Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet 13.50 Inch, Axe, 415

This is an awesome and beautiful hatchet. The handle is a great piece of wood - the wood grain is perfectly straight, looks like it was oiled once or twice, and the actual edge is outstanding - smooth & straight. I have a lot of fixed blades & folding knives, as well as a few axes...majority of them NEVER come with a proper edge - even when they say "scary sharp." However, GB definitely delivers on their promise. This is my second GB product and both were actually truly "shaving sharp." For once I didn't have to toil away on the sandpaper fixing the edge for hours...a simple stropping shined it right up and got it up to snuff.I help my brother outside with cutting wood, etc...and it's extremely comfortable to hold and use, not too heavy or clumsy. I'm 5'8" 130 lbs female and it fits great in my hands, and just as well for my brother who is 6'2" 200 lbs. Truly unisex. Even the 24" GB is comfortable for me to use, the heads look like they'd be heavy but they're really not heavy at all for what they are.Highly recommend this for smaller jobs, and the 24" GB (Scandinavian Forest Axe) to go along with it for the bigger jobs. The leather cover they send in the box is a bit cheap but I do appreciate the effort to send it with something besides cardboard to cover the bit."Review Outdoor Gear" on Amazon marketplace sells spectacular leather covers if you're looking for something better than the stock stuff. I bought their leather axe collars and axe sheaths and both are fantastic quality & craftsmanship. I only go to them for these things. Will be buying a sheath for this GB as well if they have it.

I'd pondered the idea of the GB and Wetterlings axes and hatchets for a few years before being able to afford them. I initially chose the GB over the Wetterlings based on my research, which indicated the more expensive GB axes and hatchets are better finished than the Wetterlings. I never got the chance to handle the Wetterlings in person before purchasing to compare the two side by side. I handled the GB in person before pulling the trigger and decided it was worth the price.They're expensive, yes. But if you're the type who appreciates quality tools, is looking for a lifetime purchase, and subscribes to "buy once, cry once" you'll be more than satisfied with this hatchet. If not, you'll never be happy due to the high price tag.My hatchet arrived very nicely finished with no mill scale and a nicely sharpened edge. I unsnapped the sheath, gave it a few licks on a strop, and shaved hair off my arm no problem. The wood handle is executed well and the leather sheath is useful and unobtrusive. It feels nice in the hand and balances well. It's the kind of item that hasn't changed for a hundred years and there's a good reason for that.I highly recommend this hatchet. Very rarely is such a simple item so well made and so beautifully executed.

The wildlife hatchet. I love weapons. I especially love weapons that have character (age and individual craftmanship) that make them one of a kind. Get this hatchet. No product that you can find at any store has the worn steel look, feel, and texture that this has, unless it was made about 100 years ago. The head is amazing and the shaft is more steamlined but perfect, with a wide base that ensures a good hold (comes naked, and you can stain at will).I have swords, spears, knives, shurikens, and tomahawkes, and this (although new) manifests with its old-school forging technique the best, most old school product I own (next to an old knife I have that has been handed down through generations). Personally, this product fits me perfectly - I have Viking and Indian blood. Cold Steel has great tomohawke designs, but they manufacture things by the numbers in a factory, and the heads are only held on with a single screw in back (I love Cold Steel, but get a knife from them, not a tomohawke). - if you get a sword from ColdSteel, plan on rewraping the handle yourself! - They are a classic example of products that are great, but devalue themselves by the way the company values production rate and quantity over individual quality. (I still love them, but am mindful of their flaws).GRANSFORS BRUKS values quality above all else.I have actually gone to Home Depot several times and bought hatches and axes, trying to fill my lust for a good tomahawke-style weapon. I have an isatiable need for old school weapons, but I just found my tomohawke. I found a mate for my bone handle knife, and I treasure these two more than my $1,100 Samurai sword that was made in Japan.make no mistake, the wildlife hatchet is hatchet-sized, meaning that it's only about 13 1/2 inches overall. -This is not short, it is classic camping/hiking/carrying size. I'm a big guy, and this is just right.If you love QUALITY weapons/tools, just get a Gransfors Bruks product!AHHHHH!!!! I don't even need another, but I might get another make of theirs just because I love this so much!