TBS Sherwood

[Tiley]

TBS Sherwood Small Forest Axe

The TBS Sherwood Small Forest Axe is, we believe, the perfect size and weight for all those regular Bushcraft and Camp tasks that a hatchet would

www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk

Does anyone have any thoughts about or experience of this little beast? It looks pretty useful but I'd appreciate other points of view...

 

[Tiley]

Well, I've gone and ordered one, so I'll post an update on my findings about its performance once it has arrived...

 

[dwardo]

Looks nice that. Same kinda shape as my Scandi Forest axe.

 

[slowworm]

Well, I've gone and ordered one, so I'll post an update on my findings about its performance once it has arrived...

I received the email and wondered what it would be like. I'd be interested to hear your views.

 

[TinkyPete]

I looked at it and a show. For axe I would use is a definite, better size and weight to most GB axes and more practical for my needs. I like the GB axes just a bit to thin and light and not enough width for my needs, where this one is a lot better.

 

[Nice65]

To give them a nod, I’ll at least acknowledge they’ve stopped whining about Gransfors being unable to supply them and produced their own axe. And called it the Small Forest Axe.

Where it’s produced will remain a mystery. There was this thread a while ago, where the owner of TBS had a very public moan about Gransfors, the link in the post now links to their own SFA, but the rest of the thread and BCUK members opinions are still there.

Gransfors in short supply?

I found this "announcement" http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/gransfors-bruks-small-forest-axe-74-p.asp what do we make of this?

bushcraftuk.com

 

[C_Claycomb]

A further nod, not only producing their own, but they have also designed their own, rather than doing an almost-a-copy job, as they have done for at least a couple of their knives. That is certainly a unique looking handle shape.

 

[Tiley]

That is certainly a unique looking handle shape.

I'll be interested to see how the bit below the axe head works for more detailed, close-up work and the swell at the end of the handle certainly looks different... Only time will tell whether it is indeed usable. There might be a clue about its maker with the tool itself; if there is, I'll pass on the information. All I know thus far is that it is a European maker - open ended but there can't be that many axe makers across the continent!

The two reviews on their site seem to praise the axe highly, so, again, I'll be interested to give it a going over alongside my preferred equivalent 'small forest axe', which isn't made by Gransfors.

They emailed me yesterday to say that it had been despatched. It won't be long 'til I get my mitts on it!

 

[stewartwilcock]

Looking at this axe myself just wondering how you have got on with it
Cheers

 

[Potatohead]

Intersting head size/profile & length combo.
With a good sharpen & strop it looks like it should cope well with both full on splitting and choked up carving/kindling jobs.
Might be worth a punt

 

[Springchicken]

Looking at this axe myself just wondering how you have got on with it
Cheers

When the axe arrived, it was about as blunt as a butter knife but, after some careful work with 'the stones', that has been remedied. I really like it now. The slightly longer handle and, indeed, the shape of it, make it both powerful and controllable across a broad range of tasks. For felling, it is head and shoulders above GB's SFA; for splitting, it is very efficient; for closer, finer work, it is OK - usable but lacking the out-and-out precision of a smaller, shorter-handled axe. There's little surprise in the last point - the SFA, like this axe, sells itself as a jack-of-all-trades, so you do compromise on performance.

Does it make the cut for all my trips to the woods? No. The reason? Well, I recently rehandled a Wetterlings axe, using a GB Scandinavian axe handle; the result, for me at least, is axe heaven!

P.S. Sorry about the name change. I had to reinvent myself because the technology/forum wouldn't allow me to sign in under my usual moniker. Mind you, I had forgotten my password... It's an age thing...

 

[hughtrimble]

When the axe arrived, it was about as blunt as a butter knife but, after some careful work with 'the stones', that has been remedied. I really like it now. The slightly longer handle and, indeed, the shape of it, make it both powerful and controllable across a broad range of tasks. For felling, it is head and shoulders above GB's SFA; for splitting, it is very efficient; for closer, finer work, it is OK - usable but lacking the out-and-out precision of a smaller, shorter-handled axe. There's little surprise in the last point - the SFA, like this axe, sells itself as a jack-of-all-trades, so you do compromise on performance.

Does it make the cut for all my trips to the woods? No. The reason? Well, I recently rehandled a Wetterlings axe, using a GB Scandinavian axe handle; the result, for me at least, is axe heaven!

P.S. Sorry about the name change. I had to reinvent myself because the technology/forum wouldn't allow me to sign in under my usual moniker. Mind you, I had forgotten my password... It's an age thing...

Thank you for posting your thoughts on this.

I've found very, very little on these, on forums and on YouTube. I'd have taken a punt if these had arrived before my GB SFA 18 months ago.

The fact that yours arrived blunt is pretty inexcusable. Was it a case of sharpening the edge, or did it need more involved work on the secondary bevels too?

 

[Springchicken]

Thank you for posting your thoughts on this.

I've found very, very little on these, on forums and on YouTube. I'd have taken a punt if these had arrived before my GB SFA 18 months ago.

The fact that yours arrived blunt is pretty inexcusable. Was it a case of sharpening the edge, or did it need more involved work on the secondary bevels too?

It was a matter of getting the edge where it needed to be. That, in itself, wasn't an unpleasant task but it was annoying to have to do it - it does seem reasonable to me to expect a brand new axe or knife to have some sort of edge on it, even if it needs a little refinement through stropping.

I don't really bother with a secondary bevel on a convex edge - it seems a little superfluous, given what I expect the axe to do as a cutting tool. If I get time, I might put a Scandi bevel on it, like my Kalthoff carving axe, just to vary it a little and see how I get along with it. It should make some basic carving techniques a little easier.

Thinking back to the addition of a viable edge, the result, as I've said, is quite pleasing and it does make for a versatile cutting tool; however, old habits die hard and so it is almost always the rehandled Wetterlings axe that gets included in my pack and not the TBS Sherwood.