Bahco Axe issue

[British Red]

Wranglerstar has done a couple of videos reviewing a Bahco axe. I will link to them below, but there appears to be an issue (Heat treatment?) in which the reviewed axe siply won't hold an edge. Worth knowing about if you plan to buy a cheaper axe!

[video=youtube;N1HNnDdHygo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1HNnDdHygo[/video]

 

[British Red]

...part 2

[video=youtube;FzXx8Sz30WU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzXx8Sz30WU[/video]

Now I have not tried their axes - the Laplander saw is top notch though. I hope this is not indicative of a wider problem. Wranglerstar is keeping his channel subscribers informed of what Bahco do about the problem. I'll pass on any info as I get it.

 

[Jared]

Have a feeling since Snap On took over... and shifted manufacturing around the world (think Portugal make a bunch these days), quality has declined.

I believe Bahco saws (or at least the blades) are still made in Sweden... so probably retained their value.

 

[bigroomboy]

I'm a wranglerstar follower and was very dissapointed in bahco. They make great saw blades and files so why should they settle for anything other than top notch in the rest of their range. Especially when it comes to axes where Sweden is so strong. Surely they could work out a partnership with some of those companies and be putting a good product out at a great price.

 

[mountainm]

Could just be a one off? I've seen GB's with issues yet everyone trusts them.

 

[ozzy1977]

Had my bacho hatchet a year or so and had no problems what so ever

 

[British Red]

Could just be a one off?

Could be, lets see how they handle it

 

[Everything Mac]

I saw that video and I must say I didn't see that coming I must admit. The Bacho axes have always had a good reputation and I've often seen them recommended on here.
I was unaware that they had shifted their production base so maybe that's why. I wonder if this one had just slipped the net? I have one of those cheap Argos axes that were going for £3 a while back and the steel on that is perfectly acceptable. It take a good edge and keeps it.

He is chopping through a solid pine knot though which can easily take chunks out of axes. Even GB's. .... ask how I know uppy_dog

All the best
Andy

 

[demographic]

The local building suppliers was flogging them off at a fiver a shot round about Crimbo.

Was very tempted but I have enough axe's already.

As a side note, I like the look of that Alpha Jack Clamp that I can see a bit of in the sharpening section (a minute in on the second clip) of the Youtube clip, looks a fair bit of kit.
[video=youtube;0n_JC0HaPk8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_JC0HaPk8[/video]

Not seen those before, I have the Irwin ones that are a bit like it (might be called Quick Grip IIRC) but those alphas look the biz.

 

[dancan]

Is it possible that he thinned the axe too far back ?
Was it sharpened with a strong enough convex ?
Too many variables to be conclusive other than it's not sharp out of the box .

 

[Jared]

Wranglerstar update...

[video=youtube;8GoQgd6ZVjc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GoQgd6ZVjc[/video]

 

[British Red]

Woeful customer service that - I'm surprised at that - and disappointed

 

[Andy BB]

The guy seems to know his axes. However, on first impressions, it seems that he'd sharpened that axe to a pretty fine point - great for shaving arm hairs, but probably not the best profile for an axe!

 

[British Red]

He certainly knows is axes - when I saw how the edge rolled, I think its a HT problem....chipping I could understand on a fine edge - but that degree of rolling looks really soft to me.

 

[Shinken]

When he was taking material off with a file it got me worried. coupled with saying how well it took an edge. I can put a fantastic edge on annealed steel real fast and its is scary sharp...... for the first couple of cuts then its blunt. i imagine its some sort of water hardening steel that was quenched in oil and an assumption they are getting hard? maybe. Small blade pieces of water hardening steel get hard in oil but something like an axe wont. Maybe they use the same steel for the pruning blades and they get hard okay in the oil.

 

[santaman2000]

I never use anything BUT a file on my axes.

 

[Shinken]

Files are fine, i was talking partly about the speed of the material being removed by the file but mostly the noise. it sounded kinda dull file noise, instead of the higher pitch you get with a harder steel

 

[British Red]

I know what you mean Ash - there was no evidence of the file skating or making the "scree" noise. It did seem too soft

 

[santaman2000]

Files are fine, i was talking partly about the speed of the material being removed by the file but mostly the noise. it sounded kinda dull file noise, instead of the higher pitch you get with a harder steel

Ahh. Now I see.

 

[Jared]

Another update...

[video=youtube;aORtDKdCtVQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORtDKdCtVQ[/video]