Axes and Hatchets by Gränsfors:
Before industrialization, axes were crafted in many small blacksmith workshops. The demands of the user and the skill of the blacksmith led to the development of a variety of forms for all applications. With industrialization and the associated mass production, the form and structure of axes changed. All had to look the same, the surfaces were ground completely smooth and painted – which also helped to mask poor quality.

The small Swedish forge, GRÄNSFORS BRUKS, returned to the roots of artisanal production and set itself the goal of creating good products with long-lasting durability. In collaboration with designer Hans Erik Persson, axes were developed that unite traditional design with the requirements of today’s manual woodcutting.

The motto of GRÄNSFORS BRUKS is: An axe is as good as its blacksmith. The unaltered, forged surface is a guarantee of the blacksmith’s professional skill and the quality of his axe.

In furnaces heated to 1200°C, the steel is heated. When the desired temperature, recognized by the blacksmith from the red-yellow color of the steel, is reached, the glowing end is cut off, and the processing in anvil and die can begin. With great skill, the blacksmith shapes the head of an axe from the square piece. Finally, he stamps the mark of GRÄNSFORS BRUKS and his initials into the axe and hangs it for inspection and cooling. After forging and sharpening the edge, the lower part of the axe head is hardened by heating it to 820°C and then quickly cooling it in cold water. Afterwards, the axes are tempered for 60 minutes in an oven at 195°C to eliminate tensions that arise during forging and hardening. This is followed by a hardness test. The handle maker then fits the axe with a handle. The prepared handle is pressed into the eye of the axe using a hydraulic press. To protect against rust, the axe is oiled.

Each axe (except for some specially marked – see product description) is delivered with a leather edge cover and the „Axe Book,” which offers a wealth of practical information.

For sharpening the axes, we recommend our Japanese water stone with grits of 250 and 1000. Replacement handles can be found at the bottom of this page!

Axes and Hatchets by Hultafors
Hultafors hatchets and axes are hand-forged at Hults Bruk in southeastern Sweden. They are distinguished by their high hardness and good sharpenability. The handle is made of hickory, a hard yet slightly elastic wood traditionally used for tool handles. Hultafors manufactures two product lines. The standard line offers solid craftsmanship with a sand-blasted axe head and a clear lacquered surface, where the forge marks are visible. The standard line offers a very good price-performance ratio. The PREMIUM line also comes with a hickory handle and a forged black surface with visible work marks, giving these axes a very attractive appearance.

Some of these hatchets and axes come with a leather edge cover; please refer to the product description.