the Bushman Axe from Wetterlings and Les Stroud

[ineffableone]

(I looked around a bit here but didn't see any other posts yet on this axe even though the news is a bit old having been put up on the Wetterlings site May 28th and Les's site in early June)

Normally I don't get too excited about celebrity designed gear. Usually it ends up pretty cheesy and over priced.

I am though a bit excited by this Les Stroud and Wetterlings team up to make an axe.

They are saying it will be available for purchase from November 2012.

You can find the full info on either Les's site and/or Wetterlings site.

Les Stroud official site http://lesstroud.ca/news/announcing-the-bushman-axe-by-survivorman-les-stroud

Wetterlings site http://www.wetterlings.se/the/index.php

Some pictures to wet your Wetterlings appetite!







Not sure the specs I haven't seen them listed anywhere, but this picture of Les and Julia Kalthoff the CEO of Wetterlings does give a bit of reference.



It doesn't look like it is that large, really looks like a great pack axe. It is like a cross between a carpenters axe and a forest axe. A great combo for bushcrafting tasks.

2012 Wetterlings Les Stroud Axe, Equip 2 Endure


Shot Show 2012, SA Wetterlings CEO Julia Kalthoff Interview, Equip 2 Endure


Interestingly thing about this interview though is they show an axe at the beginning much like this Bushman axe but with a longer handle saying they released it last year, but I have not seen it for sale anywhere. I had actually been looking for that axe since then, which is why seeing the Les Stroud Bushman axe got me excited as it is the same head design but smaller and straight handled. I had been wondering if maybe Julia messed up in that interview saying that that axe was released last year, and was actually showing the prototype of the Bushman Les Stroud axe. In the segment about the Les Stroud Bushman axe she was holding that axe and while you don't get a good look at it you can see the distinctive hammer poll at one point. However I just found on bladeforums http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/959302-Any-word-on-Wetterlings-Spring-2012-24-quot-axe that they did release that 24" axe with the same head type, though for some reason it is not on the Wetterlings site.

It is called the Universal Woodsmans Axe at http://www.garrettwade.com/universal-woodmansaxe/p/26D12.08/ and Forester's Fine Axe in the UK apparently http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/WetterlingsSwedishAxes/SAW176.html

Universal Woodsmans Axe/Forester's Fine Axe


I am not sure why Wetterlings does not have this axe listed on their site. Now though I have to figure out if I would prefer the straight handled Bushman, or the standard axe handle of the Universal Woodsmans Axe/Forester's Fine Axe. It also seems the handle for the Bushman is a bit shorter, which might make me go for the longer 24" handled Universal Woodsmans Axe/Forester's Fine Axe. Also of course there is the wait till November for the the Bushman to take into account.

Either way I am excited about this axe style, it is one that really speaks to me. I like the ability to choke up high to do delicate tasks a solid good functional hammer poll but still a good blade for chopping and splitting.

[ninja-elbow]

I, too, have been wondering the same things. I heard the news a bit ago and am just waiting patiently. I'm in no hurry but I sure would like a 24" hafted bush-axe. I love my Hunter's axe and do just fine with it but having the extra leverage in a 24" haft would make my cutting that much more efficient and effective. Also love the ... what would it be called?? ... the "indent" so you can choke up on the blade and use it for some shaving work.

Not sure if the straighter handled Les Axe would make much of a difference over the "ergo" of the Woodsman. If i had the money I'd get them both and let y'all know

[ineffableone]

I, too, have been wondering the same things. I heard the news a bit ago and am just waiting patiently. I'm in no hurry but I sure would like a 24" hafted bush-axe. I love my Hunter's axe and do just fine with it but having the extra leverage in a 24" haft would make my cutting that much more efficient and effective. Also love the ... what would it be called?? ... the "indent" so you can choke up on the blade and use it for some shaving work.

Not sure if the straighter handled Les Axe would make much of a difference over the "ergo" of the Woodsman. If i had the money I'd get them both and let y'all know

The Universal Woodsmans Axe/Forester's Fine Axe is out now, and I put links up for two places selling them Garett Wade is selling them for $134.60 and shows they are in stock. Harryepstein is selling them for $89.95 but doesn't say if they are in stock or not. HR Knives lists them for $85.50 with Free shipping but has no picture or info about them so not too sure about that place. If I had the $ to buy one right now I would try calling them to see if that listing was legit though. http://www.hrknives.com/servlet/the-37825/Wetterlings-Foresters-Fine-Axe/Detail?ref=lexity&_vs=google&_vm=product-search

I noticed Garett Wade says they have web exclusive on this axe, and it seems pretty much like they do with only two other people selling them under the different name of Forester's Fine Axe and the item not even listed on Wetterlings site.

The Bushman Les Stroud version looks like more of a 19" handle and straight. While 5" and the curves vs straight doesn't seem like much it can make a big difference. Plus I wonder if the heads are the same dimensions. I noticed on the Bladeforums thread someone did a side by side of the carpenter's axe and the Woodsman and the carpenter's axe was slightly bigger beefier head compared to the Woodsman, even though the carpenter's axe is an 18" handled axe and the Woodsman is a 24" handled axe. Carpenter's axe has a 4" blade, the Woodsman a 3" blade. So it makes me wonder what the specs for the Bushman will be, will it be different from these other two?

[joekaveh]

I have nothing useful to add, however that is one sexy CEO.

[bueller48]

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

[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.

[bueller48]

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

[ineffableone]

Well I just couldn't wait for the Bushman and ordered the Fine Forest axe from Harry Epstein's. The order came out to $102 after shipping, and it should arrive on Friday.

I had been looking for this axe since the Equip to Endure video at Shot Show when Julia showed off the axe and now finally finding it I just didn't want to wait for the Bushman in Nov to compare the two. I have a feeling I would have gone with the Fine Forest Axe anyways for the longer handle the Bushman seems to have a slightly smaller handle. The Fine Forest axe has a 24" and it looks like the Bushman has a 19" that 5" extra really makes a difference when using two hands.

Well I will post up my impressions once I get the axe and give it a little work out.

[Deenie7]

Les! /fangirl

I saw somewhere online that if you found yourself in the middle of a survival movie, you'd want Bear Grylls there. If you found yourself in a real survival-type situation, you'd want Les Stroud there.

Not sure if I "need" an axe, but if he has other products in mind, I'm all over that!

Edit: Just visited his website - holy crap, he does have other gear!

[ineffableone]

Les! /fangirl

I saw somewhere online that if you found yourself in the middle of a survival movie, you'd want Bear Grylls there. If you found yourself in a real survival-type situation, you'd want Les Stroud there.

Not sure if I "need" an axe, but if he has other products in mind, I'm all over that!

Edit: Just visited his website - holy crap, he does have other gear!

Yep Les does have some other stuff, and he seems a bit choosier about what he puts his name to than some other survival show hosts.

Bear Grylls frightens me, the things he does in his show are ridiculous, and could get people killed in a real survival situation. Not to mention he pretty much does the exact same things every episode.

My synopsis of almost every Man vs Wild.

"Hi my name is Bear and I going to jump out of this helicopter on to a mountain. Now I an going to leave this parachute and climb down a cliff with no climbing gear. Now I am going to run down a scree slope. Now I am going to eat some bugs. Now I am going to search for water in as hard a place as I can even though you saw there was a much easier place to get water near by earlier in the show. Now I am going to eat a snake. Now I am going to follow this stream to a river. Now I am going to jump into this river and have to battle rapids. Now I am cold and wet so getting out of the river and making a fire, and shelter but since it is almost dark I will use this cave, man I hate bats. Now I can see a road I am safe, even though it is a seldom used dirt road there seems to be a car driving up right as I get there."

Honestly I see Man vs Wild as a cautionary tail of all the things one shouldn't do in a survival situation. I know Bear is a rock climber, but he is always taking risky climbs in every episode of his show. He is also constantly jumping in rivers and risking rapids. It is amazing he has lasted this long.

The funniest episode of his show was when he got stung by a bee and his face got swollen. LOL He also caught a skunk that episode and stupidly used his jacket as a shield rather than the pad he scavenged from the car he found. So had to sleep smelling like a skunk. LOL

I have a lot more respect for Les Stroud, for one Les doesn't act like a know it all. Les also has multi episodes where he has to pack it up and quit. Episodes where things get too dangerous, or he gets ill etc. Les just seems to have a lot more practical and common sense he also seems much more realistic about wilderness survival. Survivorman might not be as exciting as Man vs Wild but each Survivorman show is unique, Man vs Wild Bear uses the same bag of tricks every time with only slight variations.

LOL sorry, I really have issues with Man vs Wild I will stop ranting.

Glad this thread showed you to some cool Les Stroud products, and while you don't need the Bushman axe there are other products you can go for.

[Deenie7]

You forgot in the MvW synopsis that after he gets out of the river (especially if it's snowy out), he strips naked and wrings his clothes out/puts on clothes he stuck in his waterproof bag/dries out by the fire.

Normally I'd find that sort of thing... interesting, considering he's a, um, healthy man, but considering how frequently he seems to find an excuse to strip, not to mention doing other scary/unsavory stuff, I'm just a tad disturbed by it now.

Les is awesome, plus doing it all alone?! Damn. Even more impressive. Survivorman is pretty much my fallback show for when nothing much is on; I've watched every episode more than once by now.

[ineffableone]

You forgot in the MvW synopsis that after he gets out of the river (especially if it's snowy out), he strips naked and wrings his clothes out/puts on clothes he stuck in his waterproof bag/dries out by the fire.

Normally I'd find that sort of thing... interesting, considering he's a, um, healthy man, but considering how frequently he seems to find an excuse to strip, not to mention doing other scary/unsavory stuff, I'm just a tad disturbed by it now.

Les is awesome, plus doing it all alone?! Damn. Even more impressive. Survivorman is pretty much my fallback show for when nothing much is on; I've watched every episode more than once by now.

LOL your right I did forget the MvW stripping naked part, oops. He does seem to strip naked quite often. You know the name of his show sort of tells a lot about his thinking, it is Man vs Wild, he does not seem to see himself as part of nature but outside it and trying to concur it. While Les Stroud is no Ray Mears, he does have a much more in sync with nature approach I think. Definitely Les dong the one man show thing is big props to Les. I think even Ray Mears would look a lot less amazing if he was doing complete solo trips filming it all himself. Though as Ray Mears points out, sometimes the big film crew can be more of a hinderence than help. One thing that puts Les Stroud over Ray Mears (IMO) as a good show is Les has more about survival while honestly Ray Mears seems so preoccupied with food and cooking. Really I sometimes wonder if Ray Mears should just get a cooking show and be done with it, his shows seem predominantly about how to find and cook food. Les does cover food, but also plenty of other stuff. Les seems more balanced in the stuff he shows.

[DaleGribble]

Don't forget that Bear and MvW set a goal of purposely showing worst case scenarios and how to deal with them. Les shows you how to survive basically, but Bear is trying to show you how to best jump off a cliff into water if you HAD TO, not to say that you SHOULD do it.
Both guys seem cool to me, but after seeing the "Fan vs. Wild" and "Men vs Wild" (with Will Farrell) episodes of MvW, I think I'd rather have Bear around than listen to Les play harmonica all night long.

Anyways. That is a fine looking tool. Wouldn't mind strapping it to my pack for sure.

[ineffableone]

Don't forget that Bear and MvW set a goal of purposely showing worst case scenarios and how to deal with them. Les shows you how to survive basically, but Bear is trying to show you how to best jump off a cliff into water if you HAD TO, not to say that you SHOULD do it.
Both guys seem cool to me, but after seeing the "Fan vs. Wild" and "Men vs Wild" (with Will Farrell) episodes of MvW, I think I'd rather have Bear around than listen to Les play harmonica all night long.

Anyways. That is a fine looking tool. Wouldn't mind strapping it to my pack for sure.

The problem I have with MvW "goal of purposely showing worst case scenarios and how to deal with them" is he often shows taking extreme risks when if one was in a real survival situation you should not be running down scree sloops, climbing 100' cliffs, swimming in white water rapids, and other dangerous things Bear does regularly on his show. Bear tends to go out of his way to take the most dangerous path, rush through terrain that one should take caution and care in. The MvW show tends to show exactly the opposite of what one should do in a survival situation.

Now Bear may be a fun nice guy, I am not saying he personally is a bad person, though I might say he seems a bit ADHD, but then so am I.

LOL that is probably part of what made me buy they Fine Forest Axe instead of waiting to compare with the Bushman in Nov. I just couldn't wait that long now that I knew where to get the Fine Forest axe. I patiently tried to wait, and almost lasted 2 weeks. Pretty good for me. LOL

Having seen Les Stroud's Off the Grid I think I would have more in common with him than with Bear, and prefer hanging with Les, but that is just a personal choice.

[DaleGribble]

Don't forget that Bear and MvW set a goal of purposely showing worst case scenarios and how to deal with them. Les shows you how to survive basically, but Bear is trying to show you how to best jump off a cliff into water if you HAD TO, not to say that you SHOULD do it.
Both guys seem cool to me, but after seeing the "Fan vs. Wild" and "Men vs Wild" (with Will Farrell) episodes of MvW, I think I'd rather have Bear around than listen to Les play harmonica all night long.

Anyways. That is a fine looking tool. Wouldn't mind strapping it to my pack for sure.

The problem I have with MvW "goal of purposely showing worst case scenarios and how to deal with them" is he often shows taking extreme risks when if one was in a real survival situation you should not be running down scree sloops, climbing 100' cliffs, swimming in white water rapids, and other dangerous things Bear does regularly on his show. Bear tends to go out of his way to take the most dangerous path, rush through terrain that one should take caution and care in. The MvW show tends to show exactly the opposite of what one should do in a survival situation.

Now Bear may be a fun nice guy, I am not saying he personally is a bad person, though I might say he seems a bit ADHD, but then so am I.

LOL that is probably part of what made me buy they Fine Forest Axe instead of waiting to compare with the Bushman in Nov. I just couldn't wait that long now that I knew where to get the Fine Forest axe. I patiently tried to wait, and almost lasted 2 weeks. Pretty good for me. LOL

Having seen Les Stroud's Off the Grid I think I would have more in common with him than with Bear, and prefer hanging with Les, but that is just a personal choice.

I agree MvW doesn't tend to make it clear enough that Bear would be wiser not to do these things, but again, the point is HOW to do them if you HAD to do them. Not that you SHOULD do them. Rewatching MvW episodes lately, it really is pretty humorous to watch Bear running and jumping at a sprint from rock to rock for no apparent reason

If judging on their endorsed cutlery though, CLEARLY we're going with Les, not Bears Gerber garbage

[ineffableone]

I agree MvW doesn't tend to make it clear enough that Bear would be wiser not to do these things, but again, the point is HOW to do them if you HAD to do them. Not that you SHOULD do them. Rewatching MvW episodes lately, it really is pretty humorous to watch Bear running and jumping at a sprint from rock to rock for no apparent reason

If judging on their endorsed cutlery though, CLEARLY we're going with Les, not Bears Gerber garbage

LOL, yes sometimes Bear's hyperactive antics are just plain funny to watch.

Most definitely product endorsement wise I think Les took the high road. Especially now with the Wetterlings axe. Though Les's Temagami bushcraft knife has had some pretty awesome reviews too. I was tempted to get one of these Temagami knives, but I just can't justify $179 for a bushcraft knife, though I am sure it is worth the price in quality and craftsmanship. I just don't tend to pay close to $200 for knives mainly because I don't have lots of money I can spend on gear, and have to ration out what I get.

[mystic_1]

MvW doesn't tend to make it clear enough that Bear would be wiser not to do these things, but again, the point is HOW to do them if you HAD to do them. Not that you SHOULD do them.

On the contrary, Ed Grylles is most often saying things like "Now the BEST way to handle this is...." and "What you should do is..."

The show is more designed to demonstrate how cool Ed Grylles is, rather than show anyone how to actually handle various survival situations.


Back on topic, that axe looks nice and I'm betting that Les Stroud wouldn't put his name on a cheap piece of crap. That said, it looks a little bigger than what I'd prefer to be lugging around in the woods.

mystic_1

[ineffableone]

Back on topic, that axe looks nice and I'm betting that Les Stroud wouldn't put his name on a cheap piece of crap. That said, it looks a little bigger than what I'd prefer to be lugging around in the woods.

mystic_1

The specs haven't been released for the Bushman but I am guessing the handle is aprox 19" from the pictures and guessing the head comparable to the Fine Forest axe which has a 1-1/4 lb head with a 3" blade but has a 24" handle. Personally I prefer the 24" as it makes for a good size for two handed axe work but still small enough to do single handed fine work. 19" just is a bit small to me for two handed axe work. The Wetterlings carpenter's axe for comparison has 2-1/4 lb head with a 4" blade and 18" handle. So the Fine forest axe, and probably the Bushman has a smaller lighter head on it than the typical Carpenter's axe. To me this would make it quite a decent weight for carrying in the woods. Either the 24" like I like or the 19" Bushman like the Les Stroud version.

[DaleGribble]

On the contrary, Ed Grylles is most often saying things like "Now the BEST way to handle this is...." and "What you should do is..."

Again, he's just showing you how to do something if you have to. If you have to jump off a cliff would you rather him demonstrate the worst way to do that?

Best way to do this != you should do this

Sorry for off topic

[mystic_1]

So the best way to descend a gentle slope is pole vaulting?

The best way to move across rooftops is parkour?

No, he's not trying to teach anyone practical survival skills, the entire show can be summed up as "Look at how cool Ed Grylls is."

Watch how he "teaches" you about all the gross things you should eat in the wild. Note how he always makes quite sure to dribble whatever it is all over his face as he does so. Entirely engineered to get the audience to feel "Eeew! Look how gross that is!".

Like squeezing water out of elephant dung. Instead of pointing out that the elephants themselves require massive amounts of water and spend a lot of their time moving from one water source to water source, he hoists a huge double-handfull of hung up over his head and rains shit water all over himself.

And to bring things back around on topic, I look at the things that Ed has put his name on, and most of it makes me say "meh". The BG Gerber knife gets ok reviews, but a parang? Srsly? "Ooooh! Look how cool THAT is!" Ever seen Ed use a parang on the show? Or a Gerber fixed blade? Only after the line was released, as a marketing trick.

On the other hand, as far as I'm aware Les Stroud has only put his name to a handfull of items, mostly t-shirts, bandanas and the like. The few knives he's put his name to, such as the Temagami, seem to be pretty decent pieces of kit.

This axe in the OP looks like a decent tool, but it falls into a gap for me, my normal carrying hatchet is smaller, and if I want something bigger, I'd want something bigger than this.

I'm on the fence about wooden handles, too. On the upside, they are replaceable in the field. On the other hand, they break more often than fiberglass or metal handles.

mystic_1

[ineffableone]

So the best way to descend a gentle slope is pole vaulting?

The best way to move across rooftops is parkour?

No, he's not trying to teach anyone practical survival skills, the entire show can be summed up as "Look at how cool Ed Grylls is."

Watch how he "teaches" you about all the gross things you should eat in the wild. Note how he always makes quite sure to dribble whatever it is all over his face as he does so. Entirely engineered to get the audience to feel "Eeew! Look how gross that is!".

Like squeezing water out of elephant dung. Instead of pointing out that the elephants themselves require massive amounts of water and spend a lot of their time moving from one water source to water source, he hoists a huge double-handfull of hung up over his head and rains shit water all over himself.

I tend to agree with you on MvW. It is more a showcase of Bear/Ed than real teaching. The best teaching from the show comes from learning what not to do, most of what Bear shows is perfect examples of what not to do. Look up the wiki page on Bear Grylls and you see he has constantly done publicity stunts, including rowing a bathtub while completely naked, he does seem to like getting naked. He seems quite attention needy. Bear is constantly going into caves with just a primitive torch, following underground rivers is a very dangerous thing to do and never should be done in a survival situation. Climbing over or down things when in a real survival situation you want to go around.

Les Stroud seems much more authentic. Much less ridiculous risk taker while in survival situations. Les often will not take possible opportunities because he knows he is alone and in survival, if he gets hurt etc he is alone. I really like Les's Beyond Survival series, where he goes and learns from indiginous peoples the skills they still have. While the show sort of over hypes the "These people are dying out and the skills with them" angle. Les himself while hanging out with the people seems quite genuine.

Just to throw another couple guys into the debate, Duel Survival seems much more of a presenting a survival situation and here is how to get out of it. Much more education based on how to deal with said situation and what to do and what not to do. I find it funny how the two, Dave and Cody, conflict so much in philosophy of survival, but it does show how there are quite different ideas of how to survive.

As for products from survival shows, Les definately has my respect. His Bushman axe from Wetterlings will of course live up to the Wetterlings name. The Temagami knife has had plenty of good reviews, and would be a worthy bushcraft knife. His less expensive Camillus knives seems reasonable for what they are, however I am not a fan of the plastic handled knives, though I am guessing that was a way for them to keep costs down and mass produce them.

The Gerber Bear Grylls knives have pretty much been shown to be junk by reviews of people who know knives. While I am not a hater of Gerber, I have seen their products loose quality over the years. Gerber used to be fairly decent production company for knives but now has lost a lot of that quality and is trading more on their name these days.

Since I brought up Duel Survival, Dave has his Pathfinder stuff. Most of it is just rebranded high quality stuff from someone else. Like Duluth canvas packs or 2Hawks tomahawks, there is no difference between the products those companies sell regularly and the ones with the Pathfinder logo on them. They are even priced the same for Pathfinder and nonPathfinder. I give Dave respect for picking decent quality gear to put the Pathfinder logo on, and for at the same time preaching "Common man items" including plastic drum liners as emergency shelters and military surplus gear.

For further examples of products, the bushcraft ledgend Ray Mears has his own line of gear. Including a bushcraft knife much like Les's (or Les's might be like Ray's) however Ray's knife is over $500 USD, ouch! Ray Mears has put his name to a lot of gear too, Ray Mears Folding Griddle, Ray Mears Folding Trivet, Ray Mears Campfire Tripod, Ray Mears Canvas Pouch, Ray Mears Binocular/Camera Harness, Ray Mears Quick-Release Lanyard and so much more. See http://www.raymears.com/Shop_By_Brand/Ray_Mears_Bushcraft/ for more. It seems Ray Mears has put his name on a bunch of stuff that really has little need of his name, a bunch of cooking gear? I always said Ray Mears' shows are more cooking shows that happen to be in the out doors But Bino/cam harness, quick release lanyard? LOL, sort of pointless to buy an official Ray Mears version of these products except for the bragging rights to say you have one from the Ray Mears collection.

I think a lot of these survival shows tend to inspire product endorsement as the viewers think they can trust the gear these hosts endorse for similar survival, for the hosts, it makes for some hard choices, take the easy money or stand up for quality and only put your name to what you would trust your life to. I think Les Stroud has done a great job of staying true to quality, I imagine he has had a lot of offers, yet he has very little with his name on it. What he does have is fairly decent.

As I started out this thread saying

Normally I don't get too excited about celebrity designed gear. Usually it ends up pretty cheesy and over priced.

I am though a bit excited by this Les Stroud and Wetterlings team up to make an axe.

[DaleGribble]

So the best way to descend a gentle slope is pole vaulting?

The best way to move across rooftops is parkour?

No, he's not trying to teach anyone practical survival skills, the entire show can be summed up as "Look at how cool Ed Grylls is."

Watch how he "teaches" you about all the gross things you should eat in the wild. Note how he always makes quite sure to dribble whatever it is all over his face as he does so. Entirely engineered to get the audience to feel "Eeew! Look how gross that is!".

Like squeezing water out of elephant dung. Instead of pointing out that the elephants themselves require massive amounts of water and spend a lot of their time moving from one water source to water source, he hoists a huge double-handfull of hung up over his head and rains shit water all over himself.

And to bring things back around on topic, I look at the things that Ed has put his name on, and most of it makes me say "meh". The BG Gerber knife gets ok reviews, but a parang? Srsly? "Ooooh! Look how cool THAT is!" Ever seen Ed use a parang on the show? Or a Gerber fixed blade? Only after the line was released, as a marketing trick.

On the other hand, as far as I'm aware Les Stroud has only put his name to a handfull of items, mostly t-shirts, bandanas and the like. The few knives he's put his name to, such as the Temagami, seem to be pretty decent pieces of kit.

This axe in the OP looks like a decent tool, but it falls into a gap for me, my normal carrying hatchet is smaller, and if I want something bigger, I'd want something bigger than this.

I'm on the fence about wooden handles, too. On the upside, they are replaceable in the field. On the other hand, they break more often than fiberglass or metal handles.

mystic_1

Extremism is the POINT of his show. And calling him Ed? Pretentious much? No one is impressed you know his name isn't really "Bear", calling him that only obfuscates the discussion in an attempt to have someone ask you a question. It was his nickname before the show. Using a name he's less known by just to try knock him down a peg.... Really?

I work at a store that sells Gerber stuff and the Parangs were pulled from shelves and RTV'ed. Not sure if it was a full on recall or our own reasons, but they are no longer being carried. I know his stuff sucks.

And FWIW, he DID use his fixed blade gerber knife once or twice on the show.

[mystic_1]

I know, "Bear" just sounds so much.... cooler, doesn't it?



Pretentious? Srsly? For using his real name instead of his Cooly McCoolName? I do not think that word means what you think it means.

A guy who isn't ashamed to go by a "boring" name like Les gets more of my attention when it comes to product endorsements.

mystic_1

[BullOnParade]

I may consider purchasing this axe, it's a solid company and I'm a fan of the celebrity endorsement (not normally influenced by that sort of thing). Les' Temagami knife seems like a nice piece, but I'd probably buy an ESEE4 for the money. The Camillus line looks interesting, and if I ever see them in stores while I have money to burn, I might consider one.

But to weigh in on the Bear vs Les debate, I despise Bear. I will not buy another Gerber product after that endorsement. I know they have some quality products, but it's not happening. The only Gerber product I have is a Fiskars Axe, 23" handle, and I would be more than happy to replace that with the Wetterlings Bushman. I bought the Fiskars before Gerber made the Bear line, and there are other Fiskars products I've thought would be useful on the trail, but I cannot support that company as long as they support bad television.