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The Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe
The Gransfors Bruks small forest axe is one of the best axes in its class. I would argue that for all-around use, it is the best axe money can buy.
With a total length of 19.5-inches this two-pound axe gives you a lot of chopping power. Yet it is still small enough to fit in most daypacks. Popular among trappers, hunters, and wilderness guides, a small forest axe is a tool that has many uses.
Axes heads come in all shapes and sizes; but not all axes are created equal. Sweden has been producing top quality axe heads for over 100 years. Wetterling and Gransfors Bruks still forge their axe heads by hand. An axe from either one of these companies will cost more than $200.00, but they will last a lifetime. An axe head from Gransfors Bruks comes with a 20-year guarantee. In 1995 Gransfors Bruks received an award from the Swedish Society of Crafts for the “Hunters axe.”
Choosing the right axe is important. Although a small forest axe is a very versatile axe, it might not be right for you.
Since my wife and I run a wilderness lodge we need, and use, a variety of different types of axes. Not everyone will have the same needs. A good axe is expensive. You may only need one.
Choosing the right axe the first time will make your work easier, and save you money.
There are dozens of different types of axes. Some are more versatile than others. The following list doesnt cover every type, but it will give you a good idea of what type of axe will suit your needs best.
Splitting axes:
Designed to split firewood, a splitting axe will have a wide heavy head, and longer handle. The Gransfors Bruks splitting axe is great for splitting wood, but to long and heavy for everyday use.
Pulaski:
A Pulaski, ( or firefighters axe) is a double bitted tool with an axe head on one side and a sharp hoe on the other. It’s a great tool for a firefighter digging out hot spots, but makes a very poor trail axe.
Hatchets:
These axes have short handles much like a hammer. They can be useful for a variety of tasks. I carry a hatchet on the trapline and use it to bed traps or drive nails. A hatchet can also be handy for butchering big game, but are to small for serious cutting.
Felling axes:
The felling axe is used to fell large trees. These axes are longer and heavier than a small forest axe. The Gransfors Bruks American felling axe head, for example weighs over 3lbs. At 31-inches in length and a total weight of 5.3lbs it is the axe you need if you will
be felling trees.
Double bitted axe:
Double bitted axes have a two sided cutting edge. They were popular in the early days of timber industry. With two sharp blades instead of just one, a forester could cut longer between sharpening.
Small forest axe:
A good example of this type of axe is the Gransfors Bruks small forest axe 420. Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, this type of axe are the most versatile.
How to Sharpen an axe
One of the first lessons I learned as a young woodsman was how important it was to have a sharp axe. I grew up on a remote ranch in northern British Columbia. My parents kept a small cabin open year round for the Cree trappers who passed through on a regular basis. Those Cree trappers were the best woodsmen I have ever known. Their axes were kept as sharp as a good hunting knife, and they took great care to keep them that way.
As a young boy I looked forward to the visits from these trappers. They always had time to answer all my questions, and were happy to show me how to make sets for different animals. One of the first things I learned from those trappers was how to sharpen and use an axe.
Those old trappers would never just toss an axe into the back of a sleigh or pickup. They always used a heavy leather sheath over the head to protect themselves and the axe when it wasn’t in use. To them a dull, chipped axe, was a sure sign that its owner was a greenhorn, or just plain slovenly.
They knew that a dull axe is dangerous. The head on a dull axe is more likely to slip or skid when it hits wood. This can cause you to lose control.
The tools you will need to keep your axes sharp
A whetstone, or a ceramic sharpening stone are all you need to keep your axe sharp. Sharpening stones for axes are usually round, and have a course side and a fine side. Use the course side to remove deep nicks or chips in the edge. The fine side works best for general sharpening.
Avoid the temptation to use that angle grinder sitting on your workbench. The heat it generates can take the temper out of the blade and ruin it.
A 25 to 30 degree angle is ideal for most applications. You can use an angle guide, or follow the original angle; but your axe should be as sharp as you can make it. The Gransfors Bruks small forest axe will arrive sharp. Keep it that way.
The ceramic axe sharpeners from Gransfors Bruks are all you need to sharpen your axe. Find them here.
Leather axe head sheaths
High quality axes almost always come with a durable leather sheath to protect the head. You can also buy quality axe sheaths. While I prefer a leather sheath, there is nothing wrong with other materials. Some of the most common are canvas, and plastic.
A serviceable axe sheath can be fashioned from the top of a cowboy boot. Most thrift stores are full of old cowboy boots. To make the sheath, cut the top off as close to the foot as you can. Then make a slit partway down one side (you can see how far down by laying your axe on the boot.) Then rivet or sew up one end.
An axe should always be kept in a sheath. This protects the edge from damage, and keeps the axe from damaging other gear.
A wide selection of axe sheaths can be found here.
A high quality axe handle is every bit as important as the head it holds.
I prefer wood handles. The plastic handles on many modern axes and mauls get very slippery in wet and cold conditions. An axe is a tool you want complete control of at all times.
Hickory, oak, and birch all make solid axe handles. Hickory is my favourite. The most important thing to look for in a wood handle is the grain of the wood. Choose only good straight grained handles. I have never seen a bad handle on a high quality axe like Gransfors Bruks. Thats one reason I buy them.
A good handle should also have a hook or knurl at the end. This knurl should hook downwards, and thicken at the end. This helps keep the axe from slipping out of your hand as you use it.
Measuring marks on the handle of your trail axe are very handy. I use a permanent marker and put a line every two inches. These marks prove useful more often than you would think. I use them a lot when Im setting snares on the trapline. Snare height is important, and the ability to check the height with my axe saves a lot of time. These marks also come in handy to get a quick idea of how wide the antlers are on your buck, or how big your fish is.
How to care for an axe:
Something a lot of outdoorsmen don’t even think about is keeping an axe head clean. Rust, dirt, and pitch will make an axe “stick.” This is not so noticeable in green, wet wood but when you start cutting dry wood, a clean axe head cuts much smoother.
To clean an axe head use a wire brush and a little paint thinner or turpentine. Regular cooking oil will also dissolve pitch in a jiffy. After it’s clean wipe it down with a light coating of oil.
Linseed or tung oil will prolong the life of wood handles. This isnt necessary on new handles that are coated with a hard finish. You should do it once the finish starts to wear through however.
A Gransfors Bruks small forest axe is one of the most useful tools for the outdoors that you can own.
They can be useful for a wide variety of tasks. Need to pound tent pegs, cut firewood or clear out a path ? An axe is the ideal tool for these jobs and many others. They can make your job easier, or even save your life.
A good friend was using an Argo one fall to trap beaver. He was crossing a shallow creek when the Argo tipped over trapping him underneath it. The machine was to heavy to move by hand. Luckily he was able to locate his axe and used it to dig a trench large enough to slide out.
I once took a hunter and two saddle horses down a steep mountainside. We were after a nice bull caribou we had spotted in the valley below. Unbeknownst to me that hillside was nothing but jumbled rock under a layer of thick moss. Once we started down the horses peeled that moss back exposing slick jumbled rock. There was no turning back.
When we reached the timber, we found ourselves in an old burn with so much deadfall it was impassable. Since going back up wasn’t an option, I got out my Gransfors Bruks small forest axe and cut my way down into the valley. It took some cutting; that fire-killed timber was bone dry and hard as iron. The caribou was long gone, but we made it through that mess. Without that axe we might still be there.
The Gransfors Bruks small forest axe is one of the best axes on the market.
For the best prices check here.
Pro Tip:
A small dab of bright fluorescent paint on the tip of your axe handle will make it easier to find when you set it down.
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