Your opinion. (GB mini)

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
8,250
So I bought a gb mini from a large canadian woodworking site. The first one they sent me had 1/8-1/4 inch of the bevel on both the heel and the toe of the bit left undone. Like it was rushed through the grinding process. I sent that one back and received another one. On this one the bit looks good but it's attached at an angle to the haft. Enough of an angle that I think it would effect the performance. I was thinking that I might want to rehandle it with a longer haft down the road but rehafting is not something I've ever done before. Rehafting is something I should learn to do anyway, I just wasn't expecting to do it right out of the box. So, what's your opinion, should I send another one back or treat this as a 150 dollar learning experience on rehafting?
 
Lucky for me the store in question is on my way home from work, so personally I would return it if I wasn't satisfied. Do you have to send yours in the mail to return it? Obviously they should ensure that you're a happy customer, but if you have to wait for shipping both ways then rehafting it yourself might be less painful overall.
 
Firstly, these axes are not easy to rehaft, especially for a beginner. A lot of extra shaping to the handle is necessary to get it fitting right, with the ears that GB puts on there. I did it with a wetterlings hatchet twice, not as easy as a standard hatchet.
I used to own a mini and thought it was excellent, is the handle length lacking for you?
I just bought a wildlife axe today, from Lee Valley, which is where I assume you got yours, they have excellent customer service and I am sure you will be able to return it as many times as necessary to make you happy.
 
zcd said:
Lucky for me the store in question is on my way home from work, so personally I would return it if I wasn't satisfied. Do you have to send yours in the mail to return it? Obviously they should ensure that you're a happy customer, but if you have to wait for shipping both ways then rehafting it yourself might be less painful overall.
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Yup. It would have to go across the country.
Liam Ryan said:
Firstly, these axes are not easy to rehaft, especially for a beginner. A lot of extra shaping to the handle is necessary to get it fitting right, with the ears that GB puts on there. I did it with a wetterlings hatchet twice, not as easy as a standard hatchet.
I used to own a mini and thought it was excellent, is the handle length lacking for you?
I just bought a wildlife axe today, from Lee Valley, which is where I assume you got yours, they have excellent customer service and I am sure you will be able to return it as many times as necessary to make you happy.
Click to expand...
I assume that any axe I have around will have to be rehafted eventually. So it's more a question of sending it back and getting an acceptable one, using it for 10 years and then having to do it then if the handle breaks or doing it now. As to the length, I wanted to give a long handle a try mainly because of the article that oldjimbo wrote on the Vaughn he put a longer handle on.
 
I would send it back just in case the eye was forged off center at an angle. If it was, you won't be able to get a handle on straight,
 
Shotgun said:
Yup. It would have to go across the country.

I assume that any axe I have around will have to be rehafted eventually. So it's more a question of sending it back and getting an acceptable one, using it for 10 years and then having to do it then if the handle breaks or doing it now. As to the length, I wanted to give a long handle a try mainly because of the article that oldjimbo wrote on the Vaughn he put a longer handle on.
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I don't assume that about any axe I own, properly hafted, maintained, and used within it's limits a handle should last as long as the head. It's your axe, but keep in mind the vaughn is around 1/6th the price of the mini, which does an amazing job despite it's diminutive size without any modifications. IMHO you will regret modding it before it's necessary.
 
Good call. For the amount these things cost, you should be thoroughly satisfied, imo.
 
The trouble is that we cannot see anything!
If you had put up pictures, then I am sure that you would have seen real progress.
I think it's better to put things put right from everone's point of view. I would really like to see some pictures and I'm sure that may people people would accept my opinion of them - for what it it worth. I would really thank you for such pictures: Jimbo
 
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