Is this a fake Gransfors Bruk(s) hatchet??

D

Dustin1

Joined
Jul 19, 2015
Messages
10
Hello,

This is my first post so please help (Long time blade forum reader, first time poster).


The question/problem: I have recently purchased a Gransfors Bruk(s) mini hatchet (item number 410). The question I have is if the hatchet is a genuine tool made from Gransfors Bruk(s).
My mini hatchet says "Gransfors Bruk". BUT, I have seen the same hatchet online (pictures, blogs, reviews, youtube, google images...) that have the Gransfors Bruk(s) 410 mini hatchet stamped with "Gransfors Bruks" and some without the letter "s". Some of the pictures Ive seen made by "LP" stamped with "Gransfors Bruk" some with "Gransfors Bruks". Also some hatchets made by "KS" are also mixed ("Gransfors BrukS" & "Gransfors Bruk").

On the GransforsBruK website it says "The axe should be marked with "Gränsfors Bruks crown mark" and "the blacksmith own initials” on one side of the head, and the label "Gränsfors Bruks Sweden"on the other side. To ensure that the axe is a genuine axe, it should also be purchased by one of the retailers find on Gränsfors Bruks website. See also the Section retailers." ---http://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/faq/

PLEASE HELP. Do I have a genuine Gransfors Bruk(s) hatchet? Or did I get scammed? My hatchet also does not say "Gransfors Bruks Sweden" it says "Gransfors Bruk Sweden"

My hatchet says "Gransfors Bruk" and has a "KS" stamp on the front. This contradicts what the company website says.


Also I have seen pictures of the 410 mini hatchet online that has different "layers" (of steel) by the edge (blade/bit). I am referring Japanese samurai steel looks due to the different folds. Mine does not have this. This hatchet also came with dark wood not the light wood I see on amazon. I have seen light colored wood on the hatchets being sold online new. But I bought my hatchet with darker colored wood.


Basically I bought a Gransfors Bruk(s) 410 mini hatchet very recently for an expensive price and I want to know if I got scammed. My hatchet says "Gransfors Bruk" not "Gransfors Bruks" according to the Gransfors Bruk(s) website this would mean I have a NOT GENUINE Gransfors Bruk(s) 410 hatchet.

Please help me determine this issue I am having. I want to know it I purchased a fake Gransfors Bruk(s) 410 hatchet or not. I am very confused. Thanks.
These pictures are of my hatchet:













Please help

Thank you.


Sincerely,


Dustin1


Also it would be nice if anyone can clarify the discrepancy of why some hatchets have "Gransfors Bruks" and some have "Gransfors Bruks" due to fake hatchets or some sort of company error or other possibilities?

Gransfors Bruk(s) website says "Gransfors Bruk Sweden" on the website and the website URL is gransforsbruk.com FYI. I am very confused.

thanks again. :confused::eek:
 
Cant vouch for the authenticity of your hatchet, but I have a small forest axe that has "Granfors Bruk Sweden" on the handle along with the emblem. Emblem on mine has GBA instead of just GB, but maybe they changed it?

Certainly looks quite like mine in fit and finish, but again, I dont have experience seeing fakes.
 
I've seen comments before about 'Bruk' being a sign of a fake, but on the website the two smallest hatchets are marked 'Bruk', without the 'S'.

I doubt there are many counterfeits being made. Just ensure it was from a reputable buyer.

Does the steel seem good?
 
That's the real thing. It's legit, don't worry.

From Gränsfors website.
410-Lilla-Yxan.png
 
The steel seems alright. Ive used it to chop some wood with 5 inch diameters. After that use there are some mirco chips (the chips are the size of 75% of a grain of sand). It certainly does not look like the bit/edge of the picture above posted by aikonen from the company website.

I am just wanting to know why this is and could not find a definite answer. It would be a shame if I bought such an expensive hatchet to realize later that it is fake. I guess that picture is somewhat good enough to assume mine is real.

Then there is the question why such a reputable company (over 100 years) would mess up their brand name when stamping it.

It worst case scenario is if these were make in a counterfeit company in China or somewhere and somehow distributing it through out the world as legitimate when they are actually fake. Maybe the profit margin would be high for the counterfeit company...and they make different counterfeit things.:eek:
 
GB's have very hard bits. You can damage them with hard dry wood, knots and some species need to be avoided. They are also more brittle in the cold. You can get away with a harder bit on an hatchet than you can an axe. The striking force is just so much less.
All axes are subject to this. The softer steel will roll and the harder steel will be more likely to have micro chips as you found out. This gives me a heads up when I file old vintage heads as to what the steel will be like before I even file it. By looking at the ware, small chips or rolled edges.

I prefer small micro chips of the harder bit over one that will roll. They hold an edge better.

Your hatchet is acting like a typical GB. You just need to sharpen it and carry on.
 
I was just thinking that start up companies have a reputation to build and people usually by from companies that have an established reputation. I was thinking it could be possible that start up companies can take advantage of the established reputation of the company and then try to profit from it. These days with technology its not as hard to duplicate things, its just whether consumers trusts if the company will have a product that hold up in the long run... Would it be possible an ambitious young entrepreneur (with investment money) would start a company overseas and try to sell as many as possible to become a millionaire quickly? If one can exploit the labor and other things I would think this would be quite easy to do.
 
Dustin1 said:
Hi garry3, do you think my hatchet is genuine?
Click to expand...

Yes your hatchet is the real thing. It would cost a lot of money to try to reproduce the GB that closely. Not going to happen, most forgeries are apparent to those really familiar with the product. And they cut corners to really increase the profit. Its not yours!

All steel will either chip or roll at some point. Yours did exactly what I have came to expect from GB. Its normal ware. and just needs to be sharpened.

Relax and enjoy your well made hatchet. Micro chips just mean it is time to touch up the bit.
 
I don't think the axe should be rolling or chipping. It would be helpful to know what type of wood you were using and how much experience you have with axes (as in were you chopping close to the ground, through knots at full force? etc.) In my experience I have never chipped my Gransfors axes except when I made errors, and I primarily use them on frozen birch and spruce. Not the toughest wood, and I'm careful to warm up the edge, but it suggests you should not get damage when used correctly.

And also once with a brand new axe, I didn't strop first and ended with some microchipping.

garry3, is there any information on GBs being on the harder side? My understanding was that they are supposed to be 56rc, and the Council Velvicut in the 50-54 range, but I recall people suggesting that a lot of vintage axes were harder than this. Some people mentioned they wanted to test but I don't recall any hard numbers. I'm no expert on telling hardness from filing myself, but I'd say some of the Spiller and ES axes I have are harder, and the Campbell's (New Brunswick) just slightly harder, maybe 57-58. These were all manufacturers in the winter regions.

Would axes destined for hardwood forests be slightly softer, low to mid-50s?

And is it possible that the relatively low carbon content of the Gransfors axes makes them prone to chipping? Or just require a more precise heat treat?
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
Also, a useful image:
fig106.jpg


It seems that the less uniform a chip is the more likely the axe is defective.
Click to expand...

I have broke a GB (in my dumber days) like chip number three and had GB replaced it. A cheaper modern axe sustained no such damage but it would not cut either, just rolled the edge and dulled. I have heard the quote some place that" you can't break a poor axe but you can a good one", it seems to be true. A fine Collins legitimus fell victim to a Lilac tree, alcohol and peer pressure. :cool:
 
garry3 said:
Yes your hatchet is the real thing. It would cost a lot of money to try to reproduce the GB that closely. Not going to happen, most forgeries are apparent to those really familiar with the product. And they cut corners to really increase the profit. Its not yours!

All steel will either chip or roll at some point. Yours did exactly what I have came to expect from GB. Its normal ware. and just needs to be sharpened.

Relax and enjoy your well made hatchet. Micro chips just mean it is time to touch up the bit.
Click to expand...


Okay thanks for your input. I am starting to think that my GB 410 hatchet is probably genuine 97%. But, could you please explain why the difference between "Gransfors Bruks" and Gransfors Bruk" stamp and why some say "GB" and some say "GBA" Im wondering if that is due to error, origin of production, quality control, counterfeit (starting to believe not the case but who knows)....

This is just like "D'Amico & Sons" and "D'Amico & Son", I have never seen "D'Amico & Son" label.

Why would the company (est1902) not care about how their brand name is written?:confused:
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
I've seen comments before about 'Bruk' being a sign of a fake, but on the website the two smallest hatchets are marked 'Bruk', without the 'S'.

I doubt there are many counterfeits being made. Just ensure it was from a reputable buyer.

Does the steel seem good?
Click to expand...

This is also not good to hear:dread:... this you hear this from experts? source?
 
I saw a thread on another forum somewhere that Gransfors dropped the s from bruks to make bruk on the newer handles. It is genuine.
 
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