your favorite gransfors axe(if any)
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I'm going to grossly oversimplify here (so I'll duck to avoid any incoming as a result 
) but for me this can often be very easily be answered by exploring your planned/anticipated use and selecting/buying based on that. Boring, I know, but there we have it...
Many small axes punch way beyond their weight if you know how to work with them properly. You can use a small axe to very quickly make a bunch of wedges that allow you to split and process very large logs, if you need to.
Most larger axes are a pain for smaller tasks (another gross oversimplification) although there are some very worthy exceptions to this very general rule.
For me there is very little middle ground, but that is largely down to how I work which tends to be a little different to how many folks go about their bushcrafty business. It's not necessarily better, or worse, but it suits me.
If I am planning a long trip where I expect a lot of brush clearance, limbing, or even felling (not usually in the UK, unless I am gathering a lot of bow staves) then I reach for my Scandinavian Forest Axe (assuming I was going to use a Gransfors axe at all). More often it would be a 3/4 Norlund Hudson Bay or an Elwell.
For pootling about the woods in the event that I might need to do a little axe work, a GB Mini Hatchet works for me since it literally fits into a coat pocket and can cut quite large material with the right technique. It's great for carving and for kindling, and its small size and low weight are very favourable.
The Swedish Carving Axe is great at what it does and I like it for roughing out longbows, but I prefer something smaller and with a different bevel for most of my longbow work (note that I once again refrained from posting that picture)
For me the SFA is too big for small work and too small for big work and, for me, is neither fish nor fowl. I can see why it could work well for a lot of folks, but it doesn't work well for me and I sold mine on the day after buying it.
Keep in mind that someone my height (6' 4") will typically have a very different cut with the same size axe as someone 5' 4", so that probably accounts for a lot of why the SFA doesn't work as well for me as the Scandinavian.
The dynamic is very different depending on many things, including height, weight, relative strength to weight ratio and, above all, technique. Alter any one of those and things change pretty quickly.
One-size-fits-all tends not to.
There is no right or wrong to this - if you are comfortable with what you have that's fine. If you aren't, you need to look at how the axe is edged and helved, see if there is something that can be done to/with the tool to improve matters, adopt a slightly different technique and, if that fails, sell it and buy something else
Knowing how to use an axe is infinitely more important than the axe itself and is one of the key elements that is often overlooked and, ironically, it should also be one of the primary driving factors to selecting an axe when looking to buy.
The fundamentals are settling on your planned use and working within certain parameters. Most splitting and/or felling axes make poor carving axes while many good carving axes are less capable at splitting and/or felling.
Requirements analysis: identity your requirements and seek out a 'best fit' solution to meet those needs.
I still say that most outdoorsy folks won't/don't need an axe of any type for the majority of UK trips.
I'm off to wash my mouth out...
) but for me this can often be very easily be answered by exploring your planned/anticipated use and selecting/buying based on that. Boring, I know, but there we have it...Many small axes punch way beyond their weight if you know how to work with them properly. You can use a small axe to very quickly make a bunch of wedges that allow you to split and process very large logs, if you need to.
Most larger axes are a pain for smaller tasks (another gross oversimplification) although there are some very worthy exceptions to this very general rule.
For me there is very little middle ground, but that is largely down to how I work which tends to be a little different to how many folks go about their bushcrafty business. It's not necessarily better, or worse, but it suits me.
If I am planning a long trip where I expect a lot of brush clearance, limbing, or even felling (not usually in the UK, unless I am gathering a lot of bow staves) then I reach for my Scandinavian Forest Axe (assuming I was going to use a Gransfors axe at all). More often it would be a 3/4 Norlund Hudson Bay or an Elwell.
For pootling about the woods in the event that I might need to do a little axe work, a GB Mini Hatchet works for me since it literally fits into a coat pocket and can cut quite large material with the right technique. It's great for carving and for kindling, and its small size and low weight are very favourable.
The Swedish Carving Axe is great at what it does and I like it for roughing out longbows, but I prefer something smaller and with a different bevel for most of my longbow work (note that I once again refrained from posting that picture
)For me the SFA is too big for small work and too small for big work and, for me, is neither fish nor fowl. I can see why it could work well for a lot of folks, but it doesn't work well for me and I sold mine on the day after buying it.
Keep in mind that someone my height (6' 4") will typically have a very different cut with the same size axe as someone 5' 4", so that probably accounts for a lot of why the SFA doesn't work as well for me as the Scandinavian.
The dynamic is very different depending on many things, including height, weight, relative strength to weight ratio and, above all, technique. Alter any one of those and things change pretty quickly.
One-size-fits-all tends not to.
There is no right or wrong to this - if you are comfortable with what you have that's fine. If you aren't, you need to look at how the axe is edged and helved, see if there is something that can be done to/with the tool to improve matters, adopt a slightly different technique and, if that fails, sell it and buy something else
Knowing how to use an axe is infinitely more important than the axe itself and is one of the key elements that is often overlooked and, ironically, it should also be one of the primary driving factors to selecting an axe when looking to buy.
The fundamentals are settling on your planned use and working within certain parameters. Most splitting and/or felling axes make poor carving axes while many good carving axes are less capable at splitting and/or felling.
Requirements analysis: identity your requirements and seek out a 'best fit' solution to meet those needs.
I still say that most outdoorsy folks won't/don't need an axe of any type for the majority of UK trips.
I'm off to wash my mouth out...
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i love it when you get involed xunil,im sure the pocket rocket will make an apperance soon mate du to popular demand.
anyone anymore info on the swedish carving axe please
anyone anymore info on the swedish carving axe please
Not true. It is a very versatile tool if you are an experienced axe user. I did quite a lot of (albeit rough) carving with it. Though the heavy head does mean you tire much quicker, however this is countered by how quickly it removes material.
I did a very quick review of it over on BB:
http://www.britishblades.com/forums...Bruks-axe-reviews&highlight=gransfors+reviews
I use the axe whilst building the Longhouse pictured in the thread.
I have since played with the double bevel version and it is definitely a fantastic axe.
That said I would still be very hard pressed to choose between the two. - The Scandinavian forest axe is very good, and I favour the heavy head over the SFA however it is a serious bit of kit and I could never justify its use unless I was really going for it. - As I said in the review, if you are an experience axe user, you could use it one handed (as I did) however it's length makes this very unwieldy to do.
The SFA is a nice wee axe, yet I agree with Xunil in that it is a jack of all trades and master of none. However for your average bushcrafter it does work well. Struggles with splitting IMO though. - A Scandi head on an SFA handle would make an interesting axe indeed. (RM's new axe is just too overpriced)
*Gets behind sofa for incoming abuse*
ATB
Andy
Couldn't agree more.
There's so much dry wood laying around the woods that unless you intend on staying outdoors for a substancial period of time you most likely won't need an axe.
Anyone here used a decent variety of GB and Hultafors Bruks axes to compare the two brands? I'd go for the HB out of asthetic preference but I hear they are equal to the GB but obviously aren't advertised by Ray Mears..
That may be true if your only requirment is to keep a fire going.but if like me u like carving and making everything like shelters seats etc then you definately need a good axe of sum sort. I think everyones activities and tools needed vary alot and the name bushcraft just rounds them all up.
Cheers ash
Cheers for the advice mac and thats a great thread.thats some amazing work youv done there.
As it happens i ordered a gb swedish carver with a double bevel today been itching to try one for ages.il let you no how i get on with it.
Thanks ash
As it happens i ordered a gb swedish carver with a double bevel today been itching to try one for ages.il let you no how i get on with it.
Thanks ash
You sure won't regret that purchase mate.
They have their own website now:
http://www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk/
All the best
Andy
Sold my GB in about 2009, only split wood so I made a few quid on the sale. Got a £3 Argos and bought a Fiskars for a fiver from a boot sale, both good for splitting. Cut wood with a bowsaw.
double bit working axe for me, because i fell and split quite a bit of pine and the wonderful balance of the double bit makes splitting and felling a lot more manageable task, especially when you spend 30 hours a weekend doing it lol! (ask British Red if you dont believe me).
if i want smaller i go to a billhook for everything from light felling and kindling splitting to carving (occasionally substituted by my GB carver) and for rough tasks like digging up stumps i use the cold steel trail hawk.
if i need/want anything in between, i go to the old tool cupboard and get some offering from elwell or spearwell or something, i sometimes take my elwell #6 with me when felling and splitting, but it only sees a little use, it does a bit of a better job than the GB at smashing thick/knotted logs, but it is excellent at making me ridiculously tired very quickly. its also brilliant at roughing out spoons, taking about 6 cuts from half a log to nearly ready for scooping the bowl and cleaning up with knife and sandpaper.
after discovering the wonders of the bootfair, i rarely buy new axes because they cannot compete with the old axes in price and performance (few exceptions in performance, but old axes can be modified to be better).
if i want smaller i go to a billhook for everything from light felling and kindling splitting to carving (occasionally substituted by my GB carver) and for rough tasks like digging up stumps i use the cold steel trail hawk.
if i need/want anything in between, i go to the old tool cupboard and get some offering from elwell or spearwell or something, i sometimes take my elwell #6 with me when felling and splitting, but it only sees a little use, it does a bit of a better job than the GB at smashing thick/knotted logs, but it is excellent at making me ridiculously tired very quickly. its also brilliant at roughing out spoons, taking about 6 cuts from half a log to nearly ready for scooping the bowl and cleaning up with knife and sandpaper.
after discovering the wonders of the bootfair, i rarely buy new axes because they cannot compete with the old axes in price and performance (few exceptions in performance, but old axes can be modified to be better).
used to have the wildlife hatchet but sold it on as when camping i only ever split kindling which i now use a gerber paxe axe for (smaller and lighter and very sharp) in the garden i use a B&Q jobby (very similar to a SFA) i got it very sharp and i use it for splitting large logs for the fire (woodburner)
i dont have anything negative to say about the GB axes just basically i learnt to make do with other brands that suit my needs
i dont have anything negative to say about the GB axes just basically i learnt to make do with other brands that suit my needs
I have one Gransfors. Its The Scandinavian Forest axe. Perfect for the purpose when I need a larger axe but still carves well. Glad I got instead of an SFA, the extra length is useful. Small axes I Have A very nice Robert Sorby hatchet with unbelievable steel and a nifty little Cold steel tomahawk that both work perfectly too.
Doubt I'll buy another Gransfors as old axes are fun to modify...
Doubt I'll buy another Gransfors as old axes are fun to modify...
The scandinavian axe is certainly proving more popular than i expected. Dont hear them mentioned alot for this country
peoples tastes change fast, SFA was top dog about mid way through last year and then someone posted something or started a thread that basically said "hang on, dont jump straight on that bandwagon, think first" and the more practical and useful SCFA became more popular.
Then there was the argos axe craze (which i missed!! *grumble grumble*) which meant quite a few people got rid of their £50+ axes in exchange for the £3 version.
Im sure before the end of the year there will be a new revolution in axes, i hope it includes old elwells
Then there was the argos axe craze (which i missed!! *grumble grumble*) which meant quite a few people got rid of their £50+ axes in exchange for the £3 version.
Im sure before the end of the year there will be a new revolution in axes, i hope it includes old elwells
I use a small forest axe fro GB, never found it lacking for felling/limbing/splitting hard or soft woods, or for carving either, I have used a few other axes larger and smaller, specialist and bargain. I just find that this suits me, It doesn't go every where with me as I only take an axe if I think the trip needs one, or I'm going to be doing something that requires it, I think the biggest problem in these countries is the lack of stockists who carry a range of axes, most either have one or two brands and not the complete range of those, so you cant go a shop with a range of tasks in mind and try out a few different axes to get a feel of which one would fill your need/style/want. there is no point at all trying to advise some one on what axe they should have as every one is different. But it is nice to chat about what we like about our kit, good points and bad.
interesting... so the problem is shops dont stock the entire range so you cant try them out?
i have held the ridiculous looking broad axe on here: http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html and it felt good and useful, but the guy had to buy it in sweden because nobody in the UK would stock one...
anyone else find this an issue?
i have held the ridiculous looking broad axe on here: http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html and it felt good and useful, but the guy had to buy it in sweden because nobody in the UK would stock one...
anyone else find this an issue?
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