yeah
Nice cover shot, but I want to see the center fold!!
A Proper Canoeing Axe - Gransfors Bruks, Wetterlings and Snow & Neally
(34 posts) (10 voices) Started 5 months ago by James Latest reply from jpj6780
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James
Class VOk tomorrow is the day for the axe review.
If there are any photos you want to see or questions you have let me know.
We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.
http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoePosted 3 months ago # -
Check out the free firewood at Forest Park.
http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestry_div/firewood.html
They also have bonfire rings below the big ball field. We'll have to see about reserving one some evening. There is usually some wood over there if you want a place to take photos.
Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog
Posted 3 months ago # -
It's nice to see another blacksmith here. :-)
I'm a GB man (I own four of them) but I understand they're not easy on the pocketbook. We sell them at Rutabaga but I am looking hard at bringing in the Wetterlings so we have a good axe that's Buick, not Cadillac pricing. :-) I'm about to head out to split some ash with my Splitting Axe (not the maul, that sucker is huge).
I had no idea that GB had a 57 Rockwell...my anvil is 55 (a Rathole Forge). Amazing.
I'm a big fan of the GB Small Forest Axe - I think it's more of a hatchet on steroids.
Good paddling, Darren
Posted 3 months ago # -
I was looking at these axes today when James brought them over to the park to take some photographs. They really are works of art.
When we got to the park I managed to find some of the hardest wood I have ever seen in my life and it was hilarious watching James try to plant his large axe in the end of a log only to see it bounce off without leaving any mark in the wood. He managed to step it up a few notches after that until the log finally split. I think the force of the blow was being absorbed by the muddy bog we were working in. We had a great time chopping, splitting and shaving wood while everything got plenty muddy in the process. We also managed to scare away a couple of bystanders who got a little too curious.
The Wetterlings seemed to fit my fat fingered paws the best but I wouldn't turn down any of these.
Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog
Posted 3 months ago # -
James
Class VI've uploaded some images from todays photo shoot.
I will get right on the review. Until then I'm sure Dennis has some comments.
We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.
http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoePosted 3 months ago # -
I had a good time taking photos today. One reason was that it was the first time I had seen the sun in about three or four days. Even though it was just past noon there was some good looking angled light so we didn't even bother to break out the flash units I brought with me. James took all the closeup shots with his Olympus waterproof camera in macro mode while tiny Tilley kept the pesky squirrels at bay and played in the mud holes. Tilley is one talented puppy by the way and managed to convert the car interior into an art car project by painting the seats, dash and doors with small muddy paw prints. I thought it was pretty entertaining but then again it wasn't my car.
Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog
Posted 3 months ago # -
not to hijack the thread but Darren if you want any heat treat info for bainite heat treating edged tools email me at natecanoes@hotmail.com It's the way to go for anything that cuts.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Something definitely went wrong with that Brunton Fire Starter product test. ;-)
I thought it actually worked better after the striker broke. That thing really throws some good strong sparks.
Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog
Posted 3 months ago # -
risingsun
MemberNow, to be a true fire snob, you need to invest in a nice Fire Piston. Way more elegant that that fire starter kit...
http://rosemtnfirepistons.com/
Posted 3 months ago # -
I really need to see a video of that in action. Preferably one with an attractive young model performing the the demonstration... ;-)
Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog
Posted 3 months ago # -
risingsun
MemberNo attractive young model, but here's the company's youtube video... Would make a nice X-mas gift, Dennis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR15pvsyu3w
They really are a cool gadget to own, and it never ceases to amaze people that haven't seen one before, which is nearly everyone I show one to.
Posted 3 months ago # -
risingsun
MemberPicked up a nice heavy axe at a yard sale yesterday for $5 and I cleaned it up last night and thought I'd share. This is a single-bit felling axe (a bit on the macho side for a river trip) made by the Collins Company of Collinsville, Connecticut which made fine quality edge tools from 1826 to 1966. It appears to have its original handle, which has a beautiful, slender shape to it along with a gorgeous grain that really popped out when I oiled it up with some #0000 steel wool and lemon furniture oil. This is marked with the classic Collins "Legitimus" trademark depicting a crown with arm and blacksmith hammer raised high. The Legitiums line was the upper echelon of Collins tools. The head appears to have never been resharpened since new and is a large 5 inches x 8 inches in size. Both sides of the head also include "WPA" stamps, which could be an owner initialing but is more likely referring to Works Progress Administration which helped to pull the country out of The Great Depression of the 1930's. Often, tools are found with crude WPA marks that were an attempt to keep them from following users home at the end of the day. This is a nice axe, and while not overly valuable, it's almost too nice to use for splitting wood (which is why I had bought it originally). I'd hate to damage the handle with an ill-aimed swing. But I may excercise it a little just to make it feel loved once again.
Posted 2 months ago # -
That is a beauty. Some things never go out of style.
Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog
Posted 2 months ago # -
avgfan
MemberI'm late to this topic and new to this forum. I actually joined to specifically respond to this post. I have to say here that I have to disagree with a few caveats to some of the previous posts about what makes a good ax. On another forum, I posted a blog about ax selection. It can be found here: http://www.campersindex.com/profiles/blogs/an-ax-primer-what-to-look-for. Although hand forging most often produces a very good ax, in my opinion, it ranks far below tempering and grind (head shape as seen from above) for determining whether an ax should be considered.
At last count, I own 13 axes including Gransfors Bruks, Wetterlings, Council Tool, Snow and Nealley (both modern and vintage), Vaughan, Bark River Knife and Tool, Marble's (both modern and vintage), a vintage Collins, and a recently discontinued Sears Craftsman hand ax that I like better than any other brand or model in its size range. It cost less than $20.00.
While Gransfors Bruks offers the finest finished, sharpest off-the-shelf axes available, they are not properly ground, particularly for cutting North American hardwoods. Registered Maine Guide Don Merchant (http://www.poleandpaddle.com/) has been very critical of the Gransfors axes: http://www.poleandpaddle.com/2006/11/then-and-now.html, as have a number of other, very experience outdoor educators and users. Although a Wetterlings ax needs to be sharpened to match a Gransfors, this comparison test, posted on Outdoor Magazine a number of years ago indicates that the Gransfors grind is less efficient than that of the Wetterlings: http://www.oldjimbo.com/Outdoors-Magazine/Wetterling-long-hunting-axe-VS.pdf. I agree and I've used both since the Gransfors Mini Hatchet cost around $70.00 and a Wetterlings LHA could be had regularly for $26.00 (boy those were the days!) A few years ago, Bark River Knife and Tool offered a tweaked Vaughan Miniature ax that was properly ground and sharpened. It didn't have the heft of the Gransfors Mini Hatchet as it was just over two ounces lighter but it would solidly outperform the Gransfors on chopping - all because of the grind. Wasn't as pretty. Didn't have the cache of the Gransfors, but worked better, though it was lighter.
I also disagree that handforging produces an ax that's "far better" as Davy Jones suggested. It's widely recognized that Norlund made perhaps the finest sporting axes (particularly Hudson Bay patterns) in America and they were drop forged. Fayette Plumb made superb axes that were considered so good that in the '20s they were chosen by Peter McLaren, an Australian competition chopper over all others and they were drop forged. In fact most superb axes made between the 1920s through the early 1970s were nearly all drop forged. However, they were properly tempered, they were NOT uniformly hardened, they were annealed, and they were properly ground.
As far as tempering goes, I won't turn down as ax tempered to the degree that a Gransfors is but also wouldn't sneer at an ax tempered between 45 to around 55. Axes do not need to be hardened the way a knife does and to temper them really hard makes them brittle, particularly in cold weather. In fact, I prefer vintage axes that were tempered just a bit softer than a Gransfors for ease of sharpening (though I hate it that Snow and Nealley has gone way too soft on their tempering over the past fifteen or so years).
To conclude, I collect, use and compare axes and am glad I own all the brands and models I do, including Gransfors, but do not believe the brand is the holy grail of axedom.
Posted 2 months ago #
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