Question to AXE: Gransfors or Wetterlings?

Not to say I'm totally preoccupied with length but a 31 inch haft wont work for sure. I might be able to rock the 24", but I had hoped to carry it at times on my belt with a small pack on my arm. 24" might just be more trouble to carry. I'm not looking for a felling axe, I just want the broadest duty axe I can find. I'll mostly chop firewood, limb trees and probably down a few. I wish I could handle bunch of them.
 
I recently got a Snow and Nealley 21" camp axe and it is perfect size for me, though a little reprofiling work may be required on the edge

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but you can get it all in from here
http://offthemapoutfitters.com/product.sc?productId=87&categoryId=3
 
jw2n said:
Both are good, but I prefer GB. With some serious shopping, you can save some dinero on them. If you order from a dealer, call them and ask them to choose a nice one. Good, straight grain in the handle. Symetrical head with the eye closed tightly. If you tell them that you are planning on buying several models over time (even if it's a fib), you can bet they will probably send a good one. The GB is thinner than the Wet. You will have to decide which profile works better for you. I have not had the sticking prob that others have, and I chop both hard and soft woods.
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I appreciate your comment about the "...eye closed tightly." I just called Duluth Pack Co. about the new GB SFA they had sent me. It has a thin half-inch crack on the underside of the head, in the metal, where the eye meets the axe handle. The girl I spoke with pulled another one they had to see if this was a common design feature. NOT. So they have agreed to send me a UPS label to ship it back. What a hassle, but glad I noticed it before using it. She said they may be able to send me a replacement while I return the damaged one. I took another cue from you and asked them to "...choose a nice one. Good, straight grain in the handle. Symmetrical head with the eye closed tightly". Thanks :)
 
You are getting a huge bang for your buck with Wetterlings. I really don't see any parallels in the knife market. It seems knives are priced as collector items and axes are priced as tools. For instance, someone mentioned earlier that in Europe you can buy 2 Granfors axes for the price of an itty bitty Izula.
 
Does anyone carry a 20+ inch axe for woods bumming? I'm on the fence now between a 19" and 25"... I find as many questions as answers! Thanks for all the help thus far!
 
For what my opinion is worth, I just got a 19" Wetterlings about a week ago. It has very good fit and finish for what I expected, seems to me I got a great deal when compared to the price of a similar GB.

It cuts very well. Needed a little work on the edge, but otherwise it was set up great when I got it.

My one complaint is that I could use a longer handle. 22-24 inches would be great. It's just a little on the short side to be truly good two-handed. It's still a fine axe, but I think it would work better with a few more inches of handle, and it would still be quite packable in my opinion.

I find it to be pretty compact as it is, personally.
 
Both are great, but the extra that you pay for a Gransfors is completly justified. I have a GB small forest axe and it is easily my most used and trusted tool.
 
Okay, I'm getting closer. Here are the choices to vote for:
GB Small Forest Axe:
GB Hunter's Axe:
SA Wetterling Large Hunting Axe:
SA Wetterling Large Splitting Axe:

If you're up for it, please reason out the pros and cons. These are all 19" and I think I'll stick with that for now and buy a 25" or 31" a bit down the road. I have a splitting maul for house chores etc and this is for woods bumming.
 
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