Looking to get into axe's.

notajerryskid · Nov 30, 2014

Hello to all. I peep on here all the time, but don't feel I know enough yet to contribute to anything.

I have used cheap axe's all my childhood. I was raised on a farm and we used them as tools. I do a lot of backpacking and own a few hawks for that.

I now want to get an axe for basically general use.

I have been looking at the Gränsfors Scandinavian Forest Axe but I don't have the funds for that right now. I can save up and get one no problem. However is there a good mid size axe out there that would work that I don't know about?

So I ask what would you suggest. Mid size, good steel, easy to sharpen, decent cost.

Thank you for all that input to this.

notajerryskid · Nov 30, 2014

I have looked at the cold steel trail boss. And council 22

Liberatus1 · Nov 30, 2014

Check out the Husqvarna line. It really depends on what you want to spend. I think for many of us here we'd suggest hanging an old American made head that you pick up from a garage sale. Rusty heads can be found for five or ten bucks and you can buy a handle from House. You can go a lot of different directions like grabbing a riggers hatchet and throwing it on a 19" haft. You can use two hands if you absolutely need to and one handed is going to work too. It gives you an axe that is roughly the same size and weight as a GB small forest axe but for less than twenty bucks. The best part is you have a skill you can use and while you get a feel for what you want through long hard use you can pick up new heads hang them and if you don't enjoy what you came up with if you do a good job restoring you'll probably be able to get your money back out of it.

notajerryskid · Nov 30, 2014

Thank you. I've looked on eBay for used heads. But so many to choose from.

farmboy · Dec 1, 2014

I'm looking to get into axes and hatchets as well. I do have an old Norlund hatchet, but what some of the other brands we should look for?

jblyttle · Dec 1, 2014

Liberatus1 said:
Check out the Husqvarna line. It really depends on what you want to spend. I think for many of us here we'd suggest hanging an old American made head that you pick up from a garage sale. Rusty heads can be found for five or ten bucks and you can buy a handle from House. You can go a lot of different directions like grabbing a riggers hatchet and throwing it on a 19" haft. You can use two hands if you absolutely need to and one handed is going to work too. It gives you an axe that is roughly the same size and weight as a GB small forest axe but for less than twenty bucks. The best part is you have a skill you can use and while you get a feel for what you want through long hard use you can pick up new heads hang them and if you don't enjoy what you came up with if you do a good job restoring you'll probably be able to get your money back out of it.

This is the ideal and I totally agree with this, but I am a learn as you go kind of guy and didn't try this right away. I'm doing it now and results are improving, the learning curve isn't too steep especially if you work with your hands. However, if I wanted a great all around axe RIGHT NOW and wanted to figure everything else out later...if you held a gun to my head and I could only buy one I think I would choose the Husqvarna Multi Purpose Axe.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2010/12/husqvarna-traditional-multi-purpose-axe.html

notajerryskid · Dec 1, 2014

jblyttle said:
This is the ideal and I totally agree with this, but I am a learn as you go kind of guy and didn't try this right away. I'm doing it now and results are improving, the learning curve isn't too steep especially if you work with your hands. However, if I wanted a great all around axe RIGHT NOW and wanted to figure everything else out later...if you held a gun to my head and I could only buy one I think I would choose the Husqvarna Multi Purpose Axe.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2010/12/husqvarna-traditional-multi-purpose-axe.html

Thank you!! This is what I think I'm looking for. I believe I can rehang a head ( with some time). But I think this will work until that day.

cityofthesouth · Dec 2, 2014

Snow & Nealley has brought head making back to the US and while you may have to specifically ask for a US head from whoever you buy it from, you can get them. Condor Knife and Tool also makes some well liked tools. There is a thread going right now for the Stihl axes and I'd say they look pretty tempting myself. All probably buy right now, relatively affordable and useful options.