Thread: A word to the wise. Quality axes

Your local Husqvarna dealer probably stocks these awesome quality axes.
They are an absolute bargain all well under $100 each.
They are branded Husqvarna but are made by another Swedish company called Hults Bruk.
Practically identical to the Hults products but the metal is slightly less finished.
And they are less than half the price of a genuine Hults if you can get one in NZ.
Hand forged from good Swedish steel.
Look for one that has as close to vertical grain through the head and good grain structure along the handle. Wild grain like you would want in a gun stock is not the objective here.
They require about an hours worth of work to get them into top shape. Sand off the coating on the handle. Always sand with the direction of the handle with P120 and P150 don't make it too smooth. Give it a few coats of boiled linseed oil or a good gun stock oil.
The cutting edge needs to be made true with a fine cut flat file. Rub some chalk ( childs blackboard type ) into the file cutting surface and it will do a better job. Always cutting away from or along the edge and take your time to get the angles nice. Finish with a sharpening stone or axe sharpening puck. Be careful not to cut yourself !
They will take a scary sharp edge. But that's not really needed as it will be lost quickly.
The sharper you make it the more it will chip if you miss hit and nick a stone or nail.
So just get it as sharp as you need for your situation.

The three shown here are

Longest top axe.
Limbing axe or small forest axe.
This is an absolutely awesome 3/4 size axe. Reasonably light, very useful, easy to get the hang of and get it working.
I have one of these in my truck all the time and it gets used heaps. By me. Some people just shouldn't be allowed nice things.

This makes a great present for a mate or young guys 21st and if you have spent the time getting it into shape for them then its a bit more personalized.
Look after this and it's the only axe you will ever need in a lifetime.
Loan it to someone and you know how the saying goes about "chainsaws", well something like that

Middle axe.
Carpenters axe Broader head with a straighter cutting edge. Space for hand to slide up to the head and work in close. Easily used one handed. I'm a builder and specialize in remote access work for DoC and others. You would be surprised how often this will come in handy. Can be used as a froe but never hit the back of the head with metal, just a wooden mallet or small log etc. Be careful because it is often used one handed then your other hand could become a casualty and remember you have made it very sharp for a clean wound !

Smallest bottom axe.
Hatchet Good for kindling, small items and also good on a building site. Strictly single handed. Not as versatile as the other two types but nice to have.

None of these are hammers.

Good luck and cheers

I like my estwing axe but have been thinking about something a little 'prettier' will have to check them out next time i'm in the big smoke.

So husky dealer? Anyone else stock them?

E Hayes in Invercargill have the husky agency so I might check out....

Although the other four or six or eight axes I seem to have accumulated could do with some love first......

Oh man I wish I saw this yesterday.
Just brought a small hatchet and an axe from Bunnings. Mid range probably around $80 all up, but when those break I’ll srfinately be keen to follow up on this information.

Maybe even but them now and put them in the shed..

I have the biggest of the ones you show, you are right about it being handy and taking a nice edge, I also am in the process of restoring my grandfathers old 1950’s Plumb, handle has long gone and was so rusty I did not even know it was a Plumb when I started, but it’s getting there.

My latest axe is a Tuatahi Work Axe, it has redefined for me what an axe can be, it’s not light (3.1 kg), and came unvarnished so just going through the linseed regime (once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, repeat). The handle is a little on the rough side, but that should aid in grip, if it produces any hot spots I will sand it a tad.
The edge is unbelievable 11 degrees per side, it easily slices paper like one of my knives.

Truely a thing of beauty and power...not cheap though, for the price of this I could get 11 axes at mitre10...of course then I would have 11 crap axes.

Originally Posted by 223nut

I like my estwing axe but have been thinking about something a little 'prettier' will have to check them out next time i'm in the big smoke.

So husky dealer? Anyone else stock them?

Husqvarna dealers.
The Husky web site will show locations that stock the item you are looking at.
Most only carry one of each and re stock quickly

Best axes I ever encountered were in zamosc Poland, where Ukrainian blacksmith had forged heads from shorts of railway iron into double headed jobs. Beautifully done but my hosts were anti Ukaraine on a/c of ww2, and would not let me buy. Nyet! Nyet!

Wetterlings are a bloody nice axle, very similar to items above. Axes | Wetterlings

Originally Posted by Shelley

I have the biggest of the ones you show, you are right about it being handy and taking a nice edge, I also am in the process of restoring my grandfathers old 1950’s Plumb, handle has long gone and was so rusty I did not even know it was a Plumb when I started, but it’s getting there.

My latest axe is a Tuatahi Work Axe, it has redefined for me what an axe can be, it’s not light (3.1 kg), and came unvarnished so just going through the linseed regime (once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, repeat). The handle is a little on the rough side, but that should aid in grip, if it produces any hot spots I will sand it a tad.
The edge is unbelievable 11 degrees per side, it easily slices paper like one of my knives.

Truely a thing of beauty and power...not cheap though, for the price of this I could get 11 axes at mitre10...of course then I would have 11 crap axes.

My second work axe should arrive next week, they are bloody good. The handles are ‘as turned’ and pretty rough alright but don’t take much sanding to come right. I’ve got a couple of plumbs and a few Kelly axes and one black prince which probably gets the most use, all with tuatahi handles as I like the oversized end on them

That’s a good idea, been searching in the usual suspects for a handle but have not found one with good grain, might grab a tuatahi one for the plumb.

Awesome thread. Nice to know they are built by HB. My favourite is a Gransfors Bruk small forest axe I got while in Aus.

I have a hobby of reshaping and refinishing cheap commonly available axes, hatchets and tomahawks. Think Cold Steel etc. Just for fun and make nice gifts that are functional for light use.

But I need a decent size Gransfors Bruk in my life. Except I would probably ruin it.

Originally Posted by Shelley

I have the biggest of the ones you show, you are right about it being handy and taking a nice edge, I also am in the process of restoring my grandfathers old 1950’s Plumb, handle has long gone and was so rusty I did not even know it was a Plumb when I started, but it’s getting there.

My latest axe is a Tuatahi Work Axe, it has redefined for me what an axe can be, it’s not light (3.1 kg), and came unvarnished so just going through the linseed regime (once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, repeat). The handle is a little on the rough side, but that should aid in grip, if it produces any hot spots I will sand it a tad.
The edge is unbelievable 11 degrees per side, it easily slices paper like one of my knives.

Truely a thing of beauty and power...not cheap though, for the price of this I could get 11 axes at mitre10...of course then I would have 11 crap axes.

I can second the Tuatahi quality. I thought I knew my axes until I bought a Tuatahi!

Originally Posted by Sako851

Oh man I wish I saw this yesterday.
Just brought a small hatchet and an axe from Bunnings. Mid range probably around $80 all up, but when those break I’ll srfinately be keen to follow up on this information.

Maybe even but them now and put them in the shed..

Hey @Sako852 if you still have the recipe take it back and just tell them you purchased the wrong item our it’s blunt and your not satisfied with it.

Funny I was just talking about Vikings and this thread jumps up