What is the big deal with Gransfors axes?

[SlackStatic]

They look great, but really some are well over $500 I just dont get it.

Im looking for a good woods axe, and I like their stuff but cant justify the prices....

 

[Pipeman]

They look great, but really some are well over $500 I just dont get it.

Im looking for a good woods axe, and I like their stuff but cant justify the prices....

Check out yard sales for good old axes. I pay about $5.00 to $10.00 and get some great ones.

Regards

Robin

 

[PeterCartwright]

A chap who writes under "Old Jimbo" has done a great deal of work examining and documenting axe performance. You can Google his site. He covers rehabbing/recontouring vintage axes as well as the relative value of higher priced axes like the Gransfors. If you've been bitten by the axe bug, you'll appreciate his accumulated work.

PC

 

[Dusty One]

Here is a link....
http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/gransfors.html

 

[jds1]

Check out yard sales for good old axes. I pay about $5.00 to $10.00 and get some great ones.

Me too. :thumbup:

Jeff

 

[Pipeman]

Me too. :thumbup:

Jeff

Hey Jeff
Don't ya just love it when you get a great piece for 5 bucks?
A bud of mine just brought me three double bit ax heads from PEI, 2 bucks each. Winter projects
Nice finds you have there.
Best regards

Robin

 

[jds1]

Don't ya just love it when you get a great piece for 5 bucks?

Absolutely! This is my latest $5 find. It was completely fuzzy with rust, but otherwise in good shape. I still need to work on the cutting edge and I'll probably re-haft it.

Jeff

 

[woodsroamer]

I should confess that I am an axe collector. But the obsession aside (a benign obsession in my view) the GB brand of axe has reached a sort of cult status in some circles, especially the bushcraft crowd. And yes, I own a number of GB axes. It should be noted however that the GB is designed specifically for the hardwood forests of Sweden and surrounding areas and may not (will not) work satisfactorily in all areas. In my part of the world where hardwoods reach specific gravities of over 80 and go as high as 1.0 the GB axe's grind and shape is woefully inadequate. One needs a more robust grind slope and over-all contour. Otherwise, the blade just gets stuck or bounces off when angled. Bottom line is you must choose an axe appropriate to your surroundings, i.e., habitat. That's why so many different axe head designs existed 150 years ago. People who depended on their axe quickly learned the need to customize their axe head shape to the types of hardwoods in their area.

Do some experimenting. Talk to others in your area but don't just talk to one person. That would be a bad idea. Eliminate underlying prejudices and opinions by taking a survey instead of consulting just one "expert."

Some places you won't even need an axe. You might find a machete (there are many different designs there too) will work better; or a good quality folding saw might work better than either an axe or machete.

And then you just might be a fellow like me who falls in love with axes of varying persuasions, old pocket knives, beautifully stocked classic firearms, and brunettes with milky white skin and green eyes.

 

[Dusty One]

And then you just might be a fellow like me who falls in love with brunettes with milky white skin and green eyes.

I'll have to check my collection for some of these.....Hope to find some !

 

[Cpl Punishment]

And then you just might be a fellow like me who falls in love with axes of varying persuasions, old pocket knives, beautifully stocked classic firearms, and brunettes with milky white skin and green eyes.

I like redheads with milky white skin and green eyes, brunettes and blondes with milky white skin and ice-blue eyes.

Oh, yeah and Gransfors axes "roolz".