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Product Description
Brasstown, North Carolina’s Elmer Roush knows a thing or two about the battlefield. As a Vietnam vet and lifetime blacksmith, he has over 40 years of experience handling weapons and tools Read More
Just got mine: (this is not a rant; it's an honest assessment and inquiry. )
I am shocked at the poor finish. The quality is sub standard at best. At the very least I will need to sand the whole handle, apply boiled linseed oil, and beeswax. That acomplished I'll move on to shaping the profile and sharpening the blade. (It looks like it barely touched a grinder (belt, wheel or other) ... which brings me to my question..and assumption...are we getting factory seconds? This is an honest inquiry... that is the only reason for this level of craftsmanship. So I'll ask ...
Massdrop, are these factory seconds?
lets assume the answer you get is, no.. how do you know they aren't sending seconds? Do you inspect?
Im going to tell you , the one I got should not have passed any inspection.
kalieaireYeh. I like my Scandinavian Forest axe. Think I am going to get the small forest or wetterlings bushman (mixed reviews on that one) for my second. There is always Huskivarna which I hear is a bargain for the money.
They make it sound like it's your patriotic duty to buy one. Sounds like such a noble cause.
If Columbia River Knife and Tool really wanted to help out a few VETs, maybe they could give them a few jobs rather than farming the jobs out to Taiwan.
Strange how the CEOs never farm out their own jobs. As is how they fail to mention the country of manufacture.
just buying to support the cause not always about the product...I am sure we have all bought things that were questionable quality or value because of what it actually represents. I know some people don't see the point in it but the people this supports should mean something.
Sorry you feel that way. The axe is not the man. Nobody is served well by insisting otherwise. Respect the vets but buy a safe and quality axe: two different things. (I am also a veteran.)
Thanks for suggesting these axes. I actually ended up buying a Grandfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet after doing some research.
As for the Fiskars, turns out I had purchased an X7 a couple of years ago for a camping trip I never took. So it is unused.
However, I just did some research on that, too, and it actually looks like the Fiskars X7 is a crazy good axe for super cheap:
http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-new-fiskars-x7-hatchetbudget.html
http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-gransfors-bruks-wildlife-hatchet.html
You can see how favorably it compares to both the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife and the Wetterlings Wildlife (same axe as the Husqvarna) in the two reviews above.
Right now it is about $25 on Amazon. I actually purchased it for $17 (the lowest price) when I bought it.
I don't know how durable it is, but it looks plenty good for the limited use I would be putting it through.
TRexSrFiskars axes are incredible. Lightweight, amazingly well balanced, well made, and damn near unkillable. The blades are very sharp and hold their edges stubbornly. Can't recommend them enough.
I have this and the CRKT Woods Chogan. They're both crap. Doesn't hold an edge well, doesn't split well, the handle is awkward, unbalanced and gave me hot spots. It was also hung terribly and coated with urithane. It is super overpriced and there are far better hatchets in the same price range.
You're significantly better off buying the Husqvarna hatchet ($40) or the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet ($150) depending on your budget. Both are hand forged and excellent tools.
Exactly! The Husqvarna Axes are actually shockingly excellent for the price. For those who dont want to spent the money on a GB axe (wild life hatchet, small forest and felling axes are essential tools Imho), the Husqvarna Axes are damn near as good.
None of this machine forged, cheap recycled, poorly hardened metal. Do yourselves a favour and skip this drop.