How Hard is Swedish Steel? Testing Hults Bruk axes, and a Vintage Arvika

Testing the Rockwell Hardness of Hults Bruk axes. Comparing their hardness to previously tested Gransfors Bruk axes. We also test a vintage Arvika forge axe!

[@brettbrown9814]

Another very professional and helpful video. Thanks for making it.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Thanks Brett! Hope all is well.

[@redcanoe14]

I have a few Swedish Sater Banko Axes, they are the hardest axe heads I have found. Perhaps many axes are softer today because many people who use them are less skilled hobbyists who inevitably damage the edges more frequently and are more likely to be able to re-configure a softer edge

[@AmericanOutdoorLiving]

Thanks for the video! Love the rockwell testing and would love to see you test some budget options like Council Tool, Marbles, Prandi, and Snow & Neally.

[@940joey2]

Heck yeah man !! Great video !! I love watching these awesome tests you do just as much as I love watching some good ole chopping 🤙!! Super interesting man, I too always believe my HB axes seemed to be a bit harder thanks my gransfors axes. I’ve always heard the gransfors were much harder, yet that wasn’t the case when I tested it for myself (just using a file to fix damage). I wonder if this stands true for the old aka vintage gransfors axes. Oh and dang man thanks for the shout out !! That was a fun video to make when I was using the 3.5 lb Hb .. the beginning is a bit boring I prob could have cut that out but the rest was fun 🤙 I use that axe a lot off camera it’s one of my main user axes !! Can’t beat the HB agdor line they’re great working axes 👍

[@tbrowniscool]

Great video! Which of these brands would you buy if you could only have one axe? Gransfors or Hults?

[@urbanlumberjack]

Really tough question, I think would depend on the axe. Hults bruk doesn’t really make a good felling axe, so would go with Gransfors for a heavy feller. For a pack axe that’s REALLY close, but would have to give it to the Gransfors Scandinavian Forest Axe. They can have their issues but I do believe it’s an outstanding axe. Gransfors makes products few other forges make like a broad axe, froe, and carving axe. I think between the two I prefer Gransfors for most things

[@mattpeter7052]

HB have a good heat treat in my experience. You can thin these axes out more with less risk of edge deformation. Hardness equals strength. Great video BTW

[@urbanlumberjack]

Thank you!

[@Joey-L]

Interesting results. I've heard people criticize GB for having steel too hard to sharpen with a file. But like you said there are so many variables its hard to make any definitive conclusions. The fact that all your HB's are with a specific range makes me think it isn't a fluke, and perhaps a standard from the factory.

[@nisamvise1724]

Are you thinking about testing the council tool axes? I personally haven't been able to get mine to a razor edge when I could a fiskars so maybe the steel is softer. Anyway, cool video please keep them coming.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Council tool is next up! Curious about their hardness too, hoping to do that in the next few weeks

[@nisamvise1724]

@@urbanlumberjack I'll be looking forward to it.

[@robertopics]

Hardness doesn't always relate to sharpness. In the straight razor world stainless steel razors and newer razors tend to be quite harder than vintage razors, but it's a lot easier to get the vintage razors shaper because they are softer and the grain/modulus is smaller.

[@nisamvise1724]

@@robertopics If youre curious, what ended up happening was that i wasnt stropping at a steep enough angle. But your point about hardness is interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@MattKeevil]

Informative video! It's a PIA when working axes are too hard to file. I guess there was less of an issue with harder steel in the past when files were harder too.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Thank you! I’d like to get some NOS Nicholson files I hear they’re awesome

[@michaelcatherwood4088]

Very interesting results. But I think that vintage Arvika may be hung upside down. I'd measure both sides of the eye to be certain.

[@urbanlumberjack]

I measured the eye its hunt the right way but definitely looks a little funky!

[@joshkelloggKCR]

Great info as always.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Much appreciated thank you!

[@colttification]

Great video. Love your content! Curious what your opinion on how the hults splitting axe compares to some of the council offerings like the 5lb splitter.

[@urbanlumberjack]

My all time favorite splitter is the forcible entry axe from council tool. But I only use that for big rounds because it’s so heavy. The 5lb splitter is awesome, best all around splitting axe in my opinion. The HB is a beautiful axe but not terribly useful

[@colttification]

@@urbanlumberjack Much appreciated! I ordered the 5 pounder with the long handle. Too handsome to pass up.

[@brandonsackett3637]

I've got some vintage hults bruk and they seem very hard as well. It's slow going to almost pointless trying to sharpen these without a high quality file or belt sander

[@Master...deBater]

I completely agree. I have an old vintage HB 1.5LB hatchet that required a belt sander to sharpen. The burr was so hard it couldn't be removed with a leather strop. I had to strop it on wood in order to remove it! It reminded me of my hard ass Japanese kitchen knives with Rockwell ratings from 62-65. I would guess it's probably between 58 and 60.

[@turtlewolfpack6061]

That's interesting that the Hults Bruks were harder than the Gransfors Bruks as Gransfors insists that you not use files at all due to hardness. 55HRC isn't bad for a 1060 series steel.

[@urbanlumberjack]

I was very surprised at the results. I think 55 Rockwell is about perfect for an all purpose axe. Any higher than that and you need very expensive files or a grinder! I do believe Gransfors makes a high-quality product, but boy did they should make you pay for it, and that same quality comes cheaper from HB, the Germans, or CT.

[@williameddy7217]

Good info!! God Bless

[@urbanlumberjack]

Thank you!

[@TomKim]

“Test file itself has each hardness range.” See the table on the file box…you can reinterpret your test result.

[@urbanlumberjack]

The test range for the files is so small, and also variable. So you can’t rely on that variable number. Best to use the indication on the file.

[@jeh966]

Pls test helko werk axes