Wood Handle vs Steel vs Fiberglass. Serious question

BushOgre said:
I am debating between an Estwing and a Council Hampton Bay. I am very pro USA made equipment so I need to find.out where Estwings are made. I have held the Estwing but have read tons of good reviews and info on the Council. Looks like I found the right forum. You guys seem to love your tools as much as I do. I really appreciate all the great feedback.
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I would go with the Council Tool Hudson Bay Axe, or their Boy's Axe over the Estwing. They are just a much better design.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/
 
Council Tool has good wood, good steel temper and good profiles. The main thing I dislike is their aluminum center wedge which leaves voids at each end of the eye. If the head is tight OK but if it loosens you cannot add a cross-wedge. About the only thing you can do is use a blunt cold chisel that is sized to the aluminum center wedge and drive it in deeper and then pour thin quick set epoxy into the voids on each side of the center wedge and flush to the top of the eye.

In purchasing a Council Tool Axe, I would probably ensure the center wedge is tight, then soak the head in linseed oil for a week to swell the wood in the eye and then fill the voids on up to the top of the eye over the wood handle to seal it with a quickset high strength epoxy and hope this keeps things tight for aye.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Collins used to be one of the better names in US axe manufacture (just like Snow & Neally used to be). An older, Made-In-USA Collins is a fine axe.
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I have some Collins axes, made in Mexico, and consider them to be quite well constructed. Just because they are "made in Mexico" they just MIGHT be good. Many manufacturers have located plants in Mexico, for good reason.
 
About those import Collins axes. They metal is soft. The heat treat is poor. The geometry is crap, they are flat or concave where they should convex. Honestly, the fiberglass handle is probably the best part of the axe. And fiberglass sucks compared to hickory but it's at least serviceable.
 
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