India ? ....

Here's a lineup of axes from India, including this boys axe:

Untitled-31490.jpg


http://www.gardex.in/category/products/wood-cutting-tools/axe/
 
With what we're paying to ship handles domestically I'd like to know how the East Indians can be competitive using "Genuine American Hickory"-stamped handles. They must be shipping the heads to north America and having a sub contractor provide the wood and conduct the hangs. Otherwise shipping US blanks to India and then shipping whole axes back would get to be expensive!
 
300Six said:
With what we're paying to ship handles domestically I'd like to know how the East Indians can be competitive using "Genuine American Hickory"-stamped handles. They must be shipping the heads to north America and having a sub contractor provide the wood and conduct the hangs. Otherwise shipping US blanks to India and then shipping whole axes back would get to be expensive!
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Nah. The cost of shipping the wood isn't small, but they're probably not buying Grade AA hickory, either, and per-unit shipping goes down the greater the bulk quantity.
 
The India stuff always seems to have handles of less than top quality wood. Less dense and doesn't look like typical hickory. They could be using Chinese hickory or shipping heads over here to be hafted with low grade US hickory.
 
The notion that they'd send heads over here to be hafted and then sent back strikes me as silly. They almost certainly just buy the wood in bulk and then ship to wherever in the globe their customers are.
 
I wouldn't suggest they would be hafted here and then sent back. That would be nuts. But shipping heads here to be hafted here and sold here makes sense. As any ebayer knows it's much cheaper to ship an un-hafted head.

But if they wanted to hang them in India it would make sense to use Chinese hickory harvested with lower labor costs and shipped a shorter distance.
 
Square_peg said:
I wouldn't suggest they would be hafted here and then sent back. That would be nuts. But shipping heads here to be hafted here and sold here makes sense. As any ebayer knows it's much cheaper to ship an un-hafted head.

But if they wanted to hang them in India it would make sense to use Chinese hickory harvested with lower labor costs and shipped a shorter distance.
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They sell globally, though, so having their heads all sent to the USA to be hafted there would require them to then be sent back for redistribution, as well as paying the higher rates for machine hours to have the handles manufactured in the USA. If the USA was their only market it might make sense. But it's not, so it doesn't.
 
From the home of some of the most impressive swords of antiquity (metallurgically-wise and not only...), with love, you'll most often get exactly what you're willing to pay for :). Same with China.

Just read yesterday an article that commented on how the kukris made in India for export for the Gurkha brigades of the British (the ex-colonizer they have just gained independence from) were of a (most likely intentional) lower quality than those issued to their own Gurkhas. So much, that the Birtish were forced to reach out to their own "Wilkinson Sword" to produce a trial batch, then full-blown production, of what was going to become the "Pattern Mark IV" kukri.

Today, while Westerners may begrudgingly comment on the soup-can steel that goes into some of these implements, the Indians chuckle that there's a market for these and laugh all the way to the bank. They are not naive. I have little doubt they will provide Gransfors Bruk quality if you're willing to pay appropriately.

Just look at the quality of an iPad, or the quality of other Chinese-made stuff that is sent to Germany. I was surprised to read "Made in China" on some stuff, back when I was more naive.
 
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Moonw said:
From the home of some of the most impressive swords of antiquity (metallurgically-wise and not only...), with love, you'll most often get exactly what you're willing to pay for :). Same with China.
Click to expand...
No doubt western retailers deserve a large share of the blame. When companies put in an order they either rigorously specify the quality or (more likely) simply go with lowest bidder and then conveniently divest themselves of responsibility. I remember back to the 1960s when Japanese goods were considered inferior due to the bargain prices, but buyers gradually came to appreciate the stuff because it proved durable and well made in use. Took nearly 30 years for Japanese automobiles to become trusted brands. How well would the buying public perceive a custom-forged $500 axe that was stamped "made in India"?
 
300Six said:
No doubt western retailers deserve a large share of the blame. When companies put in an order they either rigorously specify the quality or (more likely) simply go with lowest bidder and then conveniently divest themselves of responsibility. I remember back to the 1960s when Japanese goods were considered inferior due to the bargain prices, but buyers gradually came to appreciate the stuff because it proved durable and well made in use. Took nearly 30 years for Japanese automobiles to become trusted brands. How well would the buying public perceive a custom-forged $500 axe that was stamped "made in India"?
Click to expand...

Spot-on!
 
Gentlemen,

Sow's ear to silk purse ? Not hardly. I just did not want to be embarrassed
when I handed this "truck ax" to my friend. I sanded it down, 4 coats of BLO,
2 coats of Tung oil. I attempted to rework the bit ... filed, coarse stone,
fine stone, strope. For a while I felt like I was chasing my tail.... kept getting
roll-over (soft steel ?) ... finally must have reached the point of a little harder
steel and was able to claim an edge. Counter sunk the wedge and now the
head is tight. I will use full disclosure (with my buddy) upon this catch and
release.
Thanks to all for the spirited discussion re: India steel. I learned something.
Thanks again.

Charles
https://imgur.com/a/1ZZLH
 
Looks at least serviceable now, it should be fine riding around in a truck.
Just needs a quick diy bit cover now.
 
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