Sloppy Gransfors Bruks small forest axe

S

sketchbag

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Oct 1, 2007
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I bought one from Lee Valley a little while ago, mostly just inspected the handle while I was there, when I got home and looked at the axe head I was astonished that this thing ever left sweeden, it should have been thrown at the factory. The edge wasnt centered, if looked down the top of the axe and lined up the grinds it would be aiming at the edge of the handle end rather than the center. There were also several flat spots on the finish where I guess "MM" got a little zealous with the hammer.

Went back and exchanged it for the last one they had (actually had to take the display model off the wall), it was much better but the edge had a small dent and had a big burr. Also forged by "MM"

I'm pretty surprised by the quality control, or lack there of, for such insanely expensive axes. I wouldnt expect the first one from Wetterlings for 1/3 of the price.

Anyone else have similar experiences?
 
I have a Wildlife hatchet and a Small forest axe by MM and they are flawless.
If you read their little axe book you will see that they do not finish their axes so they look uniform I would expect that the dents you mention are pretty standard. Other axe makers take additional finishing steps in finishing that GB feels impact the environment so they skip them.
Bill
 
Mine came absolutely hair poppin scarey sharp and well finished all around. I am surprised that you had a bad experience with them. I previously have only read good reviews on them.
 
The first GB (scandi forest axe) and my current small FA are both forged beautifuly, and the first one had a very nice shaving edge on it.

As for the flat spots, while they are mostly cosmetic it's not the level of fit/finish you expect from a "top of the line" product that charges 3x as much as their competitors.

The misaligned edge goes beyond cosmetics. It wasnt just slightly uneven it was appalling, if you lined up the tip of the edge with the center of the handle you expect to see a nice symmetrical grind, this one was so screwed up that you could only see one side of the grind. Thats unacceptable even by $20 hardware store axe standards.

I wasnt very pleased that the the one I settled for did have a very nice edge on it. I know it's easily fixed, and it only took me about 15 minutes to make it nice and minty, but how would you feel if you bought a Strider of Busse knife and had to fix the edge the moment you got it?

I only kept it because there wont be more in stock for several months, and the handle is damn near perfect.
 
Sounds like two flukes in this case....in a row....right? The first one is unacceptable so you take it back and so is the second one? It might be worth it to take it back too, and order one from the internet, hoping for a nice one. I'd be seriously disappointed at the price of a GB axe.
 
Wierd. I absolutely love everything I've seen by them. I own two, and they're both fantastic. I've seen several others, and they were on par with that too.
 
I have a SFA that was ground by MM. Its a solid piece. I've used it hard several times and its rock solid. Gotta watch the rust though if you're chopping sappy wood.
 
My kid Bro has the GB SFA and the Mini i've got the Hunters Axe and the Mini and have seen several others and all have been very well made with out problems this is the first complaint about Gransfurs Bruks that i have heard.Other than the ones about the price LOL
 
I ended up buying Wetterlings as I couldn't see either brand in person and I didn't want to trust my luck to such an expensive preduct as GB makes. My Wetterlings, at less than $30 each from wisementrading, were an outstanding bargain. I honed the edges just a bit but both were quite sharp but, probably, not as shart as GB's are said to be.

I'd contact GB and see what they say.
 
I have the wildlife hatchet and it is flawless. I am going to get either the hunter's axe or the small forest axe as well. I am very surprised about the edge being so far off center. With regards to the dented edge, it's possible that that happened after it left the factory I suppose.
 
I have a sfa and its amazing, I want a mini next. As others have said it's the first bad I've heard and I scoured around for any reviews I could find.
 
I thought about taking this one back too. But like I said, there wouldnt be any more in stock for a few months. After this I'll never order one online, seeing as its obviously a mixed bag I want to be able to hand pick mine, and return it if necessary.

Anyway, the dent is sharpened out and the blade is nice and keen now. I wonder if Gransfors would have taken care of this for me if I had ordered online, cause I'd be damned if I'd be expected to pay shipping to return that piece of junk (the first axe).
 
Sketchbag, I am sorry to hear about your bad experience. I guess, it is even more frustrating to get a lemon, when almost everyone else on these forums reports to have a nice GB axe.

Apparently in the UK some people are complaining too.
On the bushcraftuk.com Edged Tools forum there is a recent thread started by a guy who showed pictures of GB axes taken in a German shop. It seems, that there is quite a bit a variation in quality even amongst the GB axes.
He was complaining about the handles, but I think the issues he raised were based on anecdotal "norms" rather than firsthand experience.

I think, overall, the QC of the GB axes is very high compared to other makers.
 
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