New Axe- help me decide

[Wilderbeast]

Heya buying myself a new axe and had a choice of 3, the contenders are :

http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/cutting-tools/axes/buck-bushcraft-camp-axe.htm

Pros:
cheap as chips
looks robust

Con's:
Looks fairly modern and if you're anything like me thats not for you!!

http://www.proadventure.co.uk/acata...last_-_20_year_guarantee.html#a17316220160103

Pros:
Good old gransfors forest axe, people swear by them

Cons:
More exspensive than the buck

and finally

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wetterlings-H...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Pros:
seems the same as the gransfors

Cons:
Haven't heard how good they are?!


All input welcome
Cheers,
WIll

 

[HillBill]

Get the Gransfors small forest axe or the wildlife hatchet, both quality, i'd never buy another axe. They sell the gerber ones in b&q but there made by wilkinson sword £25

Same as this its cheaper here though

http://www.sam-turner.co.uk/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3249

 

[fred gordon]

Get the Gransfors small forest axe or the wildlife hatchet, both quality, i'd never buy another axe. They sell the gerber ones in b&q but there made by wilkinson sword £25

Same as this its cheaper here though

http://www.sam-turner.co.uk/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3249

Absolutely! Granfors SFA is the one.

 

[saddle_tramp]

get an old kent pattern axe from car boot sale, make your own custom handle, make your own mask, sorted and cost you a couple of quid, if that

 

[Wilderbeast]

hmmmmm not sure about my making skills as the axe handle has to be very secure and I want it to last for a while!!

 

[Spaniel man]

Don't discount the Wetterlings just because they are cheaper than Gransfors. They are good tools. Have you looked at Gerber axes?

 

[British Red]

i'd never buy another axe.

I would .

 

[johnnytheboy]

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=149728

I would go for one of these cheaper and will split wood better, the gransfors are just a fashion accessory, i bought one they are not all they have cracked upto be.

 

[John Fenna]

My SFA is fantastic and I love it! Cuts like a dream, is great for roughing out carving projects, splits wood well and is as good an axe as my skills require
Fashion accessory? Not in my book!
Mind you - they do seem to have had quality control issues recently...from what I read....

 

[johnnytheboy]

It was a wildlife hatchet that i had john and it was not what i was looking for, i found it wedged in wood because of the shape of the head at the handle. Also the head shape mean't that if splitting kindling and the wood hit the lower corner of the bit there is no axe head behind it to split the wood, you would need to re adjust and split again.

The squarer axes i think are better purpose allrounders they don't get wedged so easily because they are more wedge shaped it seems the bit makes the inital split and the shape of the axe splits wood much easier. Also as its a square head behind the bit it doesn't matter if you split the wood of centre, you can also keep them very sharp for all cutting.

I have been watching the hobboexp guy on you tube allot ona one of the things he says it doesn't have to expensive to work, and he is right, i like to buy brands as i always think buy cheap buy twice and i was a sucker for the gransfors, but the bahco in my opinion is very good for half the price of the gransfors, it nealry the same weight and it has the same length of handle as the sfa. Well worth a look, my wee wildlife hatchet had in my opinion a build defect.

 

[HillBill]

I would .

I don't use axes all that much and the gransfors does everything i ask of it. There may be better out there, judging by your reply you know there is but as i say red for me the gransfors is everything i need, well it will be when i get the carving axe.

Just for reference, what would you recommend?

 

[Lurch]

Cegga!

Mind the Wetterlings are OK if you don't want to stretch to GB.

 

[HillBill]

How easy is it to get one of those though???

 

[Lurch]

Rocking horse poop mate!
....that's why I have two.

 

[HillBill]

Thought as much after what i've read. So what would come second in terms of good axes?

 

[British Red]

I don't use axes all that much and the gransfors does everything i ask of it. There may be better out there, judging by your reply you know there is but as i say red for me the gransfors is everything i need, well it will be when i get the carving axe.

Just for reference, what would you recommend?

A good axe - simple. I've seen good and bad Gransfors, Wetterlings etc.

I like a wood helve personally but I can understand those that like something a bit more robust. Indeed I prefer a fibre glass maul.

I would personally say go handle a load of axes and find out what works for you. Then pick out the best example of that type having picked over a load of them.

Amongst the axes I like are my Ceggas, both my Lee Reeves, my Wetterlings Large Hunter (which has seen more use than any of my others and I love it - the head is spot on, the grain perfect, I've sharpened it dozens of times and its just .....right), I love my GB Scandinavian. I've also handled some lovely old English forged axes that cost buttons and are every bit as nice. Also I liked my Roselli allround and....well you get the idea

I've seen some shoddy GBs and some horrifically bad Wetterlings.

I've neve seen a bad Reeves or Cegga though. Both men are individual smiths who stand behind their work.

Were I Wilderbeast I would seek out a meet or an axeophile and handle as many axes as I could first and work out what size and pattern worked for me. I'd tend to a cheaper model - but not a hollow helved one to start with and get used to handling one before making expensive choices. The orange fibre glass handled axes in B&Q are far from a bad choice. Tough as old boots and not going to split a helve anytime soon. I keep a large one for rough ground work where my GB working axe fears to tread, The Wetterlings cast axes sold by Stihl and Husqy and others are fine too.

I guess there are plenty of good choices out there. I love nice tools and have some of the best. It amuses me when slogging my guts out to buy nice stuff. I doubt I can do a tenth with my fancy gear than Robin does with a cheap axe or Mors does with a Mora. Spend a little on a tool and a lot on an expert teaching you to use it is my advice (having learned this later in life )

Red

 

[warthog1981]

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=149728

I would go for one of these cheaper and will split wood better, the gransfors are just a fashion accessory, i bought one they are not all they have cracked upto be.

By all means go for this axe ive got one on order to try out But I would not order from Tooled up they have messed me around for a month on my axe order.
And I wouldnt want anyone else to go through this


sorry Russ

 

[Wilderbeast]

wow tthere was so much more to this than I first thought, what are "ceggas" and "reeves" never heard of them!!! To be honest, and this may cause rallies of discontent and people wanting to burn down my house etc, but I have always thought that an Axe should never be more exspensive than a knife because they are more simple in construction and balance as a knife is so mouch more personal, but hey what do I know and I'm sure I stand to be corrected!! If someone could post some good links to places that'd be good, as always thanks for the sound and proffesional advice so far!!!

Wilderbeast Will

 

[Aaron]

Buy a Gransfors Small Forest Axe mate, they seem to be one of the essential bits of 'bushcrafting uniform' that you will see everyone carrying in their kit at events like the bushmoot or Wilderness Gathering, which tells you something. When in Rome.....

 

[saddle_tramp]

they seem to be one of the essential bits of 'bushcrafting uniform' that you will see everyone carrying in their kit

what more reason could you ask