Recieved Council Tool Hudson Bay Axe (thankfully handle is actually 26" not 28")

coloradowildman

coloradowildman

Joined
Oct 28, 2009
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Got my Council Tool Hudson Bay Axe in today and my initial impression is good. The handle came with a nice straight grain with no heartwood, though there is a rough spot on the bottom of the handle (not a big deal). The biggest suprise is that the total length of the axe as measured from the top of the head is only 26" long. These are listed on Council's website as a 28" handled axe, but as Kim from Council points out, this is before the final production is finished and the axe handle is trimmed.

So, in actuality this axe is the same length as the Wetterlings Scandanavian Forest axe, with the exception that this one has a 1.75lb head and the Wetterlings has a 1.88lb head. I personally don't care for a 24" handled axe as on the Snow & Nealley Hudson Bay, as I would rather something a little longer for more swing and power, otherwise I'll just take my 19.5" Wetterlings Large Hunting axe.

So, back to the Council Hudson Bay axe! The finish is about what I'd expect for a mass production axe. There is an extra glob of varnish on the top edge and the previously mentioned rough spot on the bottom of the hickory handle. Otherwise no other things to report.

As for the edge, it's what I expected, a traditional "sharpen your own" deal and came fairly dull. However, the profile looks good just like the Council Boy's Axe I have from them (the Boy's axe was a freebie because the bit was bent and the bottom of the handle was a bit messed up, so Terra Tech sent me this one as a replacement which is a great credit to their customer service). It was easy to sharpen the Boy's axe and it was soon chopping as well as my Wetterlings Large Hunting axe and my Fiskars Large Chopping axe, so I would expect the same from this Hudson Bay as well.

In case anyone is interested, I bought the axe from Terra Tech which is a supplier of Wildland firefighting gear and other forestry supplies. As mentioned above, I had a problem with my Council Boy's axe and they went above and beyond in taking care of me. If you go there tell'em Coloradowildman from Bladeforums sent you. Please note that the pic they have of their Hudson Bay axe is old as you will get one that looks like mine.

I'm going to sharpen mine up and do some chopping and splitting in the next couple of days with and let everyone know how it does. If it chops anything like the Boy's Axe then this might be a nice affordable US made alternative to a Wetterlings Scandanavian Forest axe or a Snow and Nealley Hudson Bay.

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Comparison between Wetterlings 19.5" Large Hunting Axe and Fiskars 28" Large Chopping Axe
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Thats a sweet looking Axe you have there. I've been eyeing one for a while now. Now that you've had it for more then a week, how's it working out? By the way, Terra Tech's website isn't working for me.
 
wildmanh said:
Thats a sweet looking Axe you have there. I've been eyeing one for a while now. Now that you've had it for more then a week, how's it working out? By the way, Terra Tech's website isn't working for me.
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Overall I love it. Been using the hell out of it, including chopping out a frozen fatwood stump, chopped a small frozen maple stump into pieces, splitting Elm (yes Elm!) splitting pine logs, chopping poles for shelter, making small kindling, you name it. This is one tough axe!

That said, I don't think you'll find a better portable and light weight bush axe for the money. Granted, the steel on these seems to emphasize toughness over the high Rockwell hardness of the Gransfors and Wetterlings, and though I can get it sharp enough to cut paper, the steel isn't the kind to take a razors edge. That's fine with me, cause when your hacking on frozen trees and fatwood stumps and dinging rocks, this thing shines. I carry a razor sharp Mora Allround or Mora Bushcraft Force (only 4-5 ounces with their sheaths) with me when carrying this, but you can sharpen this axe enough to make half-way decent fuzz sticks or skin a deer if needed.

After using it a bit, I can't fathom why someone would prefer the 24" Snow & Nealley over the almost perfect 26" handle of the Council. The 26" feels prefect to me, not too long, not too short.

As for splitting, I'm not sure how this axe manages to split so well for only having a 1.75lb head, but it does. As mentioned above, I've been using it to split American Elm for our wood stove , some of the most God-awful stuff to split on the planet. Amazing it just plows through it for such a small axe. I think it has to do with the wide bit and the overall shape of the head.

By comparison, I have 20" handle Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe with a 1.5lb head, and even though the Council Tool Hudson Bay only weighs 9 ounces more, it probably has twice the splitting power. In fact, I've put my beloved Wetterlings LHA away since getting the Council, as it chops better and splits much better than the Wetterlings. Granted, I don't have the Wetterlings 26" handled Scandanavian Forest axe to compare too, and I definitely want one of these:)

But for the money, which is roughly half the price of the Wetterlings SFA, I got a US made built like a tank but light weight axe that chops logs like a bigger axe and makes kindling like a small hatchet. Not bad for 43 ounces. I can see why the Hudson Bay design is so popular now, just a wonderful shape that can seemingly do it all.

I'd say go for it and let us know how it works out!

Edited- I have to change my opinion that this axe cannot be made shaving sharp. I had it sharpened at a local knife and axe dealer and it is now RAZOR sharp. Will see how long it holds it but I've come to find out that Council Tool hardens the bit to about 55 RC. My axe is now as sharp as my SRK, love it!
 
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Coloradowildman, thanks for taking the time to tell us about your Hudson Bay axe! It sounds perfect for my uses. If I can get the Axe, it will probably be when I get my tax return in a few months.
 
wildmanh said:
Coloradowildman, thanks for taking the time to tell us about your Hudson Bay axe! It sounds perfect for my uses. If I can get the Axe, it will probably be when I get my tax return in a few months.
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wildman, thanks. Just make sure to take a file to the bit and get a nice convex edge. I do this with a file and then sandpaper it until it get's knife sharp, though not razor sharp. I don't like using axes for making feather sticks even if they are razor sharp. I save my Mora for this:) The steel on these Councils are really tough, though not as hard as a Gransfors, so it's not worth it trying to make it into a scalpel. I carry this as my winter companion, and winter is really tough on edges (frozen, dry wood, ice cold temps making steel more brittle, etc), so I give it the equivalent of a slightly dull knife edge and it will keep that for a long time but also remaining tough.
 
Nice review thanks for taking the time.....Will have to pick one of these up like the size. And made in USA...I like that
 
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