Info on Norlund Saddle Cruiser and Normark skinning Axe?

B

borrowed time

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Dec 19, 2006
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So, a long time ago i picked up this Normark Hunter's Skinning Axe:

normark.JPG


I have babied it over the years and except for a couple of instances of using it for light wood work it has been primarily used to process small game, ie: removing feet , head and tail, even once to help to skin a deer.

I understand that the blade is a stainless steel but beyond that i dont know much. I am reluctant to use it on wood without your personal in-put on this tool. Even used through an entire small game season it doesnt need much sharpening. The sheath for it is a thin, flimsy black leather that isnt very helpful for belt carry despite having about 2" belt-loop slots. I will say that the plastic handle is PERFECT with regards to fitting the hand and greatly eases hand fatigue if doing alot of game processing.

So, have any of you owned or used one of these bad boys? do you think it would hold up to constant, light wood work? what is one of these worth (being used but not abused)? I assume they are not in production any more. i have seen something like these but it was an off brand, and dirt cheap. Is it worth carrying into the woods as a regular tool or should i carry my SOG Fusion Tomahawk for my "hatchet/hawk" needs?

Also, as a trivia tidbit, this axe can be seen in the movie "Deep Rising" with Treat Williams in a scene with the mercinaries on his boat during a confrontation with a crew member, one of the mercenaries holds it to the crewman's throat.

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ALSO, i was gifted a Norlund Saddle Cruiser double bit hand axe:

$(KGrHqV,!ksE9WJwO5brBPb788,mqg~~60_35.JPG


Mine is in pretty good shape and cleaned up. it has original handle and a stained but original sheath that does not have belt loop slots but says "Genuine Norlund" tooled into the leather. It seems it may be a type of axe/hatchet that goes with the "Nessmuk" philosophy(??).

Of this axe i know next to nothing regarding history, age, purpose (mostly used by guides that work off horseback?), or worth. I am deathly afraid to use it until i know more about it; i believe it may be difficult to replace the handle. So, for now it sits in my man-cave on the peg board and i take it out once in a while and fondle it and dream of deer hunting trips on horse back on a crisp autumn day on a mountain side and splitting the first firewood of the day with my little Norlund Saddle Cruiser......

Anybody got info please?!?

THANK YOU!!!
 
I don't know anything about the first axe.

That little Norlund you have there (especially in that good of shape) is considered by many folks to be 'highly collectable'.
Some folks go nuts for those little guys.
I think their pretty cool too :)
 
Don't know anything about the Normark but that Norlund is in really nice shape. I believe they were made 1960s-1980s. They are really cool and bring crazy $$$.
 
The Normark is a lot tougher than it looks, I've used one for years and let my son have my old one for hunting/hiking use. I replaced my Normark with the new version made by Mora (as were the originals) because I prefer the carbon steel used in the current version. If winter camping or hiking where I know I'll be handling some campfire chores I usually go with a HB or boys axe but the Normark/Mora is nice for a "just in case" hatchet. My wife and I often hike in places like the Smoky Mountains were you can't build fires but I always take one of my lightweight hatchets (and a few survival items) "just in case" something goes wrong. I have about 12 hatchets and of those about half of them are very light weight hatchets ranging from the "heavier" Normark/Mora and Norlund hatchets to the even lighter GFB mini, wood handled Marbles, etc.

Congrats on the Norlund double bit also, I'm a big Norlund fan but luckily I purchased mine before they became so popular. A Norlund double bit cruiser sold on ebay a few weeks ago for over 160.00 and a Norlund "Camper" pattern (head only) just sold for 140.00. I have several of the Norlund HB style (full size and hatchet size) and a criser weight double bit but my favorite Norlund pattern is their "cruiser" pattern single bit. The head on the single bit cruiser weighs in a hair over 2 lbs which kind of puts it in the "boys axe" class yet this particular head has a full size single bit eye opening. I'm in the process of hafting one of these up and will post some pics later.


I think both of your axes have some value to collectors but that wouldn't stop me from using them. The Normark/Mora design is very tough (think Fiskars tough) and you could always rehaft the wood handled Norlund. If you get serious about axes you need to learn how to haft because because so many of the great vintage patterns are often only available as heads or with a very "suspect" handle at best.
Steve
 
Sweet Norlund saddle cruiser. Norlunds were made by Mann. Some say that the older Norlunds were of very descent quality and that the newer ones were not so decent. I don't know how to tell the difference between the older ones and the newer ones (if there is a difference).

I have a small collection of them, I think they are all sweet axes.

Tom
 
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