Why the fascination with Gransfors?

[Square_peg]

Last year I couldn't get $20 for an old Craftsman double oval stamp axe. Sure, it was pitted. But it had great shape and a new handle. Hand filed and honed edge. 3lb. axe on a 30" octagonal haft. Still no takers at $20. I gave it to a friend who loves it. I sometimes wish I'd kept it.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Since getting more knowledgeable poking around in this hobby (meaning the searching out and restoring of old axes) I've not spent more than $25 on an axe at a garage sale or flea market. My favorite axe, a Kelly Perfect Jersey cost me $8 and a few hours of my time to rehang on the old handle, clean up and oil the handle, and de-rust and clean up the head. If you know what you're looking for, good stuff is out there -- and frequently the best stuff looks the worst before you clean it.

I can't figure out why this thread happened, but I do know that is a damn fine looking piece of equipment right there. Damn fine. I'd punch an old lady in the eye for a Jersey like that.

 

[garry3]

I can't figure out why this thread happened, but I do know that is a damn fine looking piece of equipment right there. Damn fine. I'd punch an old lady in the eye for a Jersey like that.

Ya its a pretty polarizing subject. I like them all(except Estwings).

 

[nemesis]

I'm not extremely knowledgeable on old axes and tools so when I wanted a quality axe for camping I went to my local blade shop looking for one and he had just received his first order from GB as a new dealer for them. I had heard people speak highly of GB and their hunters axe really fit the bill for my hunting/camping needs and my fiance got it for me for Valentine's day. She then discovered how you can request an axe from a particular maker now she has decided that every year for Valentine's day I get a "MS" marked gransfors bruks axe so there is a bit of collectable value for GB. So for me it is kind of cool to collect them from one maker and I don't need to concern myself with knowing all the old brands and if they Will be a quality tool or not and the GB is ready to use out of the door.

All that being said gransfors bruks and this forum has sparked an interest in the older brands and refurbishing them

 

[cyc79]

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?

Restoring old axes is a great way to learn about sharpening, rehanging etc. And there are some excellent heads out there well worth it. But here it would still cost a lot more than $20. Handles alone are almost that much for the usual hardware store variety. More for a really good one. And as others have said, Gransfors aren't anywhere close to $200 unless you're looking at the more specialized models.

Currently the Small Forest runs about $120 and the Scandinavian around $130, give or take, depending on the retailer. Not cheap, but certainly not expensive for a tool that will last a lifetime. Comparing the price of these axes to most knives nowadays makes them an absolute bargain, in my opinion. Obviously you don't feel the same, and that's fine. It would be a boring world if we all liked the same things.

I like Gransfors axes because they work. It's that simple. They work for me, they are beautifully balanced and are a pure pleasure to use. As far as them sticking, I have never experienced that. All mine have convexed edges and I use them a lot. Our trees here in northern Canada are small and are mostly pine, spruce and birch. Summer or winter when the trees are frozen like a brick, it doesn't matter, they still work, as they should, since they were designed to do just that in the Scandinavian countries that have a climate and environment similar to ours.
I've used GB axes now for many years. They are among my most used tools and I wouldn't want to be without them.

I trapped last winter from November until March. For months, morning till night, I used an axe clearing trails, building cubbies for traps, chopping wood, etc. All day, every day, in temperatures down into the -40's.
The Small Forest Axe is perfect for a trapping axe.
For general use though I use the heavier and longer Scandinavian. Light and fast, it will outperform many other, heavier axes. I carry both on my snowmobile.

Last winter I had to spend a night out in the bush at -30 after running into some problems. My Scandinavian axe worked just fine to keep me in enough wood to get through the night. And it takes a lot of wood when it's that cold. If it didn't work, and work exceptionally well, then it's very simple. I would use something else.
This doesn't mean there aren't old axes out there waiting to be restored that aren't every bit as good. Of course there are. But this is what works for me so I'm just going to keep on doing it

 

[sideways]

Back in the day there was an axe for every possible niche. Here are a few of them.

Then there were specialty tools. Take the broad axe for example. People just don't hew logs by hand anymore. The tools of the trade have changed. You'll also be hard pressed to find a hand crank drill in a hardware store. Or a felling axe because it's just not a very good way of felling trees anymore.

You'll find two kinds of axes in shops. 1) the cheapo splitters and mauls for splitting firewood, 2) the boutique axes like the GB. The boutique axe market today is geared towards bushcrafting recreation and hipsters playing at lumberjacks. The GB sells well in that market. It is not about felling trees, it's about nostalgia and looking cool while doing it.

The reason most people don't care about older axes, and the reason they died out in the first place is the advent of industrial forestry equipment. The axe hasn't really been relevant for forestry for a long time. The most highly paid worker in a early logging camp was the guy who sharpened the saws.

People don't seek out vintage axes for the same reasons they don't scour flea-markets for vintage clothing. The juice isn't worth the squeeze.

 

[cyc79]

Take the broad axe for example. People just don't hew logs by hand anymore. The tools of the trade have changed. Or a felling axe because it's just not a very good way of felling trees anymore.

You'll find two kinds of axes in shops. 1) the cheapo splitters and mauls for splitting firewood, 2) the boutique axes like the GB. The boutique axe market today is geared towards bushcrafting recreation and hipsters playing at lumberjacks. The GB sells well in that market. It is not about felling trees, it's about nostalgia and looking cool while doing it.

Hewing is actually alive and well. Especially in the timber framing business. If you did some research I think you'd be surprised by how much it's still being done.

Saying that a felling axe is not a very good way of felling trees anymore is something I agree with 100%. I would not want to buck logs with an axe either unless I had no other choice. Chainsaw whenever possible for me.
With the current junk commonly available in the way of axes in most hardware stores, they just discourage axe use of any kind, other than splitting. The garbage being passed off as axes today are what's contributing to the massive popularity of brands like Gransfors, Hults Bruk, Wetterlings etc. The log building industry especially has a demand for good axes.

And thank you for those photos. Amazing stuff from days gone by. Thanks:thumbup:

 

[plue]

To answer the OP, I am not really an axe guy, but I love a hatchet when spending time outdoors. Out of the options I saw in my search, I found the Wildlife Hatchet to best suit my needs. It was ~$100, and I live it. I don't see many old axe heads for sale, and since I'm not an axe guy, I wouldn't know what to buy or want to take the time to restore it. For me a quality tool was the desired end result, and it was what I got.

 

[flexo]

this is a question i ask myself on regular basis. even more since i compared a gb hunter, with my no name hudson bay i hafted on a long home made handle! the worst of my axe /hatchet = a gb!

 

[Square_peg]

I think this thread has clearly delineated to sets of axe users. One who wants a fun easy way to enjoy doing a little axe work or bushcraft during a romp in the woods and another who enjoys the nostalgia of the heyday of industrial axe use in the timber industry.

The former requires you to lay down a $100 bill +/-. The latter requires you to invest some hours into learning and practicing axe maintenance. Both are valid paths - just look at how many of each type are represented in this thread.

And let's not forget the 3rd group - hawk fans. Two more sub-groups there, the classic hawk guys and the modern breaching hawk guys.

We're gonna need a bigger tent!

 

[jeffbird]

Oly,

I would encourage you to have a bit different perspective, and be happy that there is enough interest to support any modern manufacturers.

They are running a business and selling what will sell. As several have pointed out, most users are looking for small and light, not old school lumberjack tools.

Their tastes and interests may evolve, or not, but at least they have some interest. Isn't that good enough as long as they are having fun and supporting current businesses and keeping them viable?

 

[sideways]

Hewing is actually alive and well. Especially in the timber framing business. If you did some research I think you'd be surprised by how much it's still being done.

Saying that a felling axe is not a very good way of felling trees anymore is something I agree with 100%. I would not want to buck logs with an axe either unless I had no other choice. Chainsaw whenever possible for me.
With the current junk commonly available in the way of axes in most hardware stores, they just discourage axe use of any kind, other than splitting. The garbage being passed off as axes today are what's contributing to the massive popularity of brands like Gransfors, Hults Bruk, Wetterlings etc. The log building industry especially has a demand for good axes.

And thank you for those photos. Amazing stuff from days gone by. Thanks:thumbup:

There is zero hand hewing done on the log cabins and homes in these parts. Cool if the craft is still alive and well in your neck of the woods. I have only once seen it done... it was during the restoration of an old wood building where they needed to swap out a few bad timbers and make it look authentic.

 

[mc556]

I'll be honest I prefer to find older axes to restore now but in my area they are hard to find. I finally found a man who keeps a small supply with his used tool shop but I damn near drove 200 plus miles one weekend and didn't find a single one.
Now I know you can find them online etc but the days of a $10 gem online is no more. I live on the edge of the Appalachian mountains at the NC/SC border so I am in a area you would think would have some in every garage. However most around here know what they have and will not sell.

I have a Grandfors axe and its a great tool but I will probably never sell it nor will I pay for another. Really Council Tools and the Grandfors/Wetterlings are pretty much the only common new axes worth owning.
The Ox-Heads,Husqvarna,and Hults are great as well but not as common IMO

I found a vintage German Iltis 2.5 German forest style axe that I plan to be buried with. I paid $20 but it probably took me $150 worth of gas looking around lol .
I also still had to rehang it. So in the end I personally have no complaints but Vintage doesn't always = Cheap

 

[stabman]

The boutique axe market today is geared towards bushcrafting recreation and hipsters playing at lumberjacks. The GB sells well in that market. It is not about felling trees, it's about nostalgia and looking cool while doing it.

One who wants a fun easy way to enjoy doing a little axe work or bushcraft during a romp in the woods and another who enjoys the nostalgia of the heyday of industrial axe use in the timber industry.

So, it's either "hipsters" playing at being nostalgic lumberjacks, or "non-hipsters" trying to be nostalgic lumberjacks...
What a huge difference!

 

[mewolf1]

One thing I learned fast with the advent of the internet, it is that it's a double edged sword. Very few people are raised with the outdoor experience to the degree of 30-40 years ago. With cable TV etc., info is steaming at people faster than a Lightning Bolt.
This exposes a huge number of people to the "outdoor experience" and they want a piece of the action. Heck, it's fun, why not! When it comes to restoration many people should stick to writing out checks instead. This is in no way said to offend anyone!! Some people just don't have the ability to re-hang a curtain rod let alone an Axe, and hopefully know their limitations.
I own two GB's, the Scandi forest, and the small splitter, love them both, but they are not the do-all or end-all in the cutter world.
I have a bunch of vintage also. So, the REAL question from where I sit is 'How many axes do I need?', the answer is always, ONE MORE.

 

[chuxwan]

Dude, really? I love my Scandinavian forest axe but I love my vintage restored axes as well. Implying that a gransfors isn't "worth it" as a tool is just ridiculous. If you work for a living then you should be able to comprehend the value of a good tool. When I bought my gransfors a few years ago, I thought it was expensive. After years of constant use, it's been an excellent working companion. In those few year since I've also started a woodworking business. As a maker who works his ass off and has a hard time getting paid for it, I look at the price of the gransfors axes now and wonder "how can they price them so low and still make a profit?" It isn't boutique at all, because there's no space for mark-up.

Yes, you can get as good or better of a tool if you half-way build it yourself from an old piece of steel, but your argument is pretty stupid. I could just as much call you a fool for wasting $20 on an old axe head, when harvesting iron ore yourself costs nothing but time and a little education. Just forge your own axe from scratch, you lazy bum! Give me a break. Gransfors makes excellent tools. If you have a problem sticking it into the tree, you're using it for the wrong thing. If you want to attack tool companies, there are plenty of domestics with painfully bad steel, quality control, and who frankly just don't give a damn about what they produce and how they do it.

And another thing: I have a damn difficult time finding decent quality old axe heads. I know for a fact there are others in my area constantly on the lookout for axes. All I find at flea markets and antique stores is trash. Occasionally an old timer will be selling old axes for what he knows they're (theoretically) worth, like a beat-up, rusty, Kelly perfect on a useless handle for $50.

 

[olybears57]

I get a kick out of ya'll

 

[mewolf1]

Thanks for stirrin the pot.:thumbup:

I get a kick out of ya'll

 

[calc]

Yes, you can get as good or better of a tool if you half-way build it yourself from an old piece of steel, but your argument is pretty stupid. I could just as much call you a fool for wasting $20 on an old axe head, when harvesting iron ore yourself costs nothing but time and a little education.

If you have a problem sticking it into the tree, you're using it for the wrong thing.

Don't waste your breath. I too asked OP about their hypocrisy on value and also why they can't seem to choose the right tool for the job. But they sidestep those questions every time because they can't answer them.

 

[B.F.U]

Great post, hilarious.

I might get a Gransfors at some point.
One of their medium sized offerings...or something in that size range from another company.

You see, many of us are looking for something that fits in a pack or rides nicely on a belt; we aren't running out there to be lumberjacks, so a full-sized axe with awesome tree-felling potential isn't the goal.

And if I ever get some land and decide to build a log cabin, I will use the correct tool for the job...a team of illegal immigrants who work for next to nothing.

I'm not an axe guy. I appreciate a good axe only a step above how I would any other tool, like a file, and certainly not at the level I appreciate knives. That said, I have a Wetterlings (Granfors's economical brother, I'm told) and I have been absolutely thrilled with how it has performed. I'm not a lumberjack; I like to camp and mess around in the woods, so I wanted something easy to carry and such. I've felt like finding a nice old head and restoring it, I'm positive it would be very rewarding, but I always just feel like that time would be better employed in making a knife.