POOR MAN'S SMALL FORREST AXE??

[the-accumulator]

If I hang this sweet little 1 1/4 lb no-name hatchet head on a nice curvy 19 inch haft, will I be able to close my eyes and pretend it's a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe?






Now I know that I could just put my mint condition GBA SFA (pictured) in to service, but then my $175 unused hatchet would become a $100 used hatchet, and I don't really need another user. (My go-to hatchet is 19 inch Estwing that chops a few limbs and drives falling wedges just fine!) But, if I can spend a few bucks and a little time hanging my $7 no-name and enjoy carrying it on my belt while morel-hunting and/or just wandering about on my timber trails, then my SFA can remain at home in the closet and stay minty.
Will I be majorly disappointed, or will I feel it was worth the effort? Such a dilemma! T-A

 

[jake pogg]

T.-A.,
I don't think you can compare these two,not in any straightforward manner,they've no denominator in common.
That little no-name is styled after a felling axe,it is indeed for chopping.It has a convex section to it's blade(at least it's indicated,someone didn't actually finish the job,similarly they didn't really form it's bevels,not in any final manner i don't think.But the potential is all there).

GB is flat,and very thin-bladed,and it's styled after some traditional Swedish tool and i'm not sure what it was for exactly...maybe joggling?
It wasn't a felling axe,i'm pretty sure of that,i think Skandi felling axes are different.
And as thin as it is you'd be wrenching it free about 73% of your time if you attempt chopping with it.
(I wonder if anyone ever asked GB what exactly those axes are supposed to be?....Maybe they were Meant to be kept "minty"?).

 

[Ernest DuBois]

At a glance I also see no basis for a comparison. Many years back, visiting a friend in Sweden I got the chance to use his Forestry Axe for an afternoon of tar making, reducing old roots to chips. The thin blade, the weight distribution and over-all feel of that axe, in other words the subtitles of what constitutes a good axe compared to a decent one is exactly what's called for in such work, maybe we can even call it precision work. The alternative axe shown as it is would make that same job a risky proposition indeed, not so with the little Forestry Axe. It's only one example of an infinite number of possibilities where I for one would want to have the right tool in my hands.

 

[Dusty One]

Hang it and try it...Nothing to lose !

 

[fishiker]

Nothing wrong with the no name head. With a good handle and edge it would probably chop well. What good is the SFA if it's not used?

 

[the-accumulator]

Nothing wrong with the no name head. With a good handle and edge it would probably chop well

I won't know if my little orphan 1 1/4 pounder is good for anything until I put it in working order, and that's a bit of dilemma with the Corona virus isolation. I really don't want to purchase a haft sight unseen. I also would rather not wander around a big box hardware department searching for one I like and then, worst of all, have to pay full price for it (I have a stack of handles that I have brought home cheap with good grain from clearance tables and store-closings, but, of course, not what I need for this project! ).
If I do get it hung and sharpened, then I can figure out what it's good for; then I might fine-tune it for a specific purpose. For now, it's just food for thought and conversation. BTW, I appreciate all who have stopped by to visit this thread and shared their thoughts. Stay safe! T-A

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

I won't know if my little orphan 1 1/4 pounder is good for anything until I put it in working order, and that's a bit of dilemma with the Corona virus isolation. I really don't want to purchase a haft sight unseen. I also would rather not wander around a big box hardware department searching for one I like and then, worst of all, have to pay full price for it (I have a stack of handles that I have brought home cheap with good grain from clearance tables and store-closings, but, of course, not what I need for this project! ).
If I do get it hung and sharpened, then I can figure out what it's good for; then I might fine-tune it for a specific purpose. For now, it's just food for thought and conversation. BTW, I appreciate all who have stopped by to visit this thread and shared their thoughts. Stay safe! T-A

Quite a while ago I acquired Plumb 1 1/4 lbs head on 26 inch haft. Is original Super Scout handle so I could not thin it out. That combination feels a little bit awkward in my hand. Lack of balance: It is handle heavy.

 

[Hickory n steel]

" poor man's small forest axe " ?
I bet it would do everything the expensive GB would do, all you can do is go for it and see how it works.
I think with the right vintage head on the right head one can have a smarter man's small forest axe.

A few years ago I put a Vaughan riggers axe head on a 20" handle and made what I believe Is superior in added utility and a slightly better profile, but I've never actually handled one of the GB's and only made it because I could.
You could make something better for much less money.

Bought this awesome little axe off Ebay last year and I bet it probably splits much better than a SFA due to its convex cheeks.

 

[garry3]

T.-A.,
I don't think you can compare these two,not in any straightforward manner,they've no denominator in common.
That little no-name is styled after a felling axe,it is indeed for chopping.It has a convex section to it's blade(at least it's indicated,someone didn't actually finish the job,similarly they didn't really form it's bevels,not in any final manner i don't think.But the potential is all there).

GB is flat,and very thin-bladed,and it's styled after some traditional Swedish tool and i'm not sure what it was for exactly...maybe joggling?
It wasn't a felling axe,i'm pretty sure of that,i think Skandi felling axes are different.
And as thin as it is you'd be wrenching it free about 73% of your time if you attempt chopping with it.
(I wonder if anyone ever asked GB what exactly those axes are supposed to be?....Maybe they were Meant to be kept "minty"?).

I like the GB hatchets for harvesting saplings and then roughing them out on a stump for bows. Very nicely balanced and a joy to use, holds an edge well at their higher RC.

 

[daizee]

I came into a brand new Hultafors Bruks-made Husqy hatchet for $10 some years back. But I felt the head was too heavy for a hatchet, so it went on a boy's axe haft. Now it's awesome. But would probably work great on the SFA-length handle too. Find a head you like, no worries about used, stick it on a haft you like.

 

[Papa JB]

T.-A.,
I don't think you can compare these two,not in any straightforward manner,they've no denominator in common.
That little no-name is styled after a felling axe,it is indeed for chopping.It has a convex section to it's blade(at least it's indicated,someone didn't actually finish the job,similarly they didn't really form it's bevels,not in any final manner i don't think.But the potential is all there).

GB is flat,and very thin-bladed,and it's styled after some traditional Swedish tool and i'm not sure what it was for exactly...maybe joggling?
It wasn't a felling axe,i'm pretty sure of that,i think Skandi felling axes are different.
And as thin as it is you'd be wrenching it free about 73% of your time if you attempt chopping with it.
(I wonder if anyone ever asked GB what exactly those axes are supposed to be?....Maybe they were Meant to be kept "minty"?).

GB has other larger axes for felling and chopping. The SFA is intended to be more of a camp axe - small enough to be portable for hiking or canoeing but larger than a hatchet. Primary uses would be limbing and light chopping to collect firewood and maybe felling some small trees to build a shelter. The thin blade is efficient for cutting through limbs and small trees in one or just a few swings. The handle is short relative to felling and splitting axes but long enough to produce more force than a hatchet, keep a good balance, and remain portable.

 

[FirePit]

In regards to the OP, Im not sure I would do that one, as it appears to be twisted and crooked to one side. Maybe it would help it split, but not chop.