Sexy hand ax upgrade on a $16.99 Amazon Brufer - Easy, fun, and rewarding!

[@micahwest5347]

Looks nice.

[@crossthreaded6867]

Glad to have been recommended this video, appreciated the tips!

[@bigoldgrizzly]

The steel in these cheap axes is generally all you need for an occasional use axe. The common fault as you have found, is distortion in the head or it being hung crooked. If you buy in store, you can pick and chose to find a good one. They all benefit from a bit of file and stone to profile and sharpen .... none come ready for use. :

[@OnceUponAnotherTime]

I totally agree with you, about what is required in a hand ax. The grain orientation in their handle, the metal that used, the profile... too much fuss made of all that. Though, that said, I do have a couple no-name vintage hand axes that won't hold an edge at *all*. Rockwell so low that all my test files cut them, easily. Hardly worth putting an edge on them, so I set them aside for show only. Their steel so mild it's less than 40? 40 at best? On the other hand, I have seven Council Tool axes in all (one Montreal hand ax, three boys axes, two full size Jerseys and a Dayton felling ax) that I bought brand new and had shipped to me. I mean, I know they're from their budget line ("Sports Utility"). But really? -- six of them needed to be rehung??? LOL No complaints. I got more than what I paid for. Just needed the usual TLC. One boys ax even came with dark blue burn marks on its bit. Whoever put the initial grind on it (minimal) had overheated it. Its edge rolled over out of the box, first strike. I took the edge back about 3/16s, maybe a 1/4 inch. Redid the bevel to 20 deg. (It had arrived with around 25 deg). No problems since. Another one, a 32" Jersey with phantom bevels, I was sharpening it when I noticed I could push the wooden wedge in about another 3/8" deeper with my thumb. Wedge was loose, too thin.That and, all but one of the seven were not true to the handle. They were a little tilted, a little out of line. It's the hydraulic press process, I think, that they use on their budget line axes. Anytime you force a head onto a haft with a press, the *possibility* it might go on perfectly aligned is kinda low. (But still, they got 1:7 right! Ain't too bad for chance. Hats off to Council Tool!) 😜 The red-headed, 36" Dayton felling ax was so dang perfect, it's still the way it came -- aluminum wedge and all! All I did was put an edge on that one and it's my go-to felling ax now. LOVE that thing!!!! Lesson: Don't dismiss cheap imports too quickly, and don't automatically assume all big brand name axes will come perfect. Name alone is not a guarantee. That jibe with your experience, too, Grizzly?

[@_BigLife_]

Nicely done. I still need to find a place to get a custom brand