Why the fascination with Gransfors?

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Aug 25, 2013
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Why does everyone love flat cheeked Gransfors? Especially at their price point. Is it the romanticism of a "hand forged" tool? Marketing? Why buy a 200 dollar tool that will not perform as well as a piece of history you can remake and save for yourself for about 20 bucks?
 
Speaking as a person who owns (and really likes) a Gransfors Small Forest Axe, I was blissfully ignorant of the quality of older axes and the method of bringing them back into usable condition. Once you have the knowledge of restoration/cleanup/sharpening/rehanging, there's an enormous amount of appeal of creating something your own out of a rust-bucket old tool -- and those rust-bucket old tools oftentimes seem as good or superior to the Gransfors product!

The SFA works great as a hiking/camping axe, for chopping kindling, making stakes, and small felling -- I have no regrets in getting one -- but could I have saved some money by starting out with a restoration? Absolutely...
 
sashae is spot on for most folks, as well as a little bit of the romanticism of the "hand forged" aspect of it.

Also, today's society is one of convenience for first world countries. There are a lot of things you pay for every day that people in third world countries would think of as a waste of money.

Not everyone wants to scour flea markets and craigslist looking for old tools, and then take the time to restore them.
 
Regarding cost, they're nowhere near $200, I'm not sure where you're getting that number. They're more in the range of $120. As such, they're slightly - but not terribly - more expensive than other quality options.

And regarding quality, their QC is quite good, and you can comfortably buy one online without worrying what sort of finish you're getting, if the handle grain is going to be wonky, etc. They're nice right out of the box (so to speak) without having to worry about fixing or upgrading it. Plus, they're shaped quite nicely and chop very well. So they do offer performance in addition to general F&F.

Also... how many of us buy $120 folders that don't offer any additional functionality into our collection? I have multiple ~3" folders where 1 will do. Spending the same amount on an axe that provides me with something I didn't have before is much more reasonable, built for some reason people balk at the idea.

This question is similar to "why would you buy a Paramilitary 2 when you can just buy a Tenacious?" and has many of the same answers.
 
Regarding cost, they're nowhere near $200, I'm not sure where you're getting that number. They're more in the range of $120. As such, they're slightly - but not terribly - more expensive than other quality options.

And regarding quality, their QC is quite good, and you can comfortably buy one online without worrying what sort of finish you're getting, if the handle grain is going to be wonky, etc. They're nice right out of the box (so to speak) without having to worry about fixing or upgrading it. Plus, they're shaped quite nicely and chop very well. So they do offer performance in addition to general F&F.

Also... how many of us buy $120 folders that don't offer any additional functionality into our collection? I have multiple ~3" folders where 1 will do. Spending the same amount on an axe that provides me with something I didn't have before is much more reasonable, built for some reason people balk at the idea.

This question is similar to "why would you buy a Paramilitary 2 when you can just buy a Tenacious?" and has many of the same answers.

Well said! But I have a question for those who think they're inferior. What exactly is it about Gransfors that makes them undesirable? I've seen this sentiment on several threads and I'm not sure what it is about Gransfors that people don't like. It's a genuine question.
 
I think for some there is a mystic to buying a Swedish-made axe. While American axe making has largely given way to cheaply produced imports people see value in something that is still made by a craftsman. Their steel is high carbon, though it may not match up well against the top shelf axes of years gone by. And they arrive sharp, something that someone new to axes will surely appreciate. To the low information axe buyer who wants "the best" GB provides an easy solution. And most buyers will seldom use it but often treasure it. So it doesn't matter that it sticks like hell when swung into any substantial piece of wood. For small stuff and bushcraft work that flat-cheeked axe works great. And that's what most people will use it for.

So in short, it fits the bills and leaves the buyer feeling good. That's a recipe for success.
 
Well said! But I have a question for those who think they're inferior. What exactly is it about Gransfors that makes them undesirable? I've seen this sentiment on several threads and I'm not sure what it is about Gransfors that people don't like. It's a genuine question.

Because of this:

For small stuff and bushcraft work that flat-cheeked axe works great. And that's what most people will use it for.

I personally use my SFA for limbing and chopping, not felling and splitting. And for that usage, it works amazingly well. The difference between the Estwing Sportsman I used to use and my SFA is night and day. Not even close.
 
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I love my SFA because it's a lightweight, comfortable, quality product. I do like supporting craftsman over mass market, and the amount if time I'd spend restoring an axe would even out the cost. Yes, I want to restore an old axe, but the SFA is not a bad value. They have a 20 year warranty, and many incredibly experienced woodsman recommend them. If you buy one, and don't like it, sell it to me. :)
 
Regarding cost, they're nowhere near $200, I'm not sure where you're getting that number.

This question is similar to "why would you buy a Paramilitary 2 when you can just buy a Tenacious?" and has many of the same answers.

190 for a full sized felling axe http://www.duluthpack.com/gransfors-american-felling-axe-straight.html

When I use my axe, I'm often using it all day long. (I work on a trail crew) The small differences in performance matter after 10 hours of work on trail, and then cutting and building a fire after work. The biggest difference is on geometry.. Gransfors are flat cheeked. They bind easily in wood, and take time and energy to pull out. My vintage collins rafting pattern with a high centerline pops chips easily and doesn't get stuck nearly as easily...

THIS IS ALL TALKING FROM EXPERIENCE. My good friend and fellow trail crew member owns a Gransfors american felling axe, and I have owned a small forest axe.
I have used his gransfors to buck a 32" log, and used my collins to buck a 36" log, and the difference is insane.
 
So these painstakingly restored heirloom quality vintage axes...

Where can I buy one for 20 bucks? More importantly where can I refer my buddy who liked my 20 dollar axe so much he said he wants one just like it? :D
 

You picked one of the most expensive models they offer, by a good margin. The majority are much cheaper.

When I use my axe, I'm often using it all day long. (I work on a trail crew) The small differences in performance matter after 10 hours of work on trail, and then cutting and building a fire after work. The biggest difference is on geometry.. Gransfors are flat cheeked. They bind easily in wood, and take time and energy to pull out. My vintage collins rafting pattern with a high centerline pops chips easily and doesn't get stuck nearly as easily...

If you read what I wrote, I agree.

THIS IS ALL TALKING FROM EXPERIENCE.

So does my experience not count?

I have used his gransfors to buck a 32" log, and used my collins to buck a 36" log, and the difference is insane.

Yes, I'll bet. You're not using the right tool for the job.

The Gransfors will do light chopping and delimbing much easier because it cuts better. If you're doing anything more extensive where binding is a concern, use something else.

Which I already said.
 
I picked Gransfors' only full sized axe. The SFA is a medium sized axe.

I read what you wrote, and I'm saying you could have a piece of history that works better at "limbing and chopping" than a gransfors for much cheaper.

I never disagreed that the gransfors wouldn't penetrate deeper. It will. But it will stick like a son-of-a.... in the process... for 120 dollars..

Also, In reguards to where to find these tools... In the short time I have been interested in restoring axes, I have found a pulaski for 10 bucks (spent 7 on a handle) 3 hatchets (27 total, including handles) 4 single bits for free, one of which is my vintage collins rafting pattern, and 3 double bits for free: One a sager chemical from the 40's. one a warren old faithful from the 40's, and one a plumb puget sound falling pattern from the 40's. Total cost for these 10 axes, including handles? $105.00. All found at garage sales (stops on my way home, not from days spent garage saling) and from asking friends and family if they have any rusty old axes around.
 
Where can I buy one for 20 bucks? More importantly where can I refer my buddy who liked my 20 dollar axe so much he said he wants one just like it? :D

You and your buddy can find them at a yard sale for $5. Then spend $10 on a handle. Of course you'll have to learn how to hang your axe and sharpen it but you'd need to learn those things anyway if you were actually going to use it.

The GB will look shiny new on your mantel for 20 years.
 
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