So in the span of two years have these axes had a 150% retail price increase or am I seeing things? They're going for $180 on eBay no less, and their Amazon avenue is around the two-hundreds. What happened?
The GB axe is a meme now, just like the Morakniv.
Just take a look at the kek frog statues for sale on Amazon if you wanna see how memes affect pricing of items
>>740523
This works out great for me since I've owned one in almost pristine condition for three years with minimal use (booklet included), and didn't think that selling it could actually be profitable
>>740526
You're part of the problem, you filthy juden
>>740519
>What happened?
Probably tumblr and instagram.
>>740529
stay mad
>>740519
>What happened?
Hipsters. That's what happened.
>>740563
>Hipsters
This, the "lumbersexuals".
>>740531
>tumblr and instagram
And a little bit of this, but see >>740563.
>>740519
An increase in craftfag spergs who think they need to chop shit because they saw it on TV, but never use them
>>740563
I've had one for about 9 years now, back when £40 would get you a small forest axe- they are now £73. *IF* you can find them in the UK, there have been big shortages here due to stock allocation, and delivery times to vendors to the point where some people have been opting to carry competitors (noticeably Weterlings) instead as they are also at least 15-20% cheaper for a near identical product
>what happened
Ray fucking Mears celeb endorsement. Couple that with the very well researched (and now pretty much mainstream) midlife crisis activity for men in the UK known as 'Bushcraft'. The market will support the price increase because it's practically a check-list item for people, along with a Bacho Laplander, and a of Mora knife. GB axes to them are what Iphones are to teenagers- their full potential and use will never be fully realised, and are carried as little more as a status symbol.
Other than the initial sharpness they come with from the factory there is little to them in all honesty you cant get from any axe or hatchet you buy from an ironmongers that 99% of people will be able to distinguish. You're paying for some Swede with a powerhammer in a workshop, but overall the quality is comparable with any mass produced tool that isn't 'budget quality'
You gotta admit that chopping wood with an axe is pretty fun.
>>741070
Wetterlings isn't GB's competitor, GB owns Wetterlings.
>>740519
They got popular. GB's production facility has added some capacity but even wth the new hammers and such they can still sell more than they can make, so they've increased wholesale prices and MSRP. That is proper in my mind but I'm a capitalist.
>>740526
I didn't know kek statues come with booklets. Does it have a kek prayer in it?
>>740519
this is approaching good hand made axes, like a karesuando.
the price will be going up even more because they aren't distributing them to north america any more
>>741380
Literally why would they discontinue production to a massive market?
>>741481
To make them want it more.
Just posted this on /diy/
I just found in my attic a hatchet and an ax.
The hatchet is marked US 1944 american fork & hoe co
Doing some research my brother and I believe it was issued in WW2
This company has a really long history and changing many names. It's now known as True Temper.
We're not sure what to do with it.
I will get pics tomorrow.
As for the ax we can't find any maker's marks(can't remember if that's correct terminology) on it.
Would like your input.
>>742983
Might be interesting if you called the company and asked a rep about it
People realized that Americans will still buy them for stupid prices.
>>741147
>Wetterlings
no, they've been on their own again since 2013
http://www.wetterlings.com/history/
>>742983
Pic 1/2
>>742983
2/2
>>743083
Interesting. I know some companies actually have a company historian.
Why do people but these overpriced axes?
They're good, but I can get a fairly well worn and slightly rusty axe from a wood fair or a car boot sale for £20 and it will last me as long as granfors bruks, and will probably last longer.
Most gransfors bruks are just going to sit next to somebodies bed and get used twice a year, if I used an axe that little then I'd buy a cheap one.
I guarantee a "shitty looking" axe from a car boot sale will work fine, most of them can be over 100 years old and still work great.
>>743548
Same reason Apple dominated with their iPhones.
Branding.
>>743122
Ha.
"on their own" as in the owner of GB bought them, and gave them to his kids to run.
>>743548
>overpriced
Things are priced according to what people will pay. By your own admission people buy these so they are inherently not 'overpriced'.
For those of us who use an axe a bit the difference between a GB and whatever can be had at a car boot sale is well worth it. Sure for a lot of people they don't use them often enough to tell the difference and are just buying them as status symbols, but then there are people buying cheap shit at car boot sales and bragging the practice up on the internet for the same reason.
>>743649
Yeah a GB is definitely going to outperform an old Kelly, True Temper, Hytest or any of a multitude of old axes which can be bought for pittance...
>>743534
Damn, that axe has had the shit beat out of it. I like seeing old tools that lived a hard life, it makes me wonder what all they were used to build, harvest, or destroy.
>>741380
Lee valley can still get new stock in Canada. Fuck off buttthurt amerifag
>mfw I got a brand new Gränsfors Axe just 2 days ago
I absolutely fucking love it.
>>743765
Enjoy your overpriced meme axes then.
>>740519
Just buy a good no-name axe. Don't buy into the handsmithed hipster thing. A good axe head doesn't require magical forging techniques handed down through the generations by elves or dwarves or some bullshit like that, they are just trying to get the middle class people with too much money.
Just make sure it's a separate axe head with a wooden grip, not some plastic shit.
I'll put my $6 estate sale Plumb boys axe against GB or any other wranglercuck axe
Sure is a lot of poorfagging in here. I own old vintage master mechanic, true temper, axes, and a GB axe. The MM and TT were my grand fathers, and still kicks ass. My GB will be my grand kids one day. Quality last.
Now, you can "get the job done" with much cheaper things, but it's like saying " a 98 ford Mustang will take you to the store, why drive a porshe?"
You can get by with mora and condor, which I own several, but sometimes it's good to have fancier things.
>>744380
It's not about the steel as much as its about bit shape and grind with an axe.
>>743678
Why don't I see any of the guys on any of the logging crew I've been on carrying Kellys, Hytests, or True Tempers? Why do they all have modern GB, Husqvarna, or USFS axes?
In all the camps I've booted up I might have seen one or two True Temper or Kelly cruiser axes carried by riggers. Otherwise it was one of the above with an odd Snow or Wetterlings of similar design here and there.
No vintage shit in any case except maybe you'd get your throat cut over a Stroax.
>>743716
Never thought of that. If it's been beat to shit that means its been used.
I think the hatchet was issued to the former owner of the house. Next time I see his widow (who owns the house next to mine but just moved to an old people apartment) I'll ask.
She visits once in awhile for stuff. Selling it to her weird daughter and creepy Indian (the country) husband.
Wow, I got off topic fast.
>>744654
>Why do they all have modern GB, Husqvarna, or USFS axes?
I'll make a couple of points.
Why do electricians use Estwing hammers?
They're readily available, affordable, replaceable and do a decent job. Gone are the days when a good axe would set you back months of wage, when you're making money off a tool a couple of hundred dollars is dirt money, why bother using an old piece unless it has sentimental attachment?
Secondly it probably relates to where you live/where I live, I've yet to see a GB or Husky in use in Aus(inb4 I'm an Ausfag and have a GB) when I'm cutting firewood, many many Husky saws but no axes, we have allocated areas in Aus for taking firewood for controlled clearance, the areas are always busy and most people use absolute trash bought from x hardware shop, the ones that aren't using trash are generally using old bits, in Aus that's commonly Hytest or Kelly. The hardwoods we have here are significantly harder on average than US or North European woods and competition cutters always have different axe grinds based on where they're cutting in the world - so I'm thinking the Scandi style axes might be more suited to your forests than ours.
Finally I'd point out, nowhere did I claim the old bits were going to outperform a GB, what I said was I didn't think a GB was going to outperform an old Kelly or Hytest and they can be bought for 1/5 of the price.
Just gonna treat this like an axe general incase there's any axe guys lurking.
What grade of steel should I be looking for in a good hatchet? Tool steel? High carbon?
I'm looking at the Kershaw camp axe and they used 1018 steel in that, thoughts?
>>744931
That's a fairly low carbon content, not even sure how hard 1018 would get desu but it's hard to find what steel most axe makers use, generally it's just listed as tool steel and historically you'd get things like Vanadium being advertised as part of the steel used but to give you a comparison, Condor lists steel type and they use 1060 and Cold steel uses 1055 both of which can be very tough though I've not got any experience with either companies axes. To be honest though if the price is right and you're only using it for light camp duties/shits and giggles it'll probably do the job fine even if it needs dressing more often than a more expensive axe.
The main thing to research and check out is the grind pattern they use, a good grind and shit steel will give you a better axe than good steel and a shit grind(unless you're feeling adventurous and want to reshape it yourself), one company it's name escapes me made a name of selling cast steel axes which had a decent reputation.
Also check online, I picked up pic related for $30aud shipped
>>744939
Do you have a preference when it comes to grind types?
I have a wen hollow grinder I use for my chisel blades all the time.
>>744951
IT depends on a few factors, mainly whether you're cutting across grain ie: felling/limbing or whether you're splitting as the axes main purpose. It also depends what the woods' like in your area, hard, soft, knotty. The grind type I prefer may not be of much use too you, I'm splitting almost exclusively hard hardwoods and I don't do a lot of felling(illegal here on crown land) or limbing.
>>740519
Hipsters that don't even know how to swing one buy them to look cool in their Instagram photos. Just go to a pawnshop and buy an old ax head and build your own handle. It'll cost less.
>>744951
Hollow-grinding an axe would kill It's wood-penetration capability. Look up US Forest Service's An Axe to grind.
>>740519
I am amazed and amused by all the mad folks in this thread, complaining about hipsters and prices. A few years ago I was looking for an axe to add to my kit, but it should neither be too heavy nor too small. I had seen some traditional finnish log cabin building and worked in ship building for some time, so I wanted something that get's most jobs done but is still portable. And yes, the Ray Mears video actually helped with the decision, but so did this american christian luberjack-homestead dude (I forgot his name, but he has tons on axes, chainsaws, etc.).
The prices are actually still the same as they have been years ago. You can still get one of these axes for around 90€ over here. Seems the American market works a bit different. Yet I still don't get why you have to hate on a product, because people you don't like for whatever reason buy it. They are good axes, they have a fair price point and they also look good. So what's to hate?
>>747383
this may be /out/ but its still 4chan
hippies and liberals are the source of every single one of our problems
>>747451
Then you live a sheltered life, which kinda is a contradiction to your self image, isn't it?
>>743534
Can i have the left one?
