Gransfors Bruk buy Wetterlings!

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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I would not worry. Two things can happen:
1: They rebrand the products Gränsfors-Wetterlings or Wetterlings - Gränsfors
2: They keep the name Wetterlings

They did not buy Wetterlings to close it down, that is for sure!
 

ValeTudoGuy

Nomad
Mar 8, 2017
325
0
Preston, England
It looks pretty clear to me that they are dropping the Wetterlings brand and using the facility as another Gransfors manufacturing location.

Ultimately as consumers we are losing choice so, I really dont see it as a good thing.... I also see a possibility of Gransfors products increasing in price due to them running a whole other factory now.
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Gränsfors are hand made, excludive axes. Wetterlings are more industrially made, using more machines.
I would be surprised if they drop the W name and put the G name on, that would dilute the excludivity of the G name.

Do not forget the ownership of Gränsfors and Wetterlings. Kids and dad. O think dad wants to retire so he did the best, sold to family.

They can call the end product whaever they want, it will still be a quality product, just as today.

If they increase the price - so be it. It is an investment that lasts your lifetime out.
 
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ValeTudoGuy

Nomad
Mar 8, 2017
325
0
Preston, England
I would be surprised if they drop the W name and put the G name on, that would dilute the excludivity of the G name.

Did you read the link? Because thats exactly whats happening, in their own words.

"Since Wetterlings over the past ten years has faced decreased sales and insufficient profitability, a decision has been made to no longer manufacture axes under the Wetterlings brand. Instead Wetterlings forge will become an additional production site for Gränsfors Bruk."

Anyway, im no expert in this field and I'm sure you guys know better than me. So I will bow to your knowledge and stop werreting on.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
No, did not read the link.
If they in the furure only manufacture under the Gränsfors name, that will be a big misstake. Gränsfors is the name of the small town where that forge has existed for over 100 years.
Recently the Gränsfors axes have been artisanaly made.
Wetterling bruk ( factory/ forge) is in Storvik just west of Sandviken where the world famous steel is made. Wetterlings axes are more factory made. They are seen as "standard" axes, at a lower price point than the exclusive Gränsfors.

I lived in Gävle during my childhood, and Gransfors is way up north of Gävle but Storvik is some miles to the west.

me and dad used to canoe and fish in the lakes and the Dala älven west of Sandviken

If they do that they are losing my respect as they are simply cashing in on their good reputation and name.

I recall last year, or the year before, they changed the CEO. The previous one was a very very young woman, that according to some coud not handle it. They got a new CEO in -15 or -16, another young woman, but with a background in the steel industry.
So she could not do her job properly either. Sad. Not many axe manufacturers left in Sweden.
Gränsfors, Hultafors ( plus what they make for Sandviken)

Ps: when Sweden had one of the largest spending ( per capita) on the Armed Forces, they bought a huge number of axes from the Swedish axe manufacturers. Now these companies mainly sell to people like us, so the market is microscopic, compared.

I doubt that it was a smart move from Gränsfors.
Did you read the link? Because thats exactly whats happening, in their own words.

"Since Wetterlings over the past ten years has faced decreased sales and insufficient profitability, a decision has been made to no longer manufacture axes under the Wetterlings brand. Instead Wetterlings forge will become an additional production site for Gränsfors Bruk."

Anyway, im no expert in this field and I'm sure you guys know better than me. So I will bow to your knowledge and stop werreting on.
 
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Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,390
640
50
Wales
Kind of inevitable given GB has a higher recognition and both companies been owned by the same family since 2007.
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
374
60
Gloucestershire
"Wetterlings Axe Forge and Gränsfors Bruk will hence continue to develop each other. Only now as part of the same team and not as competitors."

For both companies, I hope that there's some truth in this...


 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
Less choice is never good but personally i dont see the point of wetterlings. lower quality than gransfors but a similar price...hultafors are a better second option for my money

I'v never broken a GB axe but broke two wetterlings 15 years ago. Looking at their range at a show last year they were rough as a bear's ar** compared to gransfors
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
haha, genuine wetterlings mate. I had almost the whole heel snap off with light use. To be fair they replaced it straight away, only to have the same thing happen on the second axe......i spent longer scraping the varnish off the hafts than using them

I do think GB could stand to copy a couple of wetterlings sizes though
 

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