Need a good axe!

[Road]

I carry an old Plumb Victory boys axe I bought at a garage sale. I cleaned it, sharpened it, and made a sheath for it. Good steel that holds an edge, and the original wood handle cleaned up nicely, and looks great with some boiled linseed oil rubbed into it. I also have an old Craftsman carpenter’s hatchet that got the same treatment. The old axes were great steel, and well worth restoring.

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Amen.

I love the feeling of a good wood handle and the smell of boiled linseed oil when I maintain my axes and hatchets. Feels like I'm taking care of something in a time-honored and meditative way. I'm thinking seriously of getting an old style cobbler's machine for making sheaths and other oiled leather projects.
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[hawk5000]

Ok OB family, I’m in the hunt for a very good quality axe. Budget is not a concern as I will pay for top quality....what brands should I consider?

I know you said price is not an issue and I have always wanted a Gransfors felling axe but just can't seem to let myself spend $400 on an axe.

I will say the Husqvarna forged 26" axe for $90 is a great axe. You will need to shorpen it a bit but does come with a decent edge.

Edit: to be clear I am talking about the wood handled hammer forged axe like this one. Not the drop forged splitting axe with the poly handel

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/husqvarna-26-in-wooden-multipurpose-axe-596271301-1357023?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-1357023&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvYSEBhDjARIsAJMn0ljzph146Z1UU7Id49CQVR-3Nl7LjsbHvdFINhHd8x-LD2BpJwK-SnUaAkESEALw_wcB

 

[Ragman]

There is some great information here. I think, at the end of the day, that a person just needs to be clear on what he axe will be used for and then look for axes that fit the bill. I know that is not earth shattering insight but my Fiskars X25 is better at splitting wood at the campsite than my Hults-Bruk Aneby, which is better at chopping and finer work. And none hold the emotional impact that my old Plumb Boy Scout hatchet holds for me...

 

[Rath]

throwing in for the Fiskars love. Have their splitting axe for at home firewood duties (wood heat in winter), have a small hatchet for camp duties, and a mid size chopping axe as well. Have had them all for around 5 years now, pretty good use on all of them but the most on the hatchet, all are holding up well! Have yet to need to sharpen any of them as well. They hold their edge very well.

Going to be grabbing their splitting maul soon here when it goes on sale.

 

[MMc]

Tuatahi axes very nice but very pricy.