Gransfors Bruks Outdoor Axe

It’s a great hatchet

This axe feels great, easy to sharpen, balances nicely, cuts and splits smoothly, and has bested my expectations of structural integrity. I worried the durability may have been weak due to amazon often selling products of lesser quality, but my axe is still in one piece.

I'm glad I finally got to add this axe to my collection. I wrapped the handle with Attwood micro cord which really gives the handle a nice grip when chopping. Here's a link on Amazon where I got the cordage! https://a.co/d/5MVnKpv

This is definitely not something to impulse buy. Do your research. As one reviewer mentioned, there are likely cheaper options for purchase than here because of where the supplier shipment originates (Finland), and the shipping costs being baked into the "Prime" price. But once you get past that, this is an incredibly well balanced all around campmaking, bushcrafting and survival tool that will hold up for years to come. It's razor sharp out of the box and incredibly well balanced, and it has features that make it a usable (albeit not ideal) splitting axe. Some might think it's trying to be a bit too much at once and is not really good at any one thing; at this weight and size it outperforms many small and full size axes, and still can be comfortably one-handed like any hatchet. The handle is also very well proportioned with a palm swell just below the bit of the axe, which allows for very comfortable detail work (kindling, notching, carving, and even dicing chives!). The metal collar under the head helps to offset any impacts to the handle from splitting. It's not going to replace your maul for splitting cord after cord of wood, but I don't think you could get a better camp axe that you could comfortably throw in a backpack, use one handed and achieve the same kind of work and efficiency.

Cuts well. Stays sharp. All my friends were impressed with it while I was using it. Makes short work of processing firewood

I realize now that I am not a real axe/hatchet kind of guy. I have split a lot of wood with mauls and kept a dull Estwing in the camp kit and used them regularly in the field for kindling and firewood but this little baby is different animal. I "needed" one because I saw some fancy folks with them on youtube. When I took the sheath off I cut myself almost immediately and didn't even know it till I saw the blood.. I have a crazy respect for this thing and possibly some fear as I find myself jumping awake each night after dreaming of my fingers lying on the chopping block and stumps on my hands where they used to be. Perhaps a saw would be safer and lighter but I am going to keep her and get to know her better before I give up. Besides the price is going up fast so I feel like I got a deal and I am a sucker for a good deal even if it helps me maim myself. Size wise I would relate this to a carpenters framing hammer with a serious compact blade on it. If you have any experience framing with a hammer then you should be ok. If you have ever hit your thumb with a framing hammer then you will hopefully have the awareness to keep your digits. Do not buy this for an accident prone family member. It is razor sharp and can shave with it from the factory. I did.

That's a sweet little axe. It's a good size and light enough to stick through a loop on a backpack.

I have a few GB axes, was looking for a light weight compact axe to use with my new winter load out, went with this axe based on the size and the ability to split wood. I typically do not fell trees while winter camping and carry a silky saw to cut wood lengths to fit into my titanium hot tent stove, this axe allows me to split wood, limb dead branches, make tent stakes, pound those stakes into the ground and make feather sticks while maintaining a light weight load out. Felling a tree would be possible with this axe but not practical for my use and would take major effort IMHO. The Outdoor Axe was delivered shaving sharp with the fit and finish as expected from GB. As a side note all of my GB axes are delivered with a nice booklet, just think it would be nice to get one in english sometime, I look at the pictures and toss the books into the garbage along with the plastic bags the axes are delivered in. The Outdoor axe is pricey but worth the investment as a tool you can depend on miles away from nowhere.