its time for an axe
- Thread starter GlenM
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magicaltrevor
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Hi, I've recently upgraded to 2 axes! I'm building up quite an arsenal!
I previously got the Wildlife Hatchet as a gift which is very nice and often used it instead of a knife for some jobs. However I'd previously set my heart on the Small Forest Axe so I treated myself as an early christmas pressie. Got the hatchet from Woodlore and the Forest Axe from Survival School . There are of course others mentioned on this Forum which are just as good but I'd personally buy from Survival School again as the service is excellent!
I previously got the Wildlife Hatchet as a gift which is very nice and often used it instead of a knife for some jobs. However I'd previously set my heart on the Small Forest Axe so I treated myself as an early christmas pressie. Got the hatchet from Woodlore and the Forest Axe from Survival School . There are of course others mentioned on this Forum which are just as good but I'd personally buy from Survival School again as the service is excellent!
I'll second Graham.
Outdoorcode will probably be cheaper and the service is second to none. Speedy delivery toO!
Outdoorcode will probably be cheaper and the service is second to none. Speedy delivery toO!
Depends which GB axe you want mind, some are on back order. Not uncommon for GB axes in my experience.
Andrew would definitely be my first port of call.
Andrew would definitely be my first port of call.
I agree Outdoorcode is the way to go.
As for choice, the Wildlife hatchet is a good first tool, but later on you'll be hankering for a Small Forest Axe, for some of those bigger jobs.
My opinion
Mr Strop
As for choice, the Wildlife hatchet is a good first tool, but later on you'll be hankering for a Small Forest Axe, for some of those bigger jobs.
My opinion
Mr Strop
SFA is a good all rounder and with practice will do all the things a hachet can do anyway.
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Rob
Need to contact Admin...
The GB axes are works of art and the helves vary greatly in grain and colour.
When you decide on a model, email your intended supplier and ask him/her to email you a picture of their current stock. That way you will get to pick the one that best suits your eye - and you know what will be arriving in the post.
When you decide on a model, email your intended supplier and ask him/her to email you a picture of their current stock. That way you will get to pick the one that best suits your eye - and you know what will be arriving in the post.
Warning! Please remember they are very, very sharp. I can attest to the fact that Gransfors axes, and fingers arent compatible materials!
glen.manning@virgin.net said:
Glen, I have a suggestion here which runs against the flow of what everyone else is telling you, so I am expecting the satndard burn the heretic type of reaction
.If it is your first axe and you have little experience of axes don't get a Gransfors Bruks, as the others have mentioned they are very good tools, but if you damage a £50 GB SFA you will be a little annoyed.
For a first axe something along the lines of a Fiskars axe will be good to learn axe-craft, they are cheap and easy to get any dinks out of in the event that you damage it. Some of the others here have used them and they will admit that they are not a finesse tool, but they do cut and cut very deeply.
If one of these is not to your liking have a look at the Wetterlings small hunters axe, which although it does not have quite the same worksmanship behind it as the GB they can be very good axes and cut as well as a GB at around £30, it will also provide with practice honing it to a good edge.
The Fiskars / Wilkinson Sword are very much the same as a Gerber axe (Gerber is a fiskars company) and they can be bought at the likes of B&Q or Homebase (that was where I got mine from, it's the axe I started with and it is still going strong now even though I have also got a GB Hunters axe).
The Wetterlings was available from outdoorcode as well a while back, I would suggest dropping him a PM to find out what the availability of them are.
Have a look through some of the past posts to do with axes and thier capabilities it will give you some more ideas, I hope this helps,
Leon
leon-1 said:
:twak:
Where's your sense of adventure?
Maybe with an expensive axe our friend will take more care therefore saving his fingers?
BURN THE HERETIC!
No only joking the advice is sound. Having said that I never used an axe before I bought my GB......................so for me it was a case of learning with the best tool........which suited me down to the ground and make me look after it and generally be more careful.
Its horses for courses and other such cliches, but really its down to you
Mr Strop
No only joking the advice is sound. Having said that I never used an axe before I bought my GB......................so for me it was a case of learning with the best tool........which suited me down to the ground and make me look after it and generally be more careful.
Its horses for courses and other such cliches, but really its down to you
Mr Strop
Mad Mike said:My GB SFA arrived today
Anything I should do before taking it into the field.
soaking the head end on oil maybe
Also any treament for the leather ?
I did the Camp Craft course with Woodlore last August where they gave us a GB SFA. We were advised to remove the beeswax coating on the handle using a cabinet scraper. After a bit of scraping pour hot water over and the wood will get a bit 'hairy'. Take that fuzz off with more scraping. Repeat a couple of times. Then rub in a mixture of 5-10% turpentine in boiled linseed oil which has been gently warmed by the camp fire. Dry off surplus oil with a rag and then leave hanging up to air dry over night. Repeat a couple of times. In future treatments the boiled linseed oil will not need diluting with turpentine.
Ordinary boot polish is good enough to waterproof the leather mask although there are more expensive leather waterproofing agents if you really need to pamper your axe...
I'm not saying this is necessary, just relaying the suggestion from my course leaders. I haven't done this with my mini hatchet yet although I did treat the SFA like that on the course. It will be interesting to see how they each age.
Mad Mike said:My GB SFA arrived today
Needed a few strokes with a strop to get it to shave hairs
Anything I should do before taking it into the field.
soaking the head end on oil maybe
Also any treament for the leather ?
thanks in advance
Hi Mike
I was on the same course as Ris and would echo the advice on the helve, it helps to foster a mindset of looking after your axe. The reccomended treatment for protecting the head on the Camp Craft course was to paint the head with Gun Oil.
If you are coming to the Kings Wood meet I will have my gun oil with me and can do yours on the day. The best one to get is the Army issue one with the brush and dripper, however I can't remember where I got it from but I found the link on here
so if anybody else can remember a good supplier.
When I got my axe, for forestry I was given a good book to go with it.
I recommend the book it is good read,
The Ax Book by Cook
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-1457863-2077435
I recommend the book it is good read,
The Ax Book by Cook
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-1457863-2077435
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