Ive a hankering for a new axe, Les Stroud Bushmans axe???

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CLEM

Full Member
Jul 10, 2004
2,563
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Stourbridge
Ive a hankering for a new axe, it's a not a need understand but a hankering. Mr Strouds cooperation with Swedens Wetterlings has caught my eye for some time. Any of you learned Schraftin gentlemens and genteladies have any experience of this handsome looking piece of Swedish made beauty???
 
Yep, tried a few different ones, including the usual GB SFA and settled on the bushman.

For me it felt better balanced and a bit more purposeful than the alternatives, while still being packable. It's a capable small splitter as the head is a bit broader than say the SFA, but the beard and smaller poll also allows you to choke right up for the occasional bit of finer work.

I've had other folk try it out and then decide they needed to get one as well, regardless of what they already had :)
 
Mine has had a fair bit of use and has done me proud.
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I didn't get on with the Bushman. For me it falls into the same trap as the SFA in being a bit big for fine work and a bit small for heavier jobs. I feel the SFA performs better for finer work, sure the Bushman is a better splitter but I couldn't do any fine work with it at all and I could still split with the SFA (enough for my needs anyway).

I don't feel the head is big / heavy enough on the Bushman for its overall size - for little extra size and weight you can have a GB ScFA which I think overall is a much better tool.

I've settled on a Council Tools Velvicut as my main bigger axe but also own three or four other axes of various sizes and makes. I do think the Bushman is a good tool but it didn't work out for me so I sold it on. My advice would be try before you buy if possible, I don't feel its a 'one stop shop' as marketed.
 
I have had mine for about a year and I think it is a good axe. Definitely more of a splitter than for fine cuts, but that is why I usually bring an axe.
There are a lot of axes from Wetterlings that I don't think should have passed the quality check. But I bought mine at the factory and after going through probably about thirty axes to find "my axe" I would say that the quality was consistently very high, on par with Gränsfors. Speaking about Gränsfors, have you considered the Outdoor axe? It might not have the power of a Wetterlings LS Bushman or GB SFA, but the beauty of it is that I NEVER hesitate to bring it. So small, but still capable to do it all.
 

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