i agree totally!! carboots are also a good place to find really cheap old handforged axes,
Les Stroud Bushman Axe
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i agree totally!! carboots are also a good place to find really cheap old handforged axes,
I would be interested as I need a working axe, the hardened hammer poll would open up its use as a working tool!
Guess I will buy one to see what the lack of fuss is lol
Will check if it's the improved version
Looks pretty decent, imo. I can deffinately see the hammer being used, and I like straight handles. The blade does look pretty damn thick though, and as a person who has no real need to split wood outside of my property I'm not 100% but in the review it sure looked like it cut pretty well compared to the sfa considering how fine the sfa blade is!
Way over priced though, specially when we know how good the other models they produce for alot less.
Way over priced though, specially when we know how good the other models they produce for alot less.
Could not agree more. I have bought loads of old axes from ebay, taken off the old handle and made a new one to my own design and specifications. They are the best axes I own.
$149 !! Oooh! Mr Stroud! You ...you celebrity you..Standby...abuse incoming..
indeed but atleast it still looks like an AXE
The Camillus line just looks ridiculous
Its the first I saw of this model axe, looks like a cross between a swedish and german carpenters axe. I would not pay £140 for it, roselli was expensive enough when I gave £57 or thereabouts for mine....type in beil or axt on german ebay, theres some amazing varieties of axes for sale!
I did. It was an exercise to try out two bushcraft celebrity endorsed tools. So, I added the Les Stroud/Wetterlings number to the Ray Mears/Gransfors special and have been using them for a few months now. I would have posted pictures but I haven't taken any; it's quite difficult to do so if you're actually using the axe!
A good number of us here are familiar with the classic Gransfors SFA and the Mears Wilderness axe is, if you like, a 'grown-up' version of it. With many apologies to the 'axe-teccies' reading this, it has a slightly longer handle than the SFA and a slightly heavier head both of which make it a more flexible tool in my opinion. Certainly for all the tasks I've have used it, it has been a good deal more efficient than my old SFA: felling, limbing and splitting have all been accomplished with greater ease. When you have your hand up close to the head of the axe, it performs OK for basic carving tasks but feels slightly unwieldy and, after some prolonged use, is tiring.
The Les Stroud/Wetterlings bushcraft axe is a very different and very interesting tool. Its head shape is certainly of note; I'm still not convinced that I need a hammer poll as tapping in a wooden peg will not stress the steel much, if at all. Having a relatively narrow circle of steel to hammer home whatever it may be requires great accuracy and precludes the back of the head for other tasks. The straight handle works well whether felling, limbing or splitting but really comes into its own when the axe is choked up and being used for carving. There is a swell on the handle just below the head which makes for a much more comfortable grip, even after a prolonged period. This and the deeper beard on the cutting edge make carving with this tool almost a pleasure. Lest we forget, it is intended as a general purpose bushcraft axe but it does carve well, although the length of the handle does make it a little unwieldy.
Both axes split well: the handles are long enough and the heads heavy enough for this to be done effectively. However, the head geometry on the Wetterlings axe allows it to be the better of the two for this task. I'm not sure but I think the head on the Wetterlings is a little heavier which also helps.
Both axes fell and limb well but here a very slight advantage goes to the Gransfors axe, purely because the head shape and curved handle just feel more familiar in use. I suppose the slightly narrower blade does also help with the felling and limbing processes.
In terms of finish, the Wetterling wins surprisingly easily. The Gransfors is not initialed by its maker and the head is a little rough and pock-marked; that said, the edge - the important bit - is up to their usual high standard. The Wetterlings is beautifully presented: both head and handle are of a high quality that you would expect of an axe of this price. The only disappointment with both is the mask. I have already made one for the Gransfors and will do so for the Wetterlings when time permits.
Which would I pack if I were heading into the woods? Well, there's a lot that's good - and that I like - about both axes; it really is a matter of swings and roundabouts. I don't like the Wetterlings hammer poll but I don't like the laboured carving with the Gransfors. The Wetterlings is better finished and would probably serve me well for a long time but I also like that familiar 'feel' of the Gransfors. I suppose I would leave both at home and take my Husqvarna hatchet which, when all's said and done, performs all the tasks I want it to. That and my saw and I'm happy. Having ducked the selection conundrum thus far, I suppose I would pick the Wetterlings and hope to get used to it. It is a good tool!
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Thanks for sharing tiley excellent review and conclusion. It's a shame these tools cost so much
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Nice review, I'm glad that I didn't see this yesterday, it would have complicated my axe choice even more 
Thanks for the review. Pics?
Let us know how it works out once you get it tidied up. And yes, pics please
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