Not a great debut for the new Council Wood-Craft Pack Axe

Whiskey_Jim said:
I wouldn't consider it a high quality sheath when they cheap out on a center piece of leather to protect the stitches.
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It's still possible to cut through the stitches with a center welt. The bit can still run along a wall of the sheath and straight into the seam between the welt and the sheath wall. Even when glued, if enough force is behind it and the edge is sharp. I dare ya' to find a leather sheath that would survive being left on the axe during a blow, and a bad knock-and-drop in the course of shipping can generate quite a bit of force if the means of securing the axe has failed. Not saying that's what happened in this situation, but it does bear consideration! I think it more likely that the sheath isn't at fault here and the packaging failed, allowing the axe to shift and slide inside the box during a bad fall.
 
Pack Axes and Saddle Axes are currently shipped with a thick rubber guard on the bit, which is shrink-wrapped on, so that it doesn't come off.. the mask or sheath is shipped within the same box but not fitted to the head for packing and shipping...

Council is actively improving their packing for these very sharp axes..

The masks and sheaths have full welts and are stitched....with rivets at the corners for durability...
 
RoosterMod said:
Pack Axes and Saddle Axes are currently shipped with a thick rubber guard on the bit, which is shrink-wrapped on, so that it doesn't come off.. the mask or sheath is shipped within the same box but not fitted to the head for packing and shipping...

...
Click to expand...
Protect the sheath from the axe?


Bob
 
When shipping things like axes where you have a heavy cutting tool with a sharp edge it's good to double up on precautions. Covering the edge tightly such as with the rubber dip (I use painter's tape on outgoing sharpened tools) greatly reduces the likelihood of the edge punching through and cutting something. A sheath works well in a carry and use context, but they tend to allow a tiny bit of motion and in a shipping situation that's all that's needed for a heavy tool to gain the momentum it needs to push clean through. Parcel carriers are really quite rough with packages and the sharper and heavier the tool the exponentially greater the packaging requirements--which is exactly why most axes, machetes, and other large edged tools do not get shipped with a finished edge. It drives up both the cost of the product itself and the cost of its packaging. Any shifting has to be eliminated and the edge must be directly covered rather than having a covering that is able to lose direct contact with the edge itself.
 
I cover the edges first with blue painters tape and then with heavy duty duct tape. The painters tape is just keep duct tape adhesive from sticking to the axe. I'm afraid a buyer would cut themselves while cleaning it off.
 
I usually use both painter's tape and then a cardboard mask. The combo of the taped edge with the cushion of the cardboard plus good immobilization gives reliable protection in transport.
 
I just got my Pack Axe last week while I was out of town. Finally got it unpackaged Friday. Apparently Council Tools pays attention, because my axe came packaged as shown below.

There was a large ziptie that I cut and removed before I thought to take pics. The mask was in the small box and the book was secured to the haft with twine. {EDIT: No idea why this pic won't show up, right click and select open in new tab or window to see it. I have trouble with this same forum software on another forum as well.}
packaxe170505_01.jpg


The rubber edge guard was secured with several wraps of cellophane wrap.
packaxe170505_02.jpg


The rubber edge guard.
packaxe170505_03.jpg


And the unguarded edge. It's sharp, but needs some touchup before it will cut phone book paper or shave hair.
packaxe170505_04.jpg
 
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Zip tied to the body of the box, rubber protected edge, head wrapped in cellophane, the sheath contained in a separate section.


Whether or not you like Council Tools, the Woodcraft axe itself, or buying new, would it be safe to say that they listened to customer feedback either here or through other contact channels?

Being perfect is unrealistic but working towards it admirable.

I'm glad to see that your axe showed up like it did :thumbsup:
 
It is nice they fixed the problem. I am however rather unpressed that a company that has been "in the business" since 1886 had this problem (packing for shipping) to begin with. I'll buy the new axe design,(as in can have unforseen issues) or a heat treatment issue when switching over to a new process. I will not buy into piss poor geometry, or lackluster packing jobs to save a nickel. Take it how you will.
 
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Woodcraft said:
It is nice they fixed the problem. I am however rather unpressed that a company that has been "in the business" since 1886 had this problem (packing for shipping) to begin with. I'll buy the new axe design,(as in can have unforseen issues) or a heat treatment issue when switching over to a new process. I will not buy into piss poor geometry, or lackluster packing jobs to save a nickel. Take it how you will.
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I kind of seem your point, but...

Will you forgive me if I sound like a smart ass saying that probably "back then" most if not all axes were sold with more of a "courtesy grind" instead of being fully sharpened, as every user was expected to know how to sharpen theirs? :p At least that's the impression I had. (As a parallel, I don't think you could buy a properly sharpened Tramontina from the factory no matter what.)
 
Moonw said:
I kind of seem your point, but...

Will you forgive me if I sound like a smart ass saying that probably "back then" most if not all axes were sold with more of a "courtesy grind" instead of being fully sharpened, as every user was expected to know how to sharpen theirs? :p At least that's the impression I had. (As a parallel, I don't think you could buy a properly sharpened Tramontina from the factory no matter what.)
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It's not a matter of now and then, they have been in business SINCE 1886. So it should be the accumulation of experience and knowledge of everything striking tool and everything thing else they make. Including packaging. From 1886 to now.

I hear the new Kelly perfects come unsharpened. Perhaps I will get one of those.

Personally as it pertains the ax, I think what council could do, and what council does, are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
 
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Bimjo said:
I just got my Pack Axe last week while I was out of town. Finally got it unpackaged Friday. Apparently Council Tools pays attention, because my axe came packaged as shown below.

There was a large ziptie that I cut and removed before I thought to take pics. The mask was in the small box and the book was secured to the haft with twine. {EDIT: No idea why this pic won't show up, right click and select open in new tab or window to see it. I have trouble with this same forum software on another forum as well.}

packaxe170505_01.jpg


The rubber edge guard was secured with several wraps of cellophane wrap.
packaxe170505_02.jpg


The rubber edge guard.
packaxe170505_03.jpg


And the unguarded edge. It's sharp, but needs some touchup before it will cut phone book paper or shave hair.
packaxe170505_04.jpg
Click to expand...

Much nicer than the LL Bean Hudson Bay axe (Velvicut by Council Tools) I had to send back. The poll was cut at an angle, the sheath was all scratched up from rattling about in the box, and it came with a heartwood haft with run-outs and a chunk out of the handle.
 
Props for fixing the issue, Council, although I think more secure packing might still be a good idea. What bothers me about insufficient packing is not that someone gets a ruined sheath that was janky to begin with, but that it's super dangerous.
 
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