the Bushman Axe from Wetterlings and Les Stroud

[ineffableone]

Julia is super cool and so nice. Last summer my wife and I traveled to Sweden and stopped in Storvik to see the operation. We were able to meet some of the blacksmiths in the factory too. Just so you know, not only is she the CEO, but she also runs the office, answers the phone, deals with stock, marketing/traveling, the museum, and I believe the website. Last summer she even told us about the changes within the factory to make it self-sustaining with power from the adjacent water from the pond. I think it's up on the site now. She was super kind and basically allowed us to go down to the smithing floor and meet/watch a couple of guys work. When we showed up, only Julia, two smiths forging, and an apprentice checking for splintering axe heads were there. The entire wood crew (2-3 guys) that cut/shaped/sanded the handles were already off for the day but we walked through and saw it all. The operation is very small and they make the best. My small splitting axe I chose, with Julia's help, was excellent for splitting medium to small to kindling pieces of wood this past winter. Excellent product, excellent company, excellent staff. Props to Wetterlings and their long history.

Hopefully the above will explain some of the inconsistencies with the website. and, go Les!

Matt

Wow great story, and I bet Julia is pretty cool. All the interviews with her she seems so excited about axes, and wonderfully cheerful. I have heard that Wetterlings is a pretty small business even though they are world famous, so nice to hear about someone seeing the operation in person.

Now hearing your story I want to go visit.

You should! It was a great highlight of our trip. We had just missed a huge festival held at the factory with forging, axe throwing, lots of food, etc. Julia told us about 6000 people were there from all over Sweden and other countries! She told us she dreamed of being a blacksmith, but "then the opportunity to have my own axe company" and she couldn't pass up the CEO job. Very cool. We plan to visit again one day, but in the south of the country where my wife's ancestors are from and she said she knew some people to help us find things to do, where to stay, etc. She was so nice. If we DO go back, I want to get another axe from them, but that would be a pretty big roadtrip while there. We'll see.

Matt

Just an FYI for anyone in Sweden in Aug you might want to make a stop off at the Wetterlings factory, seems they are having an Axe Day! As Matt/bueller48 mentioned they are fun cool people there and if you get the chance it would make for a great experience.

The Axe Day - 25 August
Monday, 02 July 2012 08:47 Written by Julia Kalthoff

Welcome to Wetterlings Axe Day! We celebrate axes at the factory in Storvik. The forging denomstrations is going on as usual. Bring your old axes for rehandeling and resharpening by our professionals. Try axe throwing and compete to win your own Double Bit Throwing axe. Learn to sharpen an axe the old way. Eat our locally made hickory smoked hot dogs. Enjoy the sunny day!

More details about the axe events is comming up during the summer. Stay tuned.

[mystic_1]

So does anyone have experience with this shape of axehead?

I note that it has a fairly straight edge, with most of the mass below the center line and in front of the handle.

The head is thinner than I was expecting at first glance.


mystic_1

[ineffableone]

So does anyone have experience with this shape of axehead?

I note that it has a fairly straight edge, with most of the mass below the center line and in front of the handle.

The head is thinner than I was expecting at first glance.


mystic_1

I have used a friends Wetterlings Carpenter's Axe, same head design but heavier and larger blade size.

Personally I loved it, which was why I was wanting to get the Fine Forest axe (and finally did now that I found where it is sold) and got so excited when I heard about the Bushman.

The axe head design is great if your into bushcrafting. The style is perfect for assorted camp/bush axe work. While like many multi function tools, you loose a bit of function when you make a tool for more than one use. However from my experience with the Carpenter's axe I found it split, chopped, and did fine work all very well. The heavier head than the Fine Forest axe made the Capenter's axe a bit more difficult with the fine work than I imagine the Fine Forest axe will be. Of course the smaller lighter head will make it chop and split less effectively than the heavier head. As for the straighter blade edge, this makes it cut into a curved piece of wood better. So for chopping the straight edge works wonderfully. This straight edge also excels in smaller fine work with the blade. The place the curved edge tends to be better is in splitting. A curved edge tends to bite more when coming down on a flat surface.

So as I mentioned any time you go with a multi purpose tool you have some trade offs. Over all though I think the Bushman or Fine Forest axe will be an excellent pack axe if your into bushcraft type skills with all the best of various different axe types for a great single axe rolled into one. If you see an axe mainly as a splitting tool then you might want to go with one of the more traditional axes.

*edit to add, As mentioned I did order the Fine Forest axe, and it should be arriving on Friday. Once I get a chance to test it out a bit I will give a first hand account of how well it performs.

[ninja-elbow]

Not sure if this thread is the one to do it in... or I will start one later today... but maybe us "carriers of the axe" could explain some of the things we use them for when in the dirt. I, certainly, did not consider it a good option for anything other than base and car camping but in the past 2 years have learned the true wonders of a good axe in your ruck.

[ineffableone]

Not sure if this thread is the one to do it in... or I will start one later today... but maybe us "carriers of the axe" could explain some of the things we use them for when in the dirt. I, certainly, did not consider it a good option for anything other than base and car camping but in the past 2 years have learned the true wonders of a good axe in your ruck.

An axe skills thread could be a good idea if there isn't one already on ZS. Where will you put it? In the Bushcraft section?

Until you start that thread here is a little teaser info

There are a lot of folks who think axes are too much weight for the limited use they have, usually due to not realising how many uses a good axe can have. Often this has to do with not knowing the axe skills and maintenance. The number one reason I have seen for people who have an axe thinking axes are poor tools, is they don't keep their axe sharp. A safe axe is a sharp axe, a dull axe is a dangerous axe. It sounds counter intuitive but it is true, a sharp axe performs well and does what it is supposed to do, a dull one bounces and deflects becoming wild and dangerous. Plus a dull axe is not performing as it should taking a lot more effort than it should, straining the body when it shouldn't. While there is definitely a learning curve for axe skills, an axe can be one of the most handy tools for someone in the bush. Of course some areas you might want to trade an axe for machete (in swamps etc), but In N America the axe tends to be more useful in general than machete due to climate and vegetation. Axes can be used for a lot more than just chopping and splitting wood. The axes this thread are about are designed to choke up on though you can do this with any axe really though longer the handle more difficult it is to use this way. A 24" is about the max you want to be able to choke up effectively, also is about the minimum you want for a good two handed swing. No wonder this is Ray Mears favorite axe size. When choked up you can do a lot of fine detail work, feather sticks, tent pegs, spoon carving, trap making, also animal skinning and processing. Another often forgotten way to use an axe is to stick it into a log, with most of the edge still exposed and used this fixed location blade to slide material through to cut. This gives you both hands free to hold the material on both sides. Great for cutting lots of cordage to lengths.

This is just a small bit of info about axe use until Ninja starts his axe skills thread.

[ZMace]

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

-Abraham Lincoln

[maldon007]

Axe skills thread please!


...mention what sizes are best for what, if you can.

[mystic_1]

This (14") has served my needs quite well so far:



I've used one of these (26") before and I like it, but have not bought one:



I grant that to a certain degree, the longer the axe the more efficient/versatile it is, but I still can't quite justify hauling around a larger axe. Weight issues aside, there is the volume/bulk of the thing to be considered. Trading my Estwing for the Wetterlings would probably be a wash, weight-wise, since the Estwing is a one-piece with a metal haft. On the other hand, I can't just hang the Wetterlings off my belt, without the handle banging around my knees. I'd have to stow it in/on my ruck, and the place I normally mount the hatchet again would not work well for the longer handle of the Wetterlings.

I should also say that I rarely try to chop through anything over about maybe six inches diameter with an axe. Anything bigger than that I tend to use a saw. Anything too big for the saw isn't something I want to try to get through anyway. Speaking of saws, for the size I could carry one of those pack-down bow saws with a 20" blade and a bunch of spares. That'd be good for wood up to what, a foot across?

I've been going more and more minimalist with my loadout over time so I just have a hard time justifying the extra cubic inches.

Finally, the above applies only to shorter-term camping/bugout situations, anything more than a week and I'd want this thing in my camp. Ditto if it was a group camp and not just myself, or for larger tasks like bonfires, felling anything more than a sapling, building long-term shelter, etc.

mystic_1

[ninja-elbow]

I'll work something up and pop it into Bushcraft. I don't want to sound like no expert though as I'm just some shlub on the 'netz that has fallen in love with his backpacking axe I'll do safety and stuff first obviously and that will be straight from Kochanski's Bushcraft book and what I learned from Ray Mears vids on YouTube.

[crypto]

I'm definitely in the market for a backpacking axe, and not a little hatchet like my 14" estwing either.

Yeah, its difficult to do fine work with a 26" axe, but that task is much easier than trying to cut a large log with a 14" hatchet.

[ineffableone]

A lot of how easy an axe is to do fine work or to carry in a pack has to do the the axe head weight, size, and shape. Not all axes are made the same.

From What is the Right Size Axe for You-A Gransfors Bruks Axe Comparison http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-is-right-size-axe-for-you.html


American Felling Axe next to the Scandinavian Forest Axe


Scandinavian Forest Axe next to the Small Forest Axe


Small Forest Axe next to the Wildlife Hatchet


As you can see there is a pretty big difference between the different axes. Different sizes and shapes made for different tasks. Not every axe is one you want to use for a pack axe. Wood Trekker's blog has some great informative info that can help a lot when looking at what axe size is right for you. Remember too what axe you choose also has a lot to do with where you plan to use it. Not every axe has a geometry suited for every forest. American Axe designs are often named after an area they came into use. Like Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, etc. Or for the task they were designed for carpenter's, felling, splitting, etc Different axes work better for different tasks and woods.

Some different axe patterns.


This is nowhere near all the different types of axes out there. Just a few of them. You can see some are only subtly different while others are dramatical different.

Here is a similar diagram but it also gives axe head weights along with patterns. Very informative knowing the weight along with the shape.


The above image is from a gov site and put out by the US Forest Service An Ax to Grind: A Practical Ax Manual http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/99232823/page02.cfm which is a companion to a very good video by the same name An Ax to Grind which can be found on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz3rs-eaN3E along with another video Handtools For Trail Work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sZBhN4Y2kI

Like a lot of gear, it helps to become informed about the subject. Making an assumption due to lack of knowledge sets you up to make the wrong conclusions. This reminds me of Nutnfancy's video about axes not being good for packs. He took a Friskars splitting axe out and chopped at a large log with poor axe skills to show how much work it was to use an axe and how inefficient it was. Well of course it was, you used the wrong axe silly. A splitting axe has a much heavier bigger head than a felling or forest axe does. They are meant to be left at a house to split wood for your fire place not to take into the woods. Also he used extremely incorrect axe work along with the wrong axe. He was doomed to fail from the beginning. But that is an example of someone not knowing the right info thinking an axe is a poor choice for the woods due to this poor knowledge.

The nutnfancy video showing how not to use an axe. LOL

[ineffableone]

I'll work something up and pop it into Bushcraft. I don't want to sound like no expert though as I'm just some shlub on the 'netz that has fallen in love with his backpacking axe I'll do safety and stuff first obviously and that will be straight from Kochanski's Bushcraft book and what I learned from Ray Mears vids on YouTube.

Hope you don't mind Ninja but I went ahead and started a thread for axe skills http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=97323 After that last post I did here, I sort of realised that would make a good start, and sort of fleshed that out into a full post on axe skills.

[ninja-elbow]

I'll work something up and pop it into Bushcraft. I don't want to sound like no expert though as I'm just some shlub on the 'netz that has fallen in love with his backpacking axe I'll do safety and stuff first obviously and that will be straight from Kochanski's Bushcraft book and what I learned from Ray Mears vids on YouTube.

Hope you don't mind Ninja but I went ahead and started a thread for axe skills http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=97323 After that last post I did here, I sort of realised that would make a good start, and sort of fleshed that out into a full post on axe skills.

It's perfect. You did better than I could've done. Good job.

[ineffableone]

I'll work something up and pop it into Bushcraft. I don't want to sound like no expert though as I'm just some shlub on the 'netz that has fallen in love with his backpacking axe I'll do safety and stuff first obviously and that will be straight from Kochanski's Bushcraft book and what I learned from Ray Mears vids on YouTube.

Hope you don't mind Ninja but I went ahead and started a thread for axe skills http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=97323 After that last post I did here, I sort of realised that would make a good start, and sort of fleshed that out into a full post on axe skills.

It's perfect. You did better than I could've done. Good job.

Cool, glad you liked it. I am just an axe lovin guy like you, not an expert but just found the usefulness of axes and hope to share.

Man I am excited to be getting my Fine Forest axe soon, should be here tomorrow.

[ineffableone]

I just got my Fine Forest axe, and gave it a little try delimbing a fallen branch in my back yard. Cut through like butter.

a few little cons I noted

a little surface rust on the head (though I have seen this issue common enough in mail order axes)

lower quality sheath using magnets to stay in place instead of a good retention strap (I will make myself a better sheath soon)

there is a small gap in the eye where the steel was obviously folded around to make the blade (main issue I have with this is it is a place where rust can form and can't be cleaned out)

head is not as low on the shoulder as it could be

The handle is 23" instead of the 24" ( a little handle length is pretty normal)

the pros

great unique head shape that allows for choking up for fine tasks

came sharp and cuts well straight out of the box

good straight grain in the handle, no heart wood

unfinshed wood handle ready for some linseed oil

perfect head handle alignment, nice and straight fit

small and light, but still a great chopper and cutter (will make a great pack axe)

This is just a little brief overview, as I just got the axe, and have only given it the smallest of workouts and look over.

I will take it for more of a testing and post up a review after, with some pretty pictures.

Over all my fist impression I think I am in love. This looks like it with be an amazing bushcraft axe.

[Turtlewolf]

So the Bushman axe:
I WON'T recap my oppinion of either supposed "celebrity" that have been mentioned in this thread but I will comment on this attempt at recreating the axe.
First off is the hammer poll hardened or just a reshaped poll?
If it is not hardened reducing the size like that increases the chance of a miss if you are tired or shivering, increasing the chance of injury.
If it is hardened, then okay tomahawks some times have hardened hammer polls to drive nails safely so good idea.
It has a carpenter/woodworker axe look to it which is good, excellent for carving and detail work.
However the Condor Woodworker axe has a similar head for probably 1/3 the price of the Bushman.
Honestly instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, Stroud could have done something creative and for the $120-160 this axe will probably cost there are better, more economical choices available.
General rule of thumb, avoid all endorsement products and buy the one without the silly name attachment.

[ineffableone]

So the Bushman axe:
I WON'T recap my oppinion of either supposed "celebrity" that have been mentioned in this thread but I will comment on this attempt at recreating the axe.
First off is the hammer poll hardened or just a reshaped poll?
If it is not hardened reducing the size like that increases the chance of a miss if you are tired or shivering, increasing the chance of injury.
If it is hardened, then okay tomahawks some times have hardened hammer polls to drive nails safely so good idea.
It has a carpenter/woodworker axe look to it which is good, excellent for carving and detail work.
However the Condor Woodworker axe has a similar head for probably 1/3 the price of the Bushman.
Honestly instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, Stroud could have done something creative and for the $120-160 this axe will probably cost there are better, more economical choices available.
General rule of thumb, avoid all endorsement products and buy the one without the silly name attachment.

I would agree that I am not a fan of celebrity designed stuff generally, I am however a fan of Wetterlings. Wetterlings is a company I trust to produce good quality axes. They are people who love axes, for them it is not just a business it is a passion and love for these tools. So I am not too worried about Les Stroud being involved in the axe as I know I can trust Wetterlings to make sure it is a good axe.

Sure you could go the cheaper route of a Condor, or other cheaper axes. However Wetterlings is known for much higher quality than Condor. That is not saying Condor axes are bad, just that they aren't in the same league as Wetterlings. Condor would be a perfect axe for someone on a budget.

As for the hammer poll they are not made to drive metal, they are made to counter weight the blade, and drive softer things like wood wedges or wooden/plastic tent stakes. You should never use an axe hammer poll on anything metal, it is not what they are designed for.

[crypto]

I'd have to say, I'm more prone to getting a Granfors than any of the Wetterlings Ive seen in this thread, just based on the lack of a cheek/lip on the Wetterlings.

[Merovech]

I didnt read the whole thread yet...

But someone tell me it isnt going to have "LES STROUD" branding all over it like the Bear Grylls knifes and such...

Ill prob buy one if it is under $100 and doesnt say Les Stroud on it.

[ineffableone]

I'd have to say, I'm more prone to getting a Granfors than any of the Wetterlings Ive seen in this thread, just based on the lack of a cheek/lip on the Wetterlings.

In every side by side comparison of Wetterlings and Granfors Bruks I have seen the general consensus was GB axes chop better and Wetterlings splits better, or was it the other way round, but by such a small margin that it was barely worth note. The biggest difference between the two end up being the quality finish for GB over Wetterlings.

Either way though your supporting GB, as GB bought Wetterlings a while back, though they let Wetterlings pretty much run themselves and didn't change the Wetterlings line up.

So technically, Wetterlings axes are Gransfors Bruks axes too. Just a different line with slightly rougher finishes.

But I think both Wetterlings and GB are great. If I had the money I would buy some GB axes, they slightly higher prices though put them out of my reach, and I don't mind the rougher finish on Wetterlings, in fact I sort of like it.

[ineffableone]

I didnt read the whole thread yet...

But someone tell me it isnt going to have "LES STROUD" branding all over it like the Bear Grylls knifes and such...

Ill prob buy one if it is under $100 and doesnt say Les Stroud on it.

LOL, I don't think Wetterlings will allow that sort of branding all over. If there is some, it will probably be small and tasteful. Though I would guess there wont be anything past the normal Wetterlings branding.

I am guessing as there hasn't been any announcement of pricing yet, but I would guess it will probably be priced between $120-$140. I don't think it will be under $100. As I just bought the fine forest axe for $89, $102 including shipping, but the another website that is selling the same axe is selling them at for $130 before shipping. So I would suspect the Bushman will go for a bit over $100, but might be worth saving that little extra up for.

[Turtlewolf]

I ment no disrespect to Wetterlings, I love my axes cheap or expensive! As far as Wetterlings go, they also offer better axes than this "celebrity special."
If the hammer poll is not hardened then they had no reason to make it smaller, all they did was make it more dangerous by not just flattening the back of the poll.
The Bushman Axe is gimmick, too bad Wetterlings got tied up in it. If you want a Wetterlings axe, there are better offerings IMHO. For what it's worth I've been using axes for most of my 35 years and I have always advocated the axe/hatchet/tomahawk over the large knife in my AO but when I see a design that attempts to "reinvent the wheel" yet offers no advantage what so ever over a classic design, but will carry a premium price for no reason but that some assnine TV "celebrity" endorses it, I get iritated more than a little.
New people will see this autrocity and thinking Stroud is an expert will buy into this load of crap, as far as expertise goes he is only marginaly more interesting than Bear who is barely above Nutnfancy.
Wetterlings is probably on board because this is a chance to reintroduce the axe and combat the giant knife explosion with a TV face that people know.
Too bad, good company, good products but this is a crap design.
Oh, I love your new axe OP!
I also look forward to an in depth report.

[ineffableone]

I ment no disrespect to Wetterlings, I love my axes cheap or expensive! As far as Wetterlings go, they also offer better axes than this "celebrity special."
If the hammer poll is not hardened then they had no reason to make it smaller, all they did was make it more dangerous by not just flattening the back of the poll.
The Bushman Axe is gimmick, too bad Wetterlings got tied up in it. If you want a Wetterlings axe, there are better offerings IMHO. For what it's worth I've been using axes for most of my 35 years and I have always advocated the axe/hatchet/tomahawk over the large knife in my AO but when I see a design that attempts to "reinvent the wheel" yet offers no advantage what so ever over a classic design, but will carry a premium price for no reason but that some assnine TV "celebrity" endorses it, I get iritated more than a little.
New people will see this autrocity and thinking Stroud is an expert will buy into this load of crap, as far as expertise goes he is only marginaly more interesting than Bear who is barely above Nutnfancy.
Wetterlings is probably on board because this is a chance to reintroduce the axe and combat the giant knife explosion with a TV face that people know.
Too bad, good company, good products but this is a crap design.
Oh, I love your new axe OP!
I also look forward to an in depth report.

Well I think your jumping the gun on doubting Wetterlings for this Bushman axe. I didn't say the hammer poll was not hardened, just that hammer polls are not made to be used on metal. They aren't, that is standard, they are made as a counter balance and to hammer on soft materials only.

I again will say I trust Wetterlings, I don't think they will compramise their quality to make a Les Stroud axe, in fact I would imagine Les approached them for that very reason. I am guessing he respects their quality, and will defer to them on what makes a good axe.

As for the Bushman axe, the specs have not been released yet, so we really don't know the details. Just the overview Wetterlings posted and Les posted on his blog.

Like I said I am not usually interested in celebrity designed gear. Usually it is poor quality and cheesy and way over priced. However I have some faith in Wetterlings, and a bit of respect for Les Stroud. I think this will be at least a decent axe, if not a great one. A lot will come down to what price they offer it at I think. If they jack the price due to it being Les Stroud designed then it will flop, but if they keep it reasonable, in line with their other axes, I think it will do fine. As I said I have some faith in Wetterlings to put out decent quality axes.

And thanks for the praise for the Axe skills thread. I blame Ninja, it was his idea.

[ineffableone]

Just a little update to my purchase of the Forester's Fine Axe, I posted a review here http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=97467 if people want to see pictures and get a more in depth write up of how I feel about it.