Hand forged Swedish steel and a hickory handle; a great axe to have at your campsite. From what I understand, Husqvarna contracts to Hultafors to make these axes. And if you know anything about axes, you know the Hultafors’ name is synonymous with quality (they’ve been around for 130+ years). Can’t beat the quality for the price.
Skip to the 5:14 mark to see the axe in action.
Also! Don’t forget to pick up a sharpener and some oil!
Grab these: Dual Grit Puck Sharpener and Honing Oil
The video below will show you how to properly take care of your new axe.
A Jewel Under the Roughness Husqvarna clearly subcontracted production of this axe to Hults Bruks, one of the oldest and finest axe makers in the world. But to keep costs down, they left it rough around the edges. If you want a fine Swedish axe at a fraction of the cost of Gransfors Bruks and are willing to put a little elbow grease into it, this is the deal of the century.The handle is hickory; all nicely aligned and grain direction on my axe was indeed perfect. Tightness of the grain was above average. However the linseed oil finish needs sanding down. A little scraping with a chisle near the axe head also helps. Finish up with a coat of bees wax/orange oil and you are left with a beautiful handle.The axe head is hand forged with the Husqvarna symbol deeply embossed. It shows traces of grinding marks and the edge is no where near the hair cutting sharpness of a Gransfors Bruks. However the Swedish steel is there and the profile is correct. You just need to be willing to devote about 2…
Wowwww–eee!!!!!!! All I can say is Woowieiee!!! I have a number of axes–two Wetterlings and a Council Tool not to mention Chinese and American axes like Plumb and Kelly. And, I have handled the Gransfors Bruks. I bought this from Bailys, and this axe is finished better than my old Wetterlings and is comparable to the Gransfors Bruks. As a matter of fact if it wasn’t for the labels and the Blacksmith Stamp, I could not tell them apart. One of the reviewers has mentioned the condition that he got his in–mine appears better–a lot better. The finish is comparable to the Gransfors and a lot cheaper–like half the price. If anyone is looking for a high class axe at a decent price for bushcrafting, this is it. The head is light but with the added length, you’ll get a good bite on your wood. I just can’t believe the quality of this axe for the price. Mine came with a much better sheath than my Wetterlings, and from what I remember this sheath appears better than the Gransfors. An unbelievable…