Gransfors Bruk Double Bit Axe Failure
- Thread starter WealdenWoodsman
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Not sure about GB axes but I was chopping wood with my hultafors hunting axe, glanced the piece and hit the bit into a slab on the floor. It chipped the slab and all I had was a slightly flattened edge. Maybe the GB axes are harder but the OPs seems like it has a fault HT
UPDATE: Thankfully they will be sending out a replacement direct from the factory. They confirmed it was a 'minor hardening failure'.
However, I am someone disappointed by the fact that they haven't actually apologised. At no point in our correspondence has someone actually said a 'sorry' of any kind. Of course it is good that they are standing by their warranty and I am very pleased I will be getting a replacement but an apology as well would of have been nice.
However, I am someone disappointed by the fact that they haven't actually apologised. At no point in our correspondence has someone actually said a 'sorry' of any kind. Of course it is good that they are standing by their warranty and I am very pleased I will be getting a replacement but an apology as well would of have been nice.
They haven't mentioned anything about sending it back, and to be honest I won't be raising the question.
If they should require you send it back - will they pay the postage?
Technically speaking the chipped axe is worthless. Maybe you can attempt a tempering yourself?
This can happen with handmade things. Humans are not perfect.
Technically speaking the chipped axe is worthless. Maybe you can attempt a tempering yourself?
This can happen with handmade things. Humans are not perfect.
If I have to return the axe I hope they will as I certainly won't be paying postage, not only will it cost a fortune but also why should I? Its only extra inconvenience and cost for something I never asked to happen.
If I do get to keep it I might use it as a splitter (hoping the other edge holds up better). As for tempering it myself, could be an interesting project but I don't have the facilities to do it properly at the moment. Either way it will probably just end up sitting in the shed!
I agree, I would never pay for the return either....
The tempering is done at a fairly low temperature, somewhere around 200-300 C?
One of the resident metal bashers can give you advice there.
If it is around that temperature, you can temper it in your oven, minus the handle of course.
The tempering is done at a fairly low temperature, somewhere around 200-300 C?
One of the resident metal bashers can give you advice there.
If it is around that temperature, you can temper it in your oven, minus the handle of course.
You can do an easy temper by making a outdoor fire then resting the axe in the ashes for an hour while keeping a small fire going on top of the ashes. Wrap the handle in tinfoil the best you can.
You don't pay postage for returns within the EU if the item is faulty, which has been graciously admitted, then if they want it back they have to pay the return. I'm getting a sense of a bit of sourness at your end with this. It's obviously a fault, it happens in individually hand forged items, you've been offered a replacement without any questions asked about how you were using it, you haven't been asked to return it, yet you're all indignant about a lack of apology and getting worked up about a scenario that is so far non existent.
I think Gransfors Bruks have behaved very professionally, and it's one of the reasons they have such a good reputation. Well, that and Mears saying they're good axes, they were pretty much unheard of prior to that. You now have two axes for the price of one, yet still appear to need a bit of a cuddle because you're "disappointed that they haven't apologised". Yet in your next post, when asked if you had to return the original, you said you wouldn't be raising the issue and added a wink smilie noting your pleasure at getting something for nothing.
Sorry, but I don't like whining posts like yours. You've got good service, very likely two for one, yet you're still on your soapbox expressing how hard done by you've been. Bear in mind the cost to them, not you, both financially and to their reputation.
Are you suggesting this from your own actual experience?
What temperature is the fire achieving? How long do you need to keep it in there? How much protection does a thin layer of aluminium foil give to protect wood in a wood fire?
Its not what I would be advising you to do, that's for sure....
Nice65, he just got frustrated. He expected top notch quality, but received a dud.
A small % of handmade stuff are like that.
Maybe he is used to factory made stuff.
A small % of handmade stuff are like that.
Maybe he is used to factory made stuff.
For starters this was a £230 axe (including postage), for a freelance forester who works on his own this is a small fortune. Wouldn't you be angry if you had just spent all of that money buying a tool which broke on the first use?
I don't think that I am 'whining' at all, just pointing out that I won't pay to send back a faulty item and that I haven't received an apology. Now they have said they will replace the axe (which said I was very please about in my above post) but maybe I'm just old fashioned (or too English) but I believe it is just common courtesy to make an apology when something has gone wrong (even if it is beyond your control). In our emails Gransfors, far from showing this expected courtesy, actually came across as if they were the ones inconvenience by this, despite myself (a customer who has brought hundreds of pounds of products from them over the years) being left with a very expensive broken axe and at this moment in time out of pocket.
Also just like to point out something, despite your statement 'without any questions asked about how you were using it', I was in fact asked to how I was using the axe when the damage occurred, it was part of their warranty process... So I'm not sure how you are able to come to the conclusion that they have acted 'very professionally' when you have not read our correspondence?
Perhaps it is time for me to say 'sorry' if my post came across in some way whiny but I was simply keeping everyone in the loop of the progress made and my views on their service. After all in the end this affects me not you. If it offends you so much I suggest you refrain from clicking on this thread in future.
I have purchased both factory and hand forged axes and knives over the years so I do understand that these things do happen. As you say it just frustrating when a large amount of money is involved.
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This may be acceptable on a cheap piece of kit but I wouldn't dream of doing it on a decent piece of steel. On a tool steel, at a temperature of 200C you will get a hardness of near HRC60 and at 400C HRC50 after 1 hour assuming it had been properly heated and quenched - what temperature/hardness would you get in the embers? Getting the right hardness for a tool that's going to be belted into big bits of wood is vital.
All my current axes are 100 years old or older; I've never chipped one yet
(touches wood quickly)Cheers,
Broch
This may be acceptable on a cheap piece of kit but I wouldn't dream of doing it on a decent piece of steel. On a tool steel, at a temperature of 200C you will get a hardness of near HRC60 and at 400C HRC50 after 1 hour assuming it had been properly heated and quenched - what temperature/hardness would you get in the embers? Getting the right hardness for a tool that's going to be belted into big bits of wood is vital.
All my current axes are 100 years old or older; I've never chipped one yet
Cheers,
Broch
How would you recommend going about the tempering process? Would an oven work OK? Cheers.
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