HB of Sweden Hachet

[Buckshot]

I was given a few hachets to sharpen by my scout leader
The only one that has a stamp on it is this one.
Can anyone tell me anything about it/ the maker please?

As you can see it's fairly beaten up, trying to decide if I need to rehandle it to make it safe

Thanks

Mark

 

[seany boy]

Hi there Buckshot,

what you have there is a Hultafors axe made at the Hults Bruk foundry in Aby, Ostergotland, Sweden.

http://www.hultafors.co.uk/default.asp

It's where Cegga works.

 

[Cegga]

Hi!!
That axe are made by Hults Bruk . H B is the oldes axe faktory in Sweden it´s over 300 years old and it still running .
Cegga

 

[penvisser]

Nice axe, I think a new handle would be safer.

All the best for 2008!

Penvisser

 

[mr dazzler]

Was that a rhetorickal question? (doesit need a new handle?) It looks to have had some hard use and/or abuse, is there by any chance nails and/or screw's fixed in as bodged wedges to take up slack in the join? You are missing somewhere btween 20-25% of the haft right next to the join with the head, its a weak spot at the best of times. The wood (hickery??) looks dry and like its starting to split. I wouldnt use that axe as it is and wouldnt want any one else to either. Fit a new handle, please, for peace of mind and safe use . Old jimbo has the clearest instructions on rehafting that I've seen, although I just heard of another canadian Mors Koachinski who is supposed to be good as well with handle technology

 

[Buckshot]

Wow!
Thanks for the prompt replies
I thought it might have a decent heritage as it's from Sweden
Is it worth much - in other words would the scouts be better off selling it and replacing it with a Bucho or something?

I'm struggling to find a local place for a replacement handle. Most places do double handed axe handles but nothing this small.
Any ideas where I can get one from?

Thanks

Mark

 

[mr dazzler]

You can sometimes buy decent handles but they will almost certainly need fettling and fine adjustment to fit the axe head snugly, Jimbo's instructions cover this real well. I make my own from ash logs, I split them out and shape them with an axe/knife/file make oak wedges etc. Here is 2 I am doing at the mo

Its vital that the handle is bone dry when its fitted. These 2 are rough blanks done with the axe for now. When they are dry enough I will do the final fittting. I wil use a spokeshave/file to get a more hand friendly finish, but I do also like the tool mark's and facet's to remain.
The axe's are (left to right) Gilpin, roselli, sandvik. The gilpin I done on the spur of the moment and it shoced me just how good the steel is. I thought I'd also try a textured handle, it was filed with a chainsaw file. The large axe at the top is a french felling axe which I have been using to split logs. I intend to polish it and tune it up so it's s##t hot Believe it or noot the heavy french axe and the little baby roselli work just about as well as each other

 

[robin wood]

"The gilpin I done on the spur of the moment and it shoced me just how good the steel is."

Why was that? there is currently I think a general view that any tool from Sweden or Japan is going to be great steel, well 80 years ago when that Gilpin was made English tools had a similar reputation and with good reason. Whilst old Gilpins, Elwells and the like can be picked up for a couple of pounds at every car boot fair they were made using exactly the same level of technology that the likes of Hultafors or Gransfors use today.....bargains.

 

[mr dazzler]

Why was that? there is currently I think a general view that any tool from Sweden or Japan is going to be great steel, well 80 years ago when that Gilpin was made English tools had a similar reputation and with good reason. Whilst old Gilpins, Elwells and the like can be picked up for a couple of pounds at every car boot fair they were made using exactly the same level of technology that the likes of Hultafors or Gransfors use today.....bargains.

Hi Robin
I've had my share of crap steel from sweden too; maybe twas just the luck of the draw that my snadvik is such good quality metal , the only jap steel I use is the shark pull saws for joinery work, they last much longer than any other disposables (oh and the shark nail bars, best in the world in my opinion, indesructible) I got this gilpin from Redcar race course one sunday for a few pence (and the sandvik too come to think of it), maybe its a shock that a cheap throw away item is such top quality!! It's ground to a single bevell, I just used it today to rough out some wooden spade head's from semi dry beech and dry oak, it wopped through that no bother with power to spare, the sandvik was struggling to do the same job (but then it's considerably smaler and lighter). PS the roselli is absolutely fantastic for doing hollow's and curves it is SO tactile and responsive top kit recomended. I am confident I wil be able to maintain it just by stroping. It dulls fatser than the sandvik (slightly softer) but is faster to revive with the strop-swing's and roundabout's. The gilpin strop's good too

 

[seany boy]

This may be of interest for anyone who has'nt seen it before...

my meet up with Cegga and a look around the Hults Bruk foundry.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22914

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23238

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23596