Believe it or not, there are actually still professional lumberjacks. The Gränsfors American Felling Axe was designed for these folks. A hefty chopping tool marked by a wide 11.5cm cutting edge, a hand-forged steel head, and a long American hickory wood handle. Almost twice as heavy as a traditional Scandinavian forest axe, this heavy hitter is as hefty as it is effective at felling even the largest trees in the woods. Hults Bruk, the Swedish axe-making brand, has a history that dates back to 1697. In fact, the foundry they’re headquartered in is the same one that’s been in constant operation since their founding.
There is a protective steel collar of the handle for an extra firm grip which is placed below the head of the axe and round grooves towards the end. An axe head’s profile can be designed to serve a specific purpose or have a “general-purpose” design. Axe heads made for splitting have wide, wedge-shaped blades to split wood fibers horizontally with the grain. Felling axes, on the other hand, have thin and sharp blades to efficiently and effectively cut perpendicularly to wood fiber to cut down a tree. Multi- or general-purpose axes have a medium-thick profile suitable for both cutting and splitting. 14.25″ overall. 4.75″ axe head with 3″ cutting edge. Oak handle. Lanyard hole. SC steel blade. Brown leather belt sheath. Boxed. Made in Japan.
Use both hands to rub the stone back and forth, making sure to keep the polish rock wet with water. Before you can shape the axe head, you will need to hit off a piece of the source rock that will become your axe head. Strike the upper edge of the source rock with the large hammer. Focus on striking off flakes and slabs of rock as you hit the source rock. Use short, swift hits against the source rock, lifting your arm a few feet from the source rock and coming down steadily with the hammering rock. The handle for your stone axe will need to be made of freshly harvested wood, or wood that is from a young tree. This will ensure the wood can be bent and shaped without breaking. You will also need to find a large hammering rock, which you will use to shape the source rock.
This guide is all about replacing that old wooden handle with a nice new one and fixing it in place to give your axe what it needs to keep chopping for a long time to come. Without further ado, here’s how to go about replacing the handle on your axe. Another clear difference between a splittingaxe vs maulis the handle. A maul usually features a longerhandleto guide the tool into the ground after it as finishes splitting the wood and not back in the direction of your feet. This is an important safety feature that prevents eliminate the risks of injuries due to unintended accidents. As you might have learned from the above definitions, a splitting maul weights between 6 and 8 pounds while a splitting axe weighs between 3 and 6 pounds. This difference is weight is a double-edged sword so to say. Since splitting axes are multi-purpose and lighter allowing you to use it for longer without developing fatigue quickly but it reduces the efficiency of the tool.
They don’t possess the proper power to fell a tree, unless you want to be there all day. It sounds simple—toss some sharp steel on the end of a stick, and you’ve got an axe, right? Even if you look at the way axes were designed in the 1950s, there’s a difference in modern construction. Everything comes down to precise angles, weight distribution, and the perfect blend of lightweight material and power. The Fiskars IsoCore Maul is designed for comfort, as well as performance. It has a patented technology called the IsoCore Shock Control System, which absorbs the shock of each impact and reduces the vibration in the handle. The end result is more comfortable chopping and the ability to work for longer without injuring yourself. Another interesting feature is the flared handle, which stops it from slipping out of your hand. One of the most prominent parts of this product, like others from the manufacturer, is the sheath.
More so, Mahogany is more brittle than Ash or Hickory. As a result, it will splinter, shatter, and break much easier than other wood types. This fact will increase user fatigue and make it even more prone to cracking and snapping due to the shock impact. More so, Yellow Birch is popular because it absorbs shock well. In fact, Yellow Birch is one of the more shock-absorbent woods, although Hickory is still more absorbent. The main downside of Ash is that it is not as durable as Hickory or Oak. As a result, it will not last as long as the other two wood types, especially if it is left outdoors.
A recess in the head allows for the hand to come very close to the head for maximum control of the blade. The ergonomic hickory handle is designed for very specific and careful use. This curved handle, like those of the previously listed axes, is made from the premium axe wood, American hickory, and treated with linseed oil. One look at this model, and it’s clear it will last. For axe users who often find themselves doing heavy work in severe conditions, this axe is more than suitable for the job. Additionally, the Hults Bruk team promises that this axe has the potential to last a lifetime, and they provide a warranty on faulty parts. The axe is ideal for starting fires and performing occasional light woodwork and can be held with either one or two hands, depending on the task at hand and the power needed.
Then you can use a mallet or piece of wood and hit the bottom of the handle to tap it into the eye of the axehead. Once the eye of the axehead is free of any remains of the old handle, you can start fitting the new handle inside. Mark where the kerf ends, as that will give you a visual guide to how deep your handle needs to go into the eye. Also, when you’re fitting the handle, take measurements, as some handles might stick out more than others and you might have to extend the kerf a bit. The first step to replacing a broken handle is to remove whatever is left of it from the eye of the axe. To do this, you should use your saw to cut the handle right beneath the axehead.
This is mounted on a Tennessee Hickory handle and has been perfectly balanced for steady swings. A composite handle gives you a durable and stable tool. Our axes with composite handles are fitted with a reinforced PA shaft and a non-stick coating for reduced friction. The SOG Base Camp is another tough, single-piece axe that boasts a sleek finish, rubber grip and a decent flat head for knocking in tent pegs and stakes or any other bashing needs. At over 2lbs in weight and 16” long, however, this isn’t the most portable axe in our review. It also falls a little short of other one-piece or heavyweight competitors the Gerber Pack Hatchet, Estwing Sportsman and Husqvarna hatchet in terms of practicality. First of all, it arrives fairly blunt and will require some sharpening before cutting through even small branches efficiently. The blade and bit are also fairly shallow, meaning that, despite its size, the SOG struggles to make its way through larger chunks of wood. It could, moreover, double up as pretty handy tomahawk…winner! A superb option for backpacking and overnight hiking trips.