New Council Pack-Axe series, Woodcraft line of axes

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Due North Mercantile

Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Messages
2
Well we kinda leaked word last weekend, but we're finally able to push the word out officially.

There's been some chomping at the bit and discussion for an American Tool Company to step up to the plate to produce at larger quantities a line of axes with comparative quality to our lineage axe lines no longer in production here in the USA. That axe line would have:
-Higher Attention to detail
-Great Edge retention
-Great quality handles
-A Hardened Poll
-Leather sheath options
-Hardened 5160 steel
-Great ergonomics
Over a year ago, a very respected Axe Enthusiast Craig Roost reached out to me with some ideas for axes he wanted to discuss with Council Tool..............

Council Tool has been in business for over a century. They have forged millions of axes over that time with many of the smiths now second and third generation, respectively. From Fire Service, Velvivut, Classic, and every other axe line in that comes out of their factory in North Carolina bears a Council stamp and they are proud of their products; with Council family members still running the factory, interacting with customers, and now bringing to market the Woodcraft Line Pack-Axe.

All parts of the Council Tool Pack-Axe have come to be after a year of design and interaction from some of the best Axe, Bushcraft, Woodcraft, and Survival professionals that Council reached out to in design and first production stages. You'd be surprised that some of them are pretty famous names. Through many visits, meetings, late night calls, and round tables with Council, the industry experts worked with a very receptive design team and enthusiastic company leaders at Council. The new Council Tool Pack-Axe is ideal for bushcraft, back-packing, camping, hiking, limbing branches, creating kindling, climbing, and even processing game. The long beard on the blade allows you to choke up on the handle easily for tight work, and the hardened poll on the back allows you to use it for light blunt work. The head weighs in a 2lbs. The leather mask, sheath, and sling are all professionally designed to be used in the field, and are built to last. All of the handles are made from premium American Hickory, and are made here in the USA.

This collaborative effort has brought together a wealth of knowledge to create what Council, those professionals, and I hope will be the new axe you reach for. The axes are available for immediate purchase, I posted a link up for sale in the vendors classifieds section under the same thread title. These axes come with my thanks from all of us who were happy to help Craig Roost and join him on this venture.......

DUE NORTH MERCANTILE









 
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looks quality and eastheticaly pleasing, but its missing too much steel, conciderably reducing the life of the tool IMO!
 
Awesome! Well done Council. Looks like I'll be adding another one to the collection soon.
 
Love it, and the bevels should act as a cost effective high centerline while keeping the weight down. Will there be a nice write-up explaining all the features on Council's website? I'd love to see some discussions or what was included and why.
 
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The axe looks like a quality piece, and and it's looks are interesting, but I don't think they really hit a Homer.

I think that they should've went with a hardened poll Hudson bay pattern with phantom bevels.
Instead of creating a whole new axe, they should've just improved their existing Hudson bay.

It's an interesting boutique axe, but they had a chance to blow the GB ,HB, and wetterlings axes out of the water and I really don't think they did.

Why are the Swedish style of ears so important now days, is it because the Swedish boutique axes have basically set the standard for bushcrafters ?
 
Hickory n steel said:
Why are the Swedish style of ears so important now days, is it because the Swedish boutique axes have basically set the standard for bushcrafters ?
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Arguably, the "Swedish-style" lugs are actually American in origin.
 
Neat to see a US maker doing their homework. I bet and hope they sell a bunch.

For me, though, too much fru-fra. A 2# Jersey with hardened poll on a 24-26" straight handle is my request. Their normal steel which I think is 4140 but others say is 1060 is fine with me, I hate phantom bevels and feel the same about sheathes/masks as I do about seat belts--a good idea but I don't have to like it or deal with any more complexity than necessary.

All that said, I think the bushcraft crowd will be happy if they can get past their somewhat disturbing obsession with Swedish forge operators...
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Arguably, the "Swedish-style" lugs are actually American in origin.
Click to expand...

I know that the lugs were American first, but those aren't really in the American style .
And it seems like they're just using them because the Swedish boutique axes are so popular.

Something about the axe just doesn't " strike my fancy " you could say.
I don't mind the lugs when they're more of an American style.
 
I agree with everything said here. They should have stuck to their american roots. A jersey or Rockaway 1.75 to 2lb. Its missing the american high centre line which would have made it superior. It doesn't need much of a higher center, but seriously, this is just as flat cheeked as the swede. Granted it doesn't have as much surface to get stuck, but its a disappointment.

I would rather buy a GransFors.
 
I'm still hoping to see them come out with a rafting pattern. Or a Connecticut.
 
I'm with BG, a 2lb Jersey or a Rockaway with a high centerline would have me considering coughing up cash. I'll stick with beating the bushes for vintage heads, it's hard to find a vintage boys axe in Jersey or Rockaway patterns.
 
Grimalkin said:
I agree with everything said here. They should have stuck to their american roots. A jersey or Rockaway 1.75 to 2lb. Its missing the american high centre line which would have made it superior. It doesn't need much of a higher center, but seriously, this is just as flat cheeked as the swede. Granted it doesn't have as much surface to get stuck, but its a disappointment.

I would rather buy a GransFors.
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Council has plenty of American Roots style axes and will probably expand that direction as well....stand by! As for the high center line, is does have a higher center line and it is not flat...just hard to see that in the photos... Peace, Rooster :)
 
RoosterMod said:
Council has plenty of American Roots style axes and will probably expand that direction as well....stand by! As for the high center line, is does have a higher center line and it is not flat...just hard to see that in the photos... Peace, Rooster :)
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Can you post a profile shot? Thanks!
 
Hickory n steel said:
I know that the lugs were American first, but those aren't really in the American style .
And it seems like they're just using them because the Swedish boutique axes are so popular.

Something about the axe just doesn't " strike my fancy " you could say.
I don't mind the lugs when they're more of an American style.
Click to expand...

Pretty much everything about the design has a purpose, if it comes across as being "pretty", that that is form following function...

The lugs are dropped to give more support and internal surface area to help keep the head from shifting on the haft...Hudson bay axes with shorter eyes/body are known for the hafts losing their "solid" hang because of the stress put on the haft inside the eye...the lugs/ears give that much more support and what you don't see are the eye ridges inside that also aid in a secure hang... :)
 
Hickory n steel said:
I know that the lugs were American first, but those aren't really in the American style .
Click to expand...

I dunno, man. Looks all-American to me. (Pics not mine.)

il_570xN.802581658_byy6.jpg


008.JPG


1-Plumb_Rockaway.jpg
 
RoosterMod said:
Pretty much everything about the design has a purpose, if it comes across as being "pretty", that that is form following function...

The lugs are dropped to give more support and internal surface area to help keep the head from shifting on the haft...Hudson bay axes with shorter eyes/body are known for the hafts losing their "solid" hang because of the stress put on the haft inside the eye...the lugs/ears give that much more support and what you don't see are the eye ridges inside that also aid in a secure hang... :)
Click to expand...

I like the idea of ridges in the eye and I'm sure I'd appreciate the added benefit of the lugs ,but I guess I'd have to get past the looks first ( as far as lots goes sometimes the lugs look better on some axes than others )
If I could get past the looks it seems like it'd be a great tool.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I dunno, man. Looks all-American to me. (Pics not mine.)

il_570xN.802581658_byy6.jpg


008.JPG


1-Plumb_Rockaway.jpg
Click to expand...

Well I guess they are American style lugs.
I just couldn't put my finger on what I didn't like about the lugs ( I realized that to me the lugs just don't look to good on that axe )
Since my only negatives are the looks it doesn't really matter because a lot of great tools are ugly to some people and that's just how it goes.
I can appreciate the innovation with this axe though.
 
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