Bulldog axes

[Hbc]

Saw some bulldog brand axes in a local hardware shop yesterday and they were cheap enough but does anyone know anything about how good they are? Don't expect them to be gb quality obviously but I have some old bulldog shovels, spades and garden forks and they are as good as anything. Don't know about their axes or any of their newer stuff though.

https://bulldoghandtools.co.uk/bulldog-hand-tools/axes

 

[Mesquite]

They're reasonable is the best description for them.

You'll need to work on them to get a good sharp edge on it but once that's done you'll find they handle most camp tasks you put them to

 

[Broch]

Like most toolstore axes Bulldog need you to do the final edge preparation - that part is just too expensive to do and keep the price down. On the plus side for this kind of axe the forging, working, and heat treatment is all done by machine (usually) which means consistency. The edge may not be as hard as on some axes but as long as you're prepared to look after it and sharpen it I doubt you'll find a job you can't do with a Bulldog that you can do with an expensive axe.

 

[Robson Valley]

Do you plan to cut or split with it? Sharpening for each task is good stuff to learn.

 

[Janne]

If I bought one and was happy with the head, I would replace the handle.
Glassfiber tends to fray and you get the fibers tuck in your hand.
Not sure why they put a 'soft grip' either as you lose full control?

 

[Hbc]

It will mostly be for splitting kindling for the house. I have nice old really good quality axes and I don't like wrecking them doing kindling (broken furniture, pallets and other junk wood sometimes) sometimes the wife uses it and I hate seeing her trying to beat through a nail with it
I've bought a few old hatchets from car boot sales thinking they will do as beaters that ii don' mind getting wrecked. Then I get attached to it and restore it and find out it's a really nice old ace made of quality steel and is far too good for splitting junk wood with nails in it for the log burner (see my thread on the Staniforths severquick that's what happened there)
Saying that I don't want a piece of junk.
I'd still like something useable that could be sharpened up to do finer things if the need arises.
I find a bit of an edge is useful for splitting kindling because if something won't stand up I can give it a gentle tap to get it stuck in the wood then hit it harder with the wood stuck on the axe. I'm sure you will have done the same thing and know what I mean if my description is hard to understand.
Dad has a cheap nasty one bought from a hardware shop and it is impossible to get any kind of edge on it it's way too soft. You can't get it to stick in the wood frustrating isn't the word!
If a bulldog is reasonable then it looks like I'll be back to pick one up next week. If I bought another old abused one i would only end up getting attached to it and I'd be back to square one

 

[Janne]

As it will be a proper user and not hsnging off your backpack and used ince a year, I think I would go with a better quality than those.
Husquarna for example. £50-60 and will last your grandchildrens life out.

The size only you can decide, but check out the Husquarna Universal axe A1400

Hultafors also make very decent affordable axes. Check out the Splitting axe HKLY.

 

[Hbc]

As it will be a proper user and not hsnging off your backpack and used ince a year, I think I would go with a better quality than those.
Husquarna for example. £50-60 and will last your grandchildrens life out.

The size only you can decide, but check out the Husquarna Universal axe A1400

Hultafors also make very decent affordable axes. Check out the Splitting axe HKLY.

Funnily enough thats what i did first! Great minds think alike I have 2 small husqvarna axes both bought for kindling. One to keep at work with my chainsaws and other bigger axes on the farm were I cut all my logs and one for home to do some kindling. I came home one day about a week after it was bought to find the axe with dings all in the cutting edge and the bottom of the handle had split it was either a neighbour that borrowed it or my wife but no one would admit to it even though both said they used it
Being quite particular with my tools I went to the local car boot that Sunday to buy the first of the old axes I have bought and ended up keeping for myself because it's too good to be abused
What I will probably do is get the bulldog to give to my neighbor when he has misplaced his again and leave it in sight were my wife can see it and hide the husky so I can use it when I need to do some and she isn't looking
Thinking about this I'm sure my neighbor still has my billhook I will have to ask were it is or I will never get it back in one piece

 

[Nomad64]

It will mostly be for splitting kindling for the house. I have nice old really good quality axes and I don't like wrecking them doing kindling (broken furniture, pallets and other junk wood sometimes) sometimes the wife uses it and I hate seeing her trying to beat through a nail with it
I've bought a few old hatchets from car boot sales thinking they will do as beaters that ii don' mind getting wrecked. Then I get attached to it and restore it and find out it's a really nice old ace made of quality steel and is far too good for splitting junk wood with nails in it for the log burner (see my thread on the Staniforths severquick that's what happened there)
Saying that I don't want a piece of junk.
I'd still like something useable that could be sharpened up to do finer things if the need arises.
I find a bit of an edge is useful for splitting kindling because if something won't stand up I can give it a gentle tap to get it stuck in the wood then hit it harder with the wood stuck on the axe. I'm sure you will have done the same thing and know what I mean if my description is hard to understand.
Dad has a cheap nasty one bought from a hardware shop and it is impossible to get any kind of edge on it it's way too soft. You can't get it to stick in the wood frustrating isn't the word!
If a bulldog is reasonable then it looks like I'll be back to pick one up next week. If I bought another old abused one i would only end up getting attached to it and I'd be back to square one

For splitting gash wood for kindling I use a random old axe head I found in the barn bolted to a couple of bits of 4x2 and a hammer. Just put the axe head on a chopping stump and sit on another log - less effort, more precise and safer!

 

[Hbc]

For splitting gash wood for kindling I use a random old axe head I found in the barn bolted to a couple of bits of 4x2 and a hammer. Just put the axe head on a chopping stump and sit on another log - less effort, more precise and safer!

That's a good idea. I dont think I have an old ace head lying around but I do ah e a strip of weld on loader bucket edge that I could use to do that with. I used a part of it to make a blade for a log splitter and it can he made quite sharp with a grinder and is really hard steel. I feel a project coming on

 

[Nomad64]

That's a good idea. I dont think I have an old ace head lying around but I do ah e a strip of weld on loader bucket edge that I could use to do that with. I used a part of it to make a blade for a log splitter and it can he made quite sharp with a grinder and is really hard steel. I feel a project coming on

A good idea but I can’t claim credit for it!

 

[Sparky415]

What I will probably do is get the bulldog to give to my neighbor when he has misplaced his again and leave it in sight were my wife can see it and hide the husky so I can use it when I need to do some and she isn't looking

Sounds like a good plan

 

[Hbc]

Sounds like a good plan

I think what I have is more of a people problem than an axe problem

 

[Tonyuk]

Looks like your basic b&q etc.. axe.

Look into Fiskars and husquvarna, as well as hults bruk.

You'll get axes from them ready to go straight out the packaging.

 

[Hbc]

As it happens I had reason to go in my dad's wood shed this weekend. And found he has bought a bulldog hatchet like I had been looking at from the exact same place I had seen them. It's not that bad it's a hell of a lot better than the tool tech or something cheap thing he had. For how much the bulldog costs (£5.99) I think it will be ok for leaving for my wife and neighbours to use. And keep my better ones out of sight for myself

 

[Hbc]

Well I haven't been on here in over a year, time flies.
Well it's given me plenty of time to test the bulldog and it works well. Sharpens up nicely but being a cheaper brand doesn't hold that edge particularly well but plenty good enough for making kindling out of junk wood with occasional nails in it.
Even rough shaped a spoon blank with it and for the price paid I was very happy with what it achieved.