Why You Should NOT Buy A Hand Forged Axe! Fit & Finish Expectations

[@jornfin5569]

Those are all valid points, and it is good to be reminded that you don't have to spend lots of money to get functional gear. And yet the same arguments apply to lots of things: a 5 Dollar workman's knife from Mora is superior to any 200 Dollar "bushcraft" knife on the market. And, in fact, a 20 Dollar battery driven watch will tell time more accurately than a 2000 (or 20.000) Dollar mechanical watch. You buy nice things because they are nice. Not because they are better.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Great video and totally agree on a lot of these points. People need to get out and chop more rather than worry too much. Its just a fact of mass production that you are not going to get perfect every time

[@SkillCult]

I think those companies, at least Gransfors could do a lot better with minimal effort, not adding significantly to production cost or time, if at all. Not perfect, but better. Considering the price, I think once the subject of alignment is more on the map, but will accommodate, but it's oddly rarely discussed or noticed it seems.

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I agree and I’m glad somebody said it so I don’t have to. The reality of it is these little things don’t matter hardly at all or at all in the field.

[@SkillCult]

Cool video. Good to see you posting again. My only major complaint with those axes, aside from price, is the frequency of major, unnecessary misalignment, which seems to be very common. I'm pretty sure I, or anyone, could invent a jig that would take each head and quickly align it better at the end of forging, in seconds. considering that they cost so much more, you'd think Gransfors would not be so commonly wonked out. I've used crooked axes a lot and if that's what I have, I'll use it. But I prefer axes that are well aligned and will go out of my way to get or haft one. If I'm going to use an axe a lot, I'd much prefer that it was aligned, both parallel and centered, or the closer the better. It's a subject that seems to have fallen off the map for the most part. It may be unrealistic for them to be really consistent, even drop forged axes are pretty inconsistent, but I think they could do a lot better with a little effort. I'm curious if you have you seen a difference in symmetry by brand. also agree that handle wood quality typically trumps alignment. Alignment is an easy thing for people to look at and focus on, but there are more important things, like wood quality, runout and grain changes that can lead to instability.

[@bensbackwoods]

I've never seen a axe company with 100% alignment...with that said most are well within reason for use.

[@BushcraftSisyphus]

I 100% APPROVE OF THIS VIDEO. Great job!

[@moderntentcamping]

Excellent video. You have addressed one of the biggest myths in camping.

[@cameronc.362]

This is probably one of the most helpful and insightful about axes(if not the most) on KZbin. Thanks! Heading over to your shop right now.

[@MrAlexatroiani]

Council Tool Axe and Brant and Cochran are by far the best axes I have ever used for serious chopping in the woods. I've tried all the rest and they are good but the wedge for some reasons these are just superior.

[@5adamjb]

I have an 8lb council tool splitting maul with a factory handle with grain perpendicular to the ideal. I've split cords of wood with it. It still hasn't broken.

[@MrWillyp00]

Have a 60 year old drop forged axe 3lb head from Plumb. I'd stack it against any hand forged head all week long and twice on Sunday.

[@bensbackwoods]

Vintage heads are tough to beat!

[@johnnybeanz1296]

There’s one major reason people, including me, by a gransfors bruks axe, I WANTED IT. I could pretend I had technical issues and I could make up some knowledgeable sounding crap, and I’m glad there are guys like Ben who know a lot about it, but the reason is still I WANTED IT.

[@bensbackwoods]

They are fantastic axes!

[@johnnybeanz1296]

They come really sharp, in my case 5 stitches sharp (don’t ask--let’s just say I’m an idiot.). They are a true heirloom product and I’m sure my son will get another life time of use out of it. Besides I WANTED IT. As good a reason as most. I also have a couple of fiskars, a council, and a couple of estwings. All fine choppers, but not a gb. I bought stuff off your website that I like lot and am glad to see you making vids again.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Got a standard Council Jersey and its pretty well aligned even noticed it has a centreline. Cheap and cheerful but can do a lot of work.

[@Among-the-trees]

Its a question of whats acceptable, many of the budget open forged axes will have imperfections and have more poorer samples. As these by there nature require more input from the craftsman. This input would drive up the price, in many ways being hand forged/open forged then can be a liability on the budget axes. However its about craftsmanship, and I for one would have no issues with returning sub par craftsmanship.

[@turtlewolfpack6061]

Lets drop the myth that these Swedish axes are hand forged. I have watched multiple videos on how all three brands are made and none are hand forged. Hand finished yes, but the Swedes are open die drop forged. The Agdor line is made on the same dies as the more expensive models and usually look much better. The fact of the matter is, the more expensive models are just more poorly finished and a premium is charged. Don't get me wrong, I love my old and new Swedes but I am under no illusion as to the mythology that surrounds them.

[@mfavia620]

Very well done and great info on what’s to be expected on in my opinion an overly priced Swedish forged axe. Thanks for sharing Ben

[@Lonelake]

Well put together Ben!

[@joegelencser2571]

Awesome video thank you very much My question is why doesn't somebody build a high quality axe Out of S7 or high speed steel and skip the foraging put the money into ammonia refractor heat treating???

[@watermain48]

Thanks for the great information Ben.

[@chewher4171]

I like the look of hand forged.

[@bensbackwoods]

Me too!

[@spider5001]

Really great to see some videos from you. I don’t have a lot of experience with axes( especially hand forged😂) I love your Lagom knife.👍🏻🎉🕺🏻 I have been using a Fiskars and a CKRT hawk. I do use them quite often. Do the hand forged expensive axes really have that much of a difference in performance to justify the cost?

[@bensbackwoods]

They can be worth the money for sure. If you spend the time to haft a vintage head and sharpen it correctly and then make a leather axe mask then you would have a similar tool and realize the value.

[@thomasgronek6469]

Many thanks for the video.

[@jamesnelson1443]

Gransfors, Hults Bruk, Hultafors, Council Tool all use Hammer Dropped Forged process to make the heads!! Those are very large presses approximately 200 ton force is used to to forge the steel! This requires many dies to get the shape! Which means the Smith doing the forge has to move the head from die to die to create the head! Gransfors Bruk uses a single forger to create the axe head at each station in the forging process! Hence higher quality! Bottom line the price is justified

[@xenmonk1]

Just the nature of the beast...

[@newlife155]

Very valuable information..

[@moderntentcamping]

Good information!

[@jsboyle3459]

Nice wee video😬👍🏻

[@mathewhenderson5757]

Solid tool points

[@willisblevins4190]

Good job thanks

[@myainput2657]

your face book link "says content not available right now"

[@nattybumpo4384]

Truth.

[@BlackScoutSurvival]

💪🙏🤘

[@bensbackwoods]

Repping BSS 😎

[@amo757]

The swedish axes you are referring to ARE NOT HAND FORGED.

[@neutronshiva2498]

Buy custom - Screw big corpo!

[@monty5583]

🤣🤣😂😂

[@ramonrodriguez5728]

💯👍❤🤙

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

Wetterlings, Gransfors & Hults do not "hand forge" their axes. They are forged on machines. They even have videos showing them being stamped out on machines. I can't believe people repeat the marketing term. The only place their hands are on during the forging process is the handle. The machines do the forging. They just move the head from station to station. Hand forging anything would mean only using hand tools to craft it, not machines. They are all liars. 😎 I guess I "hand drive" my car just because I steer it then. LOL

[@bensbackwoods]

Pneumatic hammer forged

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

@@bensbackwoods Yep. Most Boutique Axe buyers aren't going to take anything down bigger than a sapling anyway or chop 2" branches and they can do that with a $30 Council Tool Boy's Axe all day long.