I've had the same Collins axe since I bought it new 30 years ago at the local hardware store (in a logging / wood stove heated area of N. California). It's always served well, though I moved onto the 12lb sledge and wedge for splitting soon after buying it.
Anyway, I have been thinking I might get a nice Michigan pattern doublebit this summer. My Collins is about 28" (top of head to tip of handle) and has always struck me as just a hair too short, so I'm mostly looking for a tad longer handle. I live in Washington now, and have plenty of wood to chop.
So, what's out there? Here's what I found in the way of new manufactured double-bits from some of the better known manufacturers:
Gransfors Buks
Gransfors Double Bit Axe Here's their description.
The Gränsfors Double Bit Axe is based on the North American working axes, but has been modified for use in axe throwing. Both edges are identical and the centre of gravity and handle are carefully positioned so that the axe rotates well in flight. The dimensions and design of the axe comply with the rules for axe throwing.
Specs: Head: 4.8 lbs, edge 6.3" Shaft: available with 29.5" and 35" handle.
Price: $258 - availability may be limited or unavailable
As an aside the Gransfors Buks bought Wetterling, and have combined operations, according to the web site. Only the GB brand will be used going forward.
I also note that a lot of their less popular designs (such as the entire historic range, sadly) are no longer available.
I'm not sure if the older *Double Bit Felling Axe* is the same head with the longer handle, or a totally different head shape. Regardless it's not cataloged at all now. I found it described and pictured here. And below is a picture of the current throwing-oriented GB double bit axe:
Council Tool
The top-of-range Velvicut line doesn't include a full size double bit axe. They do have an amusing looking 18" double bit"saddle axe". For all around camping utility I am pretty happy with my Estwing hatchet, for about 1/4 the price. (Plus, good for pounding tent stakes.) But the little double bit is cool looking:
It should be. It's $147.
Moving down range a bit they do have a few nice looking models in the Michigan Railsplitter line, which seems to come in three variations. The least expensive ($62) has a rough cast and black painted blade paired with a fiberglass handle, the middle version looks like the same head, red paint and a wooden handle, and the top has a nicer finished and polished head with a wodden shaft. It's priced at a very reasonable $87 It's described as: 3.5# Classic Michigan Double Bit36″ Straight Wooden Handle and is pictured below:
The prices on these I've listed are from Council Tools web site, these are widely available and may be priced a lot less at retail or form web sellers.
Barco
Barco offers the Kelly Woodslasher Michigan Double Bit on their website. You can't beat the price of only $50. Specs: 3.5 lb head, 36" handle.
Oschsenkopf, also known as Ox Brand
The famous German maker has been following the industry trend of making some higher end products and have seen fit to include a double bit axe in their offerings. The Iltis range includes the OX 16 H AXE ILTIS®-DOUBLE BIT model, which has a 2.2lb head (assuming I'm getting the metric conversions right) and a 35.5" handle. It's quite handsome in its brands well known yellow and polished finish. It's Euro 121, or $131 dollars. Not a bad price at all, and is described thusly:
The top model of the Canadian lumbermen - with 2 edges, e.g. for two different cuts on one axe
For debarking, felling and cultivation
The uniformly thin blade, hardened virtually up to the eye, ensures a high utility value, long life and low weight
Can be easily re-sharpened by the user
Blade fine polished, with blade-protection
With high-quality hickory handle. End of handle rounded for extra comfort.
The Swedish firm Hults Bruk only makes a double bit throwing axe, you can check it out here , it must be balanced very well indeed as it's list price is $379. It's got a 30" handle on it, and like the GB Velvicut comes with a sheath. Out of my price range, and not really designed for my intended useage, so I'm skipping picturing it here.
At the bottom of the heap is True Temper which is a cheap Chinese brand. WalMart sells them for $35.
I've had mixed luck with super cheap Chinese tools, but for sure a double bit axe is not something I would consider buying from the Peoples Republic. YMMV. Here it is:
A bunch of other manufacturers don't make double bit axes.
Estwing doesn't make any axes larger than their well known 26" single bit campers axe. They do have a double bit tomahawk, with an 18" handle. It seems a lot less useful than the standard 14" campers hatchet that everyone uses, but it does have some 'tacticool' value I suppose.
Fiskars also doesn't make any double bit axes, but I was pleasantly surpised to see that their range has grown to include five sizes now. (I love their scissors, and have a 30 year old pair, and a some newer ones. I also bought some hedge trimmers that, despite being all high techy, were total crap and fell apart in one season of use. The generic Mexican / Chinese wooden handled ones don't look like much but are still going strong after five or six seasons. Fancy looking high tech materials isn't always better. No idea how the hatchets and axes work.
SUMMARY:
While the double bit axe was once extremely popular in America it's decidedly a anachronism now, with only a few models available, compared with dozens of single bit models from these same (and other) makers.
Here's what my decision making looks like:
The Ox Brand (Oschsenkopf) OX 16 H Iltis "Canadian" and Council Tools Michigan Railsplitter are clearly the only two contenders for a high quality, new manufacture, full size double bit axe. At $90 and $130 they are both reasonably priced. Size wise the biggest difference is the Railsplitter has a 2.5 lb head and the Council Tools has a 3.5 lb head. Handles are within a half-inch of 36 inches on both of them. Both are handsome tools.
The Council Tools wins on the slightly heavier head, and the more classic Michigan style (flat on top) shape. Being American made and a couple bucks less is also a nice thing. If I have trouble finding one I'm sure I'd be happy with the Iltis - and if I get really motivated maybe I'll buy both and review them side-by-side on the forum for you.
Hope some of you found this mini-article interesting and useful. Please let me know anything I've missed or got wrong in the comments.
PS: YES! I know that there are many good vintage axe heads out there in barns and estate sales, and some even not completely overpriced on Ebay. I may also look for something like that, but for now I think going with a current production model is just simpler and more time efficient for me. But still, it would be great to see all your vintage (or other) full size double bit axes in this thread.
Chop on!
Anyway, I have been thinking I might get a nice Michigan pattern doublebit this summer. My Collins is about 28" (top of head to tip of handle) and has always struck me as just a hair too short, so I'm mostly looking for a tad longer handle. I live in Washington now, and have plenty of wood to chop.
So, what's out there? Here's what I found in the way of new manufactured double-bits from some of the better known manufacturers:
Gransfors Buks
Gransfors Double Bit Axe Here's their description.
The Gränsfors Double Bit Axe is based on the North American working axes, but has been modified for use in axe throwing. Both edges are identical and the centre of gravity and handle are carefully positioned so that the axe rotates well in flight. The dimensions and design of the axe comply with the rules for axe throwing.
Specs: Head: 4.8 lbs, edge 6.3" Shaft: available with 29.5" and 35" handle.
Price: $258 - availability may be limited or unavailable
As an aside the Gransfors Buks bought Wetterling, and have combined operations, according to the web site. Only the GB brand will be used going forward.
I also note that a lot of their less popular designs (such as the entire historic range, sadly) are no longer available.
I'm not sure if the older *Double Bit Felling Axe* is the same head with the longer handle, or a totally different head shape. Regardless it's not cataloged at all now. I found it described and pictured here. And below is a picture of the current throwing-oriented GB double bit axe:
Council Tool
The top-of-range Velvicut line doesn't include a full size double bit axe. They do have an amusing looking 18" double bit"saddle axe". For all around camping utility I am pretty happy with my Estwing hatchet, for about 1/4 the price. (Plus, good for pounding tent stakes.) But the little double bit is cool looking:
It should be. It's $147.
Moving down range a bit they do have a few nice looking models in the Michigan Railsplitter line, which seems to come in three variations. The least expensive ($62) has a rough cast and black painted blade paired with a fiberglass handle, the middle version looks like the same head, red paint and a wooden handle, and the top has a nicer finished and polished head with a wodden shaft. It's priced at a very reasonable $87 It's described as: 3.5# Classic Michigan Double Bit36″ Straight Wooden Handle and is pictured below:
The prices on these I've listed are from Council Tools web site, these are widely available and may be priced a lot less at retail or form web sellers.
Barco
Barco offers the Kelly Woodslasher Michigan Double Bit on their website. You can't beat the price of only $50. Specs: 3.5 lb head, 36" handle.
Oschsenkopf, also known as Ox Brand
The famous German maker has been following the industry trend of making some higher end products and have seen fit to include a double bit axe in their offerings. The Iltis range includes the OX 16 H AXE ILTIS®-DOUBLE BIT model, which has a 2.2lb head (assuming I'm getting the metric conversions right) and a 35.5" handle. It's quite handsome in its brands well known yellow and polished finish. It's Euro 121, or $131 dollars. Not a bad price at all, and is described thusly:
The top model of the Canadian lumbermen - with 2 edges, e.g. for two different cuts on one axe
For debarking, felling and cultivation
The uniformly thin blade, hardened virtually up to the eye, ensures a high utility value, long life and low weight
Can be easily re-sharpened by the user
Blade fine polished, with blade-protection
With high-quality hickory handle. End of handle rounded for extra comfort.
The Swedish firm Hults Bruk only makes a double bit throwing axe, you can check it out here , it must be balanced very well indeed as it's list price is $379. It's got a 30" handle on it, and like the GB Velvicut comes with a sheath. Out of my price range, and not really designed for my intended useage, so I'm skipping picturing it here.
At the bottom of the heap is True Temper which is a cheap Chinese brand. WalMart sells them for $35.
I've had mixed luck with super cheap Chinese tools, but for sure a double bit axe is not something I would consider buying from the Peoples Republic. YMMV. Here it is:
A bunch of other manufacturers don't make double bit axes.
Estwing doesn't make any axes larger than their well known 26" single bit campers axe. They do have a double bit tomahawk, with an 18" handle. It seems a lot less useful than the standard 14" campers hatchet that everyone uses, but it does have some 'tacticool' value I suppose.
Fiskars also doesn't make any double bit axes, but I was pleasantly surpised to see that their range has grown to include five sizes now. (I love their scissors, and have a 30 year old pair, and a some newer ones. I also bought some hedge trimmers that, despite being all high techy, were total crap and fell apart in one season of use. The generic Mexican / Chinese wooden handled ones don't look like much but are still going strong after five or six seasons. Fancy looking high tech materials isn't always better. No idea how the hatchets and axes work.
SUMMARY:
While the double bit axe was once extremely popular in America it's decidedly a anachronism now, with only a few models available, compared with dozens of single bit models from these same (and other) makers.
Here's what my decision making looks like:
I'll pass on either of the two very high priced Swedish models designed for throwing competition. Overpriced and I suspect the designs may not be so good for actual wood chopping.
I'll also skip the tomahawk and saddle axe sized stuff from Council Tool and Estwing.
Also not on my short list are the low priced offerings from Barco and True Temper, they just look rough.
The Ox Brand (Oschsenkopf) OX 16 H Iltis "Canadian" and Council Tools Michigan Railsplitter are clearly the only two contenders for a high quality, new manufacture, full size double bit axe. At $90 and $130 they are both reasonably priced. Size wise the biggest difference is the Railsplitter has a 2.5 lb head and the Council Tools has a 3.5 lb head. Handles are within a half-inch of 36 inches on both of them. Both are handsome tools.
The Council Tools wins on the slightly heavier head, and the more classic Michigan style (flat on top) shape. Being American made and a couple bucks less is also a nice thing. If I have trouble finding one I'm sure I'd be happy with the Iltis - and if I get really motivated maybe I'll buy both and review them side-by-side on the forum for you.
Hope some of you found this mini-article interesting and useful. Please let me know anything I've missed or got wrong in the comments.
PS: YES! I know that there are many good vintage axe heads out there in barns and estate sales, and some even not completely overpriced on Ebay. I may also look for something like that, but for now I think going with a current production model is just simpler and more time efficient for me. But still, it would be great to see all your vintage (or other) full size double bit axes in this thread.
Chop on!
