Plus, the rubber handles cover up the wood grain veneer I glued onto my Fiskars . . . .
Philbert
Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread
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Philbert
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
It's like a Finnish station wagon!
Kinda like when I painted my poulan pro black then recently spent hours removing all of the paint so I could get rid of the saw lol
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
Pic to show difference between the stihl and husky axe sizes ,the large one is the HB Arvika 4.5 lb head for comparison .
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Nice looking pieces! How's the Arvika working out for you? I want one. Also, when are you going to finish that door you got sitting there on the horses?
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
I really like the Arvika ,the 32 inch handle took a bit to adapt to was used to a 36 ,but it is called a racing axe head and the opening is bigger than a reg single bit so 32 is all i can find so far ,as for the door ,i keep getting sidetracked on other projects ,need to cut some wavey single pane glass for it still like the old houses had ,and stain it ,need to drill the knob openings and chisel in the hinges also still ,last time i tried cutting the wavey glass it did not split as good as clear flat glass ,lost a few pieces to breakage .
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
Bottom photo next to the stihl forestry axe,also the lh one in the 3rd photo ,the one to right in 3rd photo is husky forest axe 28 inch handle .
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
It certainly is a nice axe, I really admire that Tassy pattern. Eventually I'll get one, I'm a junkie after all... I bet that thing throws some big ol' chips when sharpened right!
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
OK, so over the weekend I tested out the Kydex collar guard as best I could, got some Alianthus splits in irregular lengths and chain-bungied them together so to create an overstrike situation. The goal was to make kindling, so it was all I had to test... Had a good bit of hits on the collar and for the most part holds up. A better test will be done with some big fat rounds. I did notice that the collar slips down because the Kydex is so rigid even when tied tight, there's no friction, so I slid a small section of bicycle inner tube up onto the bottom and it holds it up there nicely.
After seeing @Lowhog splurge on some Swedish specimens... I got the bug and ordered a small Wetterlings backwoods axe (1.75 lb; 18.5" haft) since there will soon no longer be any left to buy at retail. I got it over the weekend, but here she is all oiled up and stropped:
I went into work today at 0600 so I could leave a little early, got home with about 20 minutes of daylight and limbed a small Catalpa that split at the top and fell over. Not a read hard wood ,but it grew crooked to get to the light. The little axe performed well and is smaller than anything else I own or use (non-hatchet), so it will have it's place for either light work or an auxilary camp axe.
Here it is compared to my Wetterlings Hudson Bay, and a recent Hults Bruk restoration I did:
After seeing @Lowhog splurge on some Swedish specimens... I got the bug and ordered a small Wetterlings backwoods axe (1.75 lb; 18.5" haft) since there will soon no longer be any left to buy at retail. I got it over the weekend, but here she is all oiled up and stropped:
I went into work today at 0600 so I could leave a little early, got home with about 20 minutes of daylight and limbed a small Catalpa that split at the top and fell over. Not a read hard wood ,but it grew crooked to get to the light. The little axe performed well and is smaller than anything else I own or use (non-hatchet), so it will have it's place for either light work or an auxilary camp axe.
Here it is compared to my Wetterlings Hudson Bay, and a recent Hults Bruk restoration I did:
Very nice guys! I hit a couple local Husqvarna dealers today looking for a all purpose 28" husqvarna axe and they don't keep any in stock. My chances of hand picking a Husqvarna axe is pretty slim. Ace hardware a Husqvarna dealer has made in Mexico council axes. Go Figure!
Where did you find the HB for restoration? The small wetterlings pretty much like the gb small forest axe?OK, so over the weekend I tested out the Kydex collar guard as best I could, got some Alianthus splits in irregular lengths and chain-bungied them together so to create an overstrike situation. The goal was to make kindling, so it was all I had to test... Had a good bit of hits on the collar and for the most part holds up. A better test will be done with some big fat rounds. I did notice that the collar slips down because the Kydex is so rigid even when tied tight, there's no friction, so I slid a small section of bicycle inner tube up onto the bottom and it holds it up there nicely.
After seeing @Lowhog splurge on some Swedish specimens... I got the bug and ordered a small Wetterlings backwoods axe (1.75 lb; 18.5" haft) since there will soon no longer be any left to buy at retail. I got it over the weekend, but here she is all oiled up and stropped:
I went into work today at 0600 so I could leave a little early, got home with about 20 minutes of daylight and limbed a small Catalpa that split at the top and fell over. Not a read hard wood ,but it grew crooked to get to the light. The little axe performed well and is smaller than anything else I own or use (non-hatchet), so it will have it's place for either light work or an auxilary camp axe.
Here it is compared to my Wetterlings Hudson Bay, and a recent Hults Bruk restoration I did:
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
I established a contact in Sweden who shares the same interest in collecting, restoring, (using) and preserving forestry tools of yesteryear. It was a trade, a sort of quid pro quo. Old Swedish or Scandinavian axes aren't very common in my domestic channels, so I had to outsource.
The Wetterlings I'm showing in my post is more akin to the Gränsfors Bruk Small Forest Axe, yes - it is roughly the same in weight and length, but still smaller than the Scandinavian Forest Axe. In both the Gränsfors Scan and Small forest axes, the bits are ground thinner than the Wetterlings. The Wetterlings axes have more of an acute ogive arch edge geometry, like the shape of a bullet - thicker cheeks and with primary and secondary bevels that arc to the apex of the edge. I find that type of edge geometry more versatile; the GB is thin, hollow, and cuts deep. Highly effective for biting into soft hardwoods like birch or aspen, or softwood conifers which all grow in abundance in Scandinavia. The thin bit on the GB can still split, but is at somewhat of a disadvantage to a more ogive, wider geometry of the Wetterlings grind. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice keen Scandi grind, I put one on the above Hults Bruk restoration (it fit the bit profile) - but when it comes to a preference, the grind on the Wetterlings axes performs evenly across all types of uses.
I can kind of see that, but nope, it's just plain old bicycle inner-tubing. I use the same method for my paracord collar wraps on smaller axes like the Hudson Bays. The compression of the rubber holds the coils in place and keeps them from slipping or coming unwound (though I typically melt them and super glue them in place). I got the idea from my oldest and best friend, a bushcrafter and hunter. He said he got the idea from "that David Canterbury guy" who he didn't really seem to care much for, strangely...
I will be up in NY at Bob's (spike60) shop in February and could grab one and bring it to MN in the spring if you can wait that long. I believe he stocks them.
I'll keep that in mind for sure thanks for the offer.I have a few more husky dealers in the area that just might have a few in stock. I think I just need to hit the big towns like Furgus Falls or Brainerd. I see the wetterlings 118's on ebay for about $20 cheaper vs the gs small forest axe. I better pull the trigger on one before they are all gone.
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Got ya, then your Gränsfors should be well suited for those types of woods, though most any axe would too. Around me it's mostly hardwoods. I agree, the fatter cheeks on the Wetterlings is nice, very atypical for European axes. I found an image online showing the difference between Hultafors, Gränsfors, and Wetterlings grind profiles:
I got my Wetterlings Backcountry Axe, which I believe if not mistaken the #118 for $118 on Wiseman Trading:
http://wisementrading.com/wood-working/wetterlings/hunting-axe-18-38-inch-wetterlings/
Free shipping?Got ya, then your Gränsfors should be well suited for those types of woods, though most any axe would too. Around me it's mostly hardwoods. I agree, the fatter cheeks on the Wetterlings is nice, very atypical for European axes. I found an image online showing the difference between Hultafors, Gränsfors, and Wetterlings grind profiles:
I got my Wetterlings Backcountry Axe, which I believe if not mistaken the #118 for $118 on Wiseman Trading:
http://wisementrading.com/wood-working/wetterlings/hunting-axe-18-38-inch-wetterlings/
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