All About Pocket Knives

Visiting a nice smaller sports store, the sell I believe the first one. Both from Sweden. Any one own one and experience? They also carry the HELLE brand fixed blades, almost too nice to carry and use.

Certainly well respected axes.

I have a Gransfor Bruks small hatchet. It certainly seems top notch in all regards but i have yet to use it even though i bought it about 10 years ago. Will it chop any better than a hatchet costing 1/4 the price ? I don't know but i do know that expensive custom knives do not cut better than most Rough Rider knives. Higher price does not mean better performance with knives and possibly axes as well. But my G-B hatchet does feel great in hand.
The Helle knives make excellent user and older ones can be found on ebay and bought for less money than new from dealer.
kj

I love axes from Sweden!!! I have a Gransfor Bruks axe head that I am going to put on a knew handle. That axe has been a great piece for me to have in my "collection" of axes. They cost a lot more but I look at it like my Omega watch; I have had the Omega for 25 years and if you amortize the cost of the item over the time used, enjoyed, owned, etc, then you will find that the cost over time is very small. So a $150 axe over a ten year period is not such a a big cost when amortized. What is the saying? It only hurts that first time you open the wallet....

Here are a couple of Hulst Bruks axes I own. The single bit has a coating of grease on it to protect it from rusting so the maker's mark is a little hard to read. I cleaned this one up after getting it and customized the handle a little bit. The double bit is one of my favorite axes in my collection. I think that they are worth the money... buy once and cry once

a SAW, from Sweden, Storvick Wetterlings.

I use a SAW 4.25# ax on a 14 inch handle for general chopping and some spoon roughing. I did re-figure the ax a little by grinding some off the cheeks to improve it's carving properties, doesn't take much. I only use hand stones on it, even to thin the cheeks, to prevent localized heating of the metal.

What do you think of your SAW's steel compared to other axes you have had?

I use a SAW 4.25# ax on a 14 inch handle for general chopping and some spoon roughing.

What do you think of your SAW's steel compared to other axes you have had?

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:49 am I use a SAW 4.25# ax on a 14 inch handle for general chopping and some spoon roughing.

What do you think of your SAW's steel compared to other axes you have had?

I've only had a relatively cheap Box Store hatchet and splitting maul for firewood since I was a scout in the '50's so no usable information there! I can say this ax was pretty tough to grind using a bench stone and it took a very sharp edge which seems to holding up well, primarily used it on apple wood so far. Pretty good ax for $5 at the flea market!

My nice light Sandvik axe from Sweden. One of my favorites

I just picked this one up today... Hmmm..... I wonder what is underneath... ..... ....

Here is the one I just got after I cleaned off the paint on the head. I'm not sure who the maker is... Any ideas out there?

A Hulst Bruks, I cleaned up. I am fitting a handle to the head.

Another H.B. after cleaning...

I took out my SAW, from Sweden, Storvick Wetterlings, to put a handle on it and take a few pictures of it before I put the handle on in the morning. I ended up leaving it on my porch over night and the humidity left it with some light rust so I decided to do a little "oil dunking" with some other ax heads, to give it a new coat of oil today.

Here is the before and after photos of a Swedish made hatchet after a little clean up, sharpening and wood stain on the handle.

Just 'bout a year and nobody done posted nutting up 'en here ... kinda takes a 'lill wind out them there sails...

I bought this on a hunch that it was made in Sweden, too much rust and gunk on it to know for sure, but the blue paint gives me hope!

Here it is cleaned up.

Nice job cleaning them up

Where do you find all these that are made in Sweden? Do you live there?

I don't find any around around here.

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:28 pm Nice job cleaning them up

Where do you find all these that are made in Sweden? Do you live there?

I don't find any around around here.

THANKS! I am here in the good 'ol USA I just love axes made in Sweden...I am always looking for them and any I can find from Finland (Fiskers, etc.) I have never found one from Norway nor Denmark but I hope to someday...

So, I am always on the hunt, but it is not so easy, most of the times I go to a yard sale, or the swap meet and I ask about axes, I hear this; "Oh yeah, I had a couple, but they have already been sold". But every now and again I get just a little bit of luck on my side.

Here is my latest pick-up; a Super Banko. I have it soaking in vinegar right now to get the rust off. I think it will make a nice little hatchet.

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 10:15 pm THANKS! I am here in the good 'ol USA I just love axes made in Sweden...I am always looking for them and any I can find from Finland (Fiskers, etc.) I have never found one from Norway nor Denmark but I hope to someday...

Ok, good to know. I will keep my eyes open for them

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 10:15 pm Here is my latest pick-up; a Super Banko. I have it soaking in vinegar right now to get the rust off. I think it will make a nice little hatchet.

Looks like it will clean up nicely

Is vinegar the best way to get the rust off? Do you have to neutralize the acid afterwards?

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 6:51 am

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 10:15 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 10:15 pm Here is my latest pick-up; a Super Banko. I have it soaking in vinegar right now to get the rust off. I think it will make a nice little hatchet.

Looks like it will clean up nicely

Is vinegar the best way to get the rust off? Do you have to neutralize the acid afterwards?

I think vinegar is great! I think it works best; it is the cheapest way I know to chemically remove the rust (unless somewhere I find a half empty 2 liter bottle of Coke...then I will use that. The regular Coke works well but can't be reused over and over again as vinegar can). I have used some of the same vinegar for 3 or 4 years running. I just have to filter it every couple of uses and then add just a little new vinegar to the mix.

You do have to neutralize the acid after cleaning and the ax head. It should be dunked in water then scrubbed with an abrasive, steel wool, scotch-bright etc. then dunked again in water. Then right away from the water it has to be dried as best as possible with a towel and then ASAP dunked into a bucket of oil. It is important to get it in oil fast or it will start rusting up again before your very eyes!

Try Sodium bicarbonate to fully neutralize the acid, I don't know if water alone is enough

I have used it for years to neutralize battery acid around the battery posts in my car