Wilkinson Sword Axes

[nige7whit]

I bought another axe today......

I was in my local hardware shop (Mica hardware, St Andrews, Scotland), to buy some gas for my camping stove. I saw they had the Wilkinson Sword axes (mini hatchet, I think) that are barely more than 9 inches long (overall).

£14.99 I paid, very happy !!

I bought a similar size small hatchet on ebay recently (less than £5, delivered), but the WS axe is in a different league. It's made by Fiskars, so that makes it about the same as the Gerber range of axes, and we all know how much it costs to put a 'Gerber' label on a Fiskars axe....

Came with the 'carrying handle' head cover. The real revelation was when I got it home... The edge is sharper than many good knives I have owned, it is truly 'shaving sharp' right out of the shop !

I think they sharpen it, then spray on some kind of dull grey low friction coating, as the edge wasn't bright, but it was definitely there, under the coating.

In fact, at the moment, I could keep this axe sharp with a ceramic rod, it's a beautiful edge on a nice little axe.

 

[Chris G]

I have (and now so does Black Sheep) a WS 2.5 lb axe and they are fab! (£20-25 depending on where you buy from).

Chris

 

[nige7whit]

I have (and now so does Black Sheep) a WS 2.5 lb axe and they are fab! (£20-25 depending on where you buy from).

Chris

If they had a longer version, I'd have bought one of those as well ! I have a cheap 18" fibreglass handled axe from Screwfix (about £6), and it's 'ok' but lives in the car.

Based on my first impressions of WS/ Fiskars, I really need to find a 'big axe' soon.

 

[HillBill]

B&Q sell the bigger brother to that, about £25 iirc

 

[Jared]

Argos doing a hickory handled axe for less than a fiver atm, item # 700/1545

 

[Asa Samuel]

That argos one doesn't look too bad, good enough for what I want anyway. Don't need one for heavy work, just the odd chop here and the odd chop there.

 

[Scout]

B&Q sell the bigger brother to that, about £25 iirc

I got mine from Homebase
Great for splitting.

Nathan

 

[HillBill]

I did a quick review on the argos axe. They are not very good out of the box.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38912&highlight=argos+axe+review

 

[galopede]

I bought the longer handled version of the WS a few weeks ago at my local Sunday market. Brand new and paid £8 for it. Well pleased I am!

As you say, almost shaving sharp!

Gareth

 

[grebo247365]

Argos doing a hickory handled axe for less than a fiver atm, item # 700/1545

Don't bother, I got one and am still trying to get an edge on it - very blunt, could possibly use it to beat a log to death.

 

[hiho]

Don't bother, I got one and am still trying to get an edge on it - very blunt, could possibly use it to beat a log to death.

you sure your not holding the head end? my £2 market(toolzone) one is as bad

 

[Chinkapin]

I have the Gerber, made by Fiskars. My wife bought it for me some years back. Like your Wilkinson, it came extremely sharp. It too had some sort of coating that made the edge look dull and not sharp, but it was like a good knife. Mine has held an edge very, very well. I use it a great deal, the short handle is actually a plus, I have never wished that it had a longer one.

It rides behind the seat in my truck all the time. You will be very happy with yours. That mysterious coating holds up very well by the way. mine is still intact except where the whetstones have took it off on the edge.

 

[Chris G]

If they had a longer version, I'd have bought one of those as well !

Based on my first impressions of WS/ Fiskars, I really need to find a 'big axe' soon.

Do you mean like this: Big axe?

They also sell the other ones - just do a search on the site for them.

Chris