Short Review - Gransfors Mini and Hunter + S&W Bush Hog

Kiah

Kiah

Pit Bull Appreciation Society
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I've got Heavy's Gransfors axes for the weekend and wanted to do a review. Unfortunately, I'm sick as a dog Today, so it's gonna be shorter than I wanted. If I feel better in the morning, I'll add some more pics. I kept it to a couple of small trees, as I didn't have the energy or balance for the bigger stuff. I wanted to compare them to my Fiskars, but realized I forgot it in the house and was too lazy to walk back. I did have a Bush Hog with me though, so I'll review it too. Dan Koster reprofiled the Gransfors before dropping them in the mail to me. They were both hair popping sharp.

Gransfors Mini:

Initial impressions - It's tiny. Very tiny. It feels good in the hand though, and has some weight to the head. The handle is comfortable. The head is straight. The F&F is nice, though it does have some prominent forge marks on the poll. Has a nice leather blade cover. I'm going to try to put it in kydex before I send it home.

Usage - It chops extremely well for it's size. One could very quickly build shelter with only the Mini. It's very light, and although it can't bite as deep as a larger hatchet, you can get a lot more hits in the same amount of time. I really like it and may have to pick up one for myself.

Next to a small Stockman for size comparison.
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Some chopping.
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Gransfors Hunter's Axe:

Initial Impressions - Very nice feeling. The handle has a textured surface that I like. The head is not perfectly straight, but not bad. Comes with the same leather blade cover as the Mini.

Usage - Obviously, it outperforms the Mini. It bites deep and is very comfortable to use. The balance is nice. I really wanted to compare this one to the Fiskars. Hopefully I'll feel better Tomorrow.

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Smith and Wesson Bush Hog:

Initial Impressions - I got this Thursday on a whim, and figured I'd try it out a bit Today. Blade is 440C with a full-height flat-grind. The edge is way too thick. Handle is rubber and feels a lot like Res-C. Blade has pretty much the same finish as a Busse. It's very lively in the hand.

Usage - The edge is way too thick. As it comes, it chops poorly for it's size. The Mini took larger bites. It is comfortable though, and feels good to use. A reprofiling should improve chopping ability greatly. I really like it, and after I put a thinned out convex edge on it, it should be very usable. The coating showed no signs of wear after use.

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Overall Impressions:

The Gransfors are very nice Hatchets. The F&F is good. They take a very good edge and their profile let's them bite deep. They were both hair popping sharp when I got them. However, they had no ability to shave after a couple of small trees. I'll try to test a Fiskars with them Tomorrow if I feel like taking a walk.

The Bush Hog feels very good to me. The factory edge however is extremely thick, which impedes performance. A reprofiling should help a lot. For what I paid for it, it seems like a good deal.

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Thanks for the review!

I never thought about putting kydex on the mini but that sounds like a great idea.
 
Took the Fiskars and the Hunter out this morning. Took an 18" machete with me too. I didn't take many pics. The Fiskars performed about the same as the Gransfors in dry wood, but the Gransfors had a lead in green wood. The machete held it's own against both, beating them on a few occasions.

Fiskars
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A few light chops each.
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Group shot.
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Nice reviews and they are very informative! I may have to pick up a Mini for weekend backpacking trips. What would you say it's weight is?
 
Yeah, it surprises me too that the GB Mini is 8 ounces less than the hollow handled Fiskars, and cuts better to boot?!! Price? Fiskars $20 GB?
 
1Tracker said:
Yeah, it surprises me too that the GB Mini is 8 ounces less than the hollow handled Fiskars, and cuts better to boot?!! Price? Fiskars $20 GB?
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It is a lot smaller than the Fiskars. They go for about $130. It will hold it's own against the larger Fiskars on small diameter trees, but for chopping firewood and such, the Fiskars has the advantage due to a longer handle and heavier head.
 
Got around to sheathing the Mini. Kydex with thumb release and shoulder harness. Now to get these things home.

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Ok, thanks Kiahs; that's good to know. The GB Mini is a quality little tool to pack along if one does not intend to do much large firewood harvesting; the Fiskars for larger firewood chores.
 
Good stuff Kiahs. Glad that machete is working out for you.......;):thumbup:

Thanks for the pics.
 
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