market hatchet. Since I got it brand new for a flea market price, I feel it was a good investment. In fact, I REALLY like using this thing in its new configuration. Splitting with it requires much more speed than with the 3lb Mann, but swinging it is very low effort. Moving the tool around doesn't contribute substantially to fatigue. Sure, it takes a lot more speed than the Mann, which almost falls through wood, but it's easy to wield. It feels almost like a toy carrying it around the yard, but it was VERY effective. If I were a multi-day camper or hiker I'd pack this thing in a minute. It sticks a bit more than the Mann, and the geometry isn't as sophisticated, but all in all it's a fantastic tool reconfigured like this. I believe the retail price on this hatchet (model "H 006 SV") is around $40. If HB offers this head on a long handle in the $50 range it would be a solid buy, requiring only a bit of edge tuning. It would be a good, lighter alternative to the Council Boy's Axe. The finish is more 'modern' and the head shape more tomahawky than the typical GB or Wetterlings, but this should satisfy my craving for a Swedish steel.

 

[coreboy]

nice work. looks real nice

 

[John Frankl]

Some guys have all the fun

 

[Square_peg]

Thanks for the report, Daizee. Sounds like you've got a winner there.