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Axes and Broadaxes

Broad Axe
Carpenter Axe
Hunter's Axe
Mini-Hatchet
Mortise Axe
Scandinavian Forest Axe
Splitting Axe-small
Splitting Axe -large
Splitting Maul
Swedish Carving Axe - large

Grnsfors Bruks
is a small Swedish family operated company formed in 1902. Ever since it was founded the company has been making axes of the finest quality. The smiths at Grnsfors Bruks are famous for their skill. 
GRNSFORS AXES are forged by professional smiths. The proof of this professionalism is that they are able to forge axes with such precision that no supplementary work, to hide mistakes in the forging, is needed. 
At Grnsfors Bruks the forging craft is allowed to take its time. The smiths do not work by the piece. They take care and do the right forging from the beginning. There is no need to stone or grind or smooth or paint the axes in order to hide or eliminate imperfections in the forging. 
A smith at Grnsfors Bruks has nothing to hide and  is proud of his professional standards. When satisfied with the work, he marks the head with his initials beside the companys crown label.

Definition: A tool or instrument of steel, or of iron with a steel edge or blade, for felling trees, chopping and splitting wood, hewing timber, etc. It is wielded by a wooden helve or handle, so fixed in a socket or eye as to be in the same plane with the blade. The broadax, or carpenter's ax, is an ax for hewing timber, made heavier than the chopping ax, and with a broader and thinner blade and a shorter handle.

Click HERE for a diagram of an axe with all the parts named.

Mini-Hatchet - Gransfor Bruks: #410
8" handle length gives you just enough space for both hands. 
2 1/2" wide blade with heavy curve. 
Comes with 25 degree bevel.
Razor Sharp-no kidding on this one. 
(While a customer is taking the sheath off the blade, we're already heading for the band aids. Some folks just gotta run their thumb across the edge to see if it's sharp)
"Small, light, and perfectly balanced. Sharpen a pencil, slice a tomato paper thin, and shave the print right off this page. It will 'frizz' sticks for tender, cut fine kindling, and split small logs. It will filet a fish, skin a moose, tenderize a steak, turn your pancakes, spread jam and peanut butter, pound tent stakes, and chop vegetables. And it will ride as lightly on your hip as the average hunting knife."
Cliff Jacobson of Tactical Knives Magazine
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Gransfors Bruks mini-hatchet

With protective storage case. 
11oz.
10.25" in length
20 year guarantee

$142.95

Quantity:
11 oz. 
2 lbs. shipping
Hunter's Axe - Gransfor Bruks: #418

Made for hunter's. The poll (butt end - opposite the blade), is forged thinner than normal and gently rounded and burnished to be used when skinning an animal. 

Good for wood chopping.
Circular grooves on grip portion of handle give a steady grip even when hands are wet. 

Received, as the first and only axe in Sweden, a design award from the Swedish Societ of Crafts and Design.


20 year guarantee

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Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Axe
model #450

3-1/4" face
1-1/2 lb. head weight
19" Hickory handle

 

$156.95

Quantity:
 3 lb. shipping  
Scandinavian Forest Axe #430

A professional axe for those who want to limb a felled tree in a traditional way. Forged to a thin, curved bit and sharpened to make it suitable for cutting branches in fresh, resinous wood, spruce or pine. The long handle gives extra strength and power to the cut. It comes with a grain-leather sheath. 
As with all Gransfor Bruks tools you'll find the smiths initials on each axe he personally makes and approves.
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Scandinavian Forest  $118.95
Face  3-1/2"
Head  2 lbs.
Handle  25"


Quantity:
 2.8 lbs.
4 lbs. shipping
Small Forest Axe #420

Same size as the Hunter's Axe but a more traditional pattern and poll. The blade is thin. The handle is long enough to allow powerful chopping but not too long so it will fit into a rucksack, the back of a car or a boat. Practical for splitting small sticks for the fire or cutting small-diameter limbwood for starter fuel in a fireplace.

It comes with a grain-leather sheath. 
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Small Forest Axe  $108.95
Similar in size to the Hunters Axe with more traditional pattern and poll.
Face 3-1/4"
Head 1-1/2 lbs.
Handle 19"

Quantity:
 2.8 lbs.
4 lbs. shipping

Large Swedish Carving Axe #475


A chop axe for hewing bowls and other wooden objects, artistic wood carving and architectural work. The characteristic curved shape of the cutting edge, carried well above the heads eye, the position of the edge in proportion to the handle, the rather thick bit and the big angle of the wide beveled face makes the axe a good carving tool. You "cut on the beveled face" with curved movements. This new axe pattern, based on old Swedish carving techniques, is developed by Wille Sundqvist, master craftsman and author of Swedish Carving Techniques in cooperation with craftsman adviser Onni Linnanheimo. The handle is "rugged" to give a good grip.

Comes with a grain-leather sheath.

Gransfor Bruk Carving Axe
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4-1/3" edge
2 lb. head
14" Hickory Handle

$163.95

Quantity:
 lbs. st0210-gb-carvingaxe2.jpg (20854 bytes)

Carpenter Axe #465

Straight edge and thin blade with low angle of the bevel face, suitable for work in dry wood.
The forged inward curve of the axe head, from heel to lip, permits your hand to grip almost straight above the center of the blade edge.
Axe poll is ground and can be used as a hammer.

Comes with a grain-leather sheath.

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model #465

3-1/2" face
1-1/2 lb. head
18" Hickory handle

Stamped with the Smiths initials.

$112.95

Quantity:
2.2 lbs.
3 lbs. ship
 

Splitting Axe


Handle has circular grooves at the grip and over half way toward head for additional grabbing power.

Comes with a grain-leather sheath and steel collar near the head.
Stamped with the Smiths initials.
Note: The poll is NOT designed for pounding on the wedge

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Small Splitting Axe - model #441
Can be managed with one hand. Forged and ground to a concave, quite thin blade at the bit.
2-1/2" face
2 lb. head
20" Hickory handle

Large Splitting Axe - model #442
Designed for splitting chunks of wood. The thick part of the concave wedge shape head powers apart the grain of the wood.
3" face
3-1/2 lb. head
27" Hickory handle

$128.95 Small
$144.95 Large

Size
Small
Large

Quantity:
Small Splitting Axe
3.6 lbs.
5 lbs. ship

Large Splitting Axe

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Splitting Maul #450

Also named "Hammer-Poll Axe". Designed for splitting apart large chunks of wood (rounds).
The head is heavier than the splitting axes shown above. 
Poll can be used for pounding on a splitting wedge (use goggles)

Comes with leather cover

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2-1/2" edge
5-1/2 lb. head
31" Hickory handle

Stamped with the Smiths initials.

$159.95

Quantity:
2.8  lbs.
4 lbs. ship
 

Mortise Axe #485

Also called a log home "corner axe" by the Scandinavians. 
Head is long and narrow. (2-1/4" x 8-1/4").
Handle has circular groove over entire length for increased grop

Comes with leather cover

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2-1/4" edge
2+ lb. head
20" Hickory handle

Stamped with the Smiths initials.

$156.95

Quantity:
2.8  lbs.
4 lbs. ship

Swedish Broad Axe Style #1900 
4800 series
 
This pattern of the Broad Axe and the handle is based on old Swedish logging techniques for squaring logs and structural timber of all kinds.  
Available with several options: A few are listed below...

NOTE: Right and Left designations are from the handle end (e.g. users side).

  • Beveled on two sides (double sided sharpened) normally with the 'eye' (where the handle attaches), and the handle in a straight line with the axe head...this is considered a chopping broadaxe...although it can also be used for hewing. Good all purpose...most common...(although Scotty has several broadaxes and none of them are double sided sharpened). #4801...#4802 is the same profile with the bevel only on the left, #4803 is bevel only on the right. We stock the #4801
  • Beveled on one side (straight scissors sharpened) with angle of handle to same side as bevel. The blade will lay flat to your work without the poll being in the way. #4813 is left bevel/handle, #4823 is right bevel/handle. Getting both of these would give you a matched set for right and left hand work. We stock the #4813 and #4823
  • Beveled on one side (reverse scissors sharpened) with angle of handle to side opposite bevel. The blade will just barely NOT lay flat to your work as the poll is slightly in the way. #4812 is right bevel, #4822 is left bevel. We stock the #4812
NOTE: Standard scissors sharpened and Reverse scissors sharpened. We can't tell the difference in the actual sharpening...except that standard scissors is sharpened/beveled on the  same side as the angle of the handle whereas Reverse scissors sharpened is sharpened to the opposite/(reverse?) side from the angle of the handle. What we do see is that with the standard scissor sharpening, the blade lays flat to the work, whereas with the Reverse scissors sharpened, the poll keeps the blade from laying exactly flat...could be just a mfg. glitch and we only have one #4812 in stock to compare at this time.
In both instances, the very cutting edge seems to be raised from the plane of the back of the blade slightly...say <1/8 inch.


To summarize:
  • The #4823 is probably the best seller...it has the handle and the bevel on the right, which works well for a right handed person...e.g. you can stand to the right (you'll reach across your body and be cutting on your left), or to the left of your work (you'll be leaning on/over the timber and cutting the right side of the timber).
  • The #4813 would be the left handed equivilant.
  • The #4801 is the popular

    As mentioned above, the eye (and the direction of the handle) may be straight or angled sideways, right or left, (helps to protect the knuckles).  If you want deeper visible cuts when squaring logs, you can use a broad axe, double beveled, with the blade bent and the eye angeled to the right or to the left. (now that should keep you up late cogitating).

    Non-stocked configurations are special order and can take several months 

    (Remember: This is a small group of aging 'blacksmiths' hammering as fast as they can in the Swedish outback).

    The broad axe has a 7" face and a 20" hickory handle and the head weighs 3 lb (
    50 cm long and weighs 1,7 kg)...presharpened...do yourself a favor and don't run your thumb across the edge of the blade.
    (Traditional American style broadaxes have a wider face and are heavier).
    Hickory Handle has circular grooves for increased grip.
    It comes with a grain-leather sheath.


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    #4801 is considered a chopping broad axe as the poll doesn't allow the axe to lay flat to the timber.

    #4812, 4813, 4823 are more a hewing broad axe

    7" face, (edge)
    3 lb. head
    20" Hickory handle

    Stamped with the Smiths initials.

    $276.95 - straight handle, dble bevel-sharpened both sides...#4801

    $331.95 - left angled handle, reverse scissor sharpened, bevel on right....#4812

    $331.95 - left angled handle,  scissor sharpened, bevel on left....#4813

    $331.95 - right angled handle,  scissor sharpened, bevel on right...#4823

    Style
    #4801-Straight handle-double bevel
    #4812-Left angled handle-right bevel
    #4813-Left angled handle-left bevel
    #4823-Right angled handle-right bevel


    5 lbs. ship