Gransfors Bruk Outdoor Axe: Deep Wilderness Field Use!!

Made hard work of that

Nah! A good camp saw less than a quarter of the time and😢😮 effort

what state r u in?

At min 23.30 u are using it like a hammer not like an axe . Strike with an angle , let the axe work for you

Dude, get a saw. That axe is for splitting and limbing. The grind is ALL wrong for cross cutting.

This was kind of hard to watch. The GBA OA is a wonderful tool that I love.

My man, are you scared of the tree when you’re choppin or what?? 😅

Nice for carving or making feathersticks, but for anything else, it is to light and the handle is to narrow for at least middle large hands.
In my eyes it is more a toy, than a tool.
I regret that I bought it.

I have the GB Mini and Wildlife Hatchets and a Small Forest Axe, and when considering the Outdoor Axe I thought the handle was too thin, whereas I prefer the one on my Wildlife Hatchet.

The Outdoor Axe is similar in head and handle size to my Wildlife, and I doubted that I'd find any benefit in it compared to what I already have!

The Outdoor Axe with the handle of the Wildlife Hatchet would be something interesting.

I forgot to say that I also take a Silky Saw, either an F-180, a Gomboy Outback or a Bigboy Outback, as I'd much prefer to easily and swiftly saw wood than chop it!

I'm providing fuel for my tent stove and camp fire, not building an ark, so I don't need to over think stuff!

I think the Angle of attack on the bigger logs hurt to show the ability of the axe, yes it is a small axe but you have to make your cuts as far apart as the log is thick. Great axe imho. It excels more with wrist to calf sized wood and is in good company with a good saw. Splitting is better than chopping but it can do both, if needed.

I have the small forest axe and the wildlife hatchet but still want the outdoor axe

Seems ok, but I think I'll just stick to my Chanto.

Got the outdoor axe this Christmas. Used it one time, and I have fiskars X7 to compere with. It outperform the X7 in almost everyway, expect to cut thick logs. Its natural since the head is light. Where is realy shines is splitting, its almost magical how this light axe/hatched splitt rather big logs. This axe can do everything to make a fire in the winter, but it is perfect combined with a saw wintertime in Norway. I am very pleased with my X7, but it has suddenly become a bit soulless.

I noticed that when I started using it like a large camp knife and less like an axe (it’s a hatchet anyway) it really shined!

Great trip

My opinion ✌️

Great video! Very informative! Thank you! 👍

It looks kind of small for effective processing of wood. I think I would take the small forest axe or a Hults Bruk Akka where you have more leverage and cutting power. It will be a little heavier to carry though - probably by a pound or so. It would be okay for small stuff. Any cutting of decent size, this hatchet looks like a real chore.

i think you used thst axe beyond its means. you used it as if were a small forest axe. also gransfors weights are just the head

The 'problem' with the handle, almost slipping out of the hand, is, easily fixed:
I took a tin pin, in my case of a fox, and pushed it into the handle, where my fingertips rest.

That way, I have enough grip on the handle and I've personalized my hatchet :-)

Been a year, you still have & go camping with the axe?

Thanks for taking the time for a review.

You should really consider hitting the grain with an angle when "felling" or dividing lenghtwise. An axe is most efficient when you're taking large chunks out from dividing the fibers from two sides. Also chopping with a straight angle will put more strain on the edge. Also you should consider letting the head and swing work for you more.

It's your axe and your shoulders but I you could have a better experience chopping.

Very useful review. Thank you!

I'm an old Italian hiker and hunter and I always had a small hatchet with me. Because I' m also an axes collector I have seversl Gransfors
axes and hatchets and one Outdoor Axe. I tried it several times to cut with it wood for a fire and other camping chores and it did properly what was meant to do. The only real problem is its outrageous price; in Italy 135,00 euro. Yes the manufacturing is fantastic but the steel according the producer is "recicled steel" and not valuable steel coming from Swedish ore as they hint in their brochures. All in all their steel looks like a C70 steel with about 0,7 C 0.7 Mn 0.25 Si. Basicallyi it's a cheap steel good for the purpose of building an axe but not real renowm swedish steel. I have an Italian hatchet built with C70 steel with similar and for me better handling caracteristics than Gransfors Outdoor and it costs 30,0 euro. All the features duration and cutting properties have resulted after a long use and abuse the same. So how can Gransfors justify a 100,0 euro differentemente between the relative prices? If Gransfors people read this notes I should like a direct answer from them! Perhaps the answer is that they produce for collectors, like me, who can pay for an item beautiful to collect but not for the everyman who cuts wood for business or household use!.

If you had to choose one, would you choose the outdoor axe or the small forest axe? I'm stuck in-between these. One more packable but less capable, the other more capable but less packable.

Boh! Who use it like that?

Whitch of Metall is?

A good pair of gloves would solve the rolling problems. Should probably be using some gloves anyway

Pulling the trigger on one of these axes. 100$ for a new one

I woke up kind of hazey outside and chopped kindle without removing the sheath. It chopped through one of the steel rings and split the wood without damaging the edge.

Good on you for doing everything with the tool. Watching the video it didn't seem to be bucking near as well as it should. Part of that was likely the angle of the cut. Part of it was not opening up the cut enough and hitting the bottom of a V over and over. But I have to wonder if it wasn't dull or in need of some profile work. Not many people will take any axe of any kind into the woods and use it for everything so good job there. Hopefully you don't take this the wrong way. Just based on my experience you should be able to do the same work with a fraction of the swings used.

For the handle you might thin out the sides. Sounds crazy I know but an oval cross section really makes a difference. I agree about it being too round in shape. For the roll and chip hammer it flat and hit it will a stone. If you have a good file it MIGHT cut the steel okay. Gransfors may be overated in a lot of ways but their steel sure is hard. Trying to improve the terrible factory bevel on my SFA was a royal PITA!

So, I managed to sell my OA, miss my OA and buy another OA ... :D

Now I'm kinda worried that the steel collar is too short to really protect the haft ... so I made a longer (say 3.5") leather guard. I soaked the leather for about 10 minutes, used a towel to dry the surface of the leather and then I used a leather cord to attach the guard to the haft.

Now I'm worried (again, lol) of rust that formed on the steel collar under the wet leather before the leather dried up. Let's say there would be some rust. In your opinion, should I be afraid?

Have a nice day!

Handle is too short, not enough speed. It would be better if it was thomahawk with traction, round handle, so you can just cut a branch and use it as a long enough handle.

Way to expensive for what it is. Really a cheap coldsteel tomahawk could do the same thing. But personally I like the look but camp ax is something I never seem to use.
Like every boy scout I've had many hatchets. After more then 35 years camping I stopped carrying them 25 years ago. Just never use them.
I'm a knife an saw kinda guy. I have lately carried the coldsteel trailhawk I like that but I tend to have to force myself to use it. It's not what comes to mind if you know what I mean. I just wanna increase my skill level. Anyway my question after my long life history is who else makes a quality tomahawk/ camp tool under $100?Seems everything is getting very expensive lately. Nice video and it is a beautiful ax. Just when I looked It's $195 which is high for its limits in my opinion.

Great and detailed review!
PS: I just got the GB OA today. Didn't have time to use it, in the feel and heft the Wildlife hatchet still rocks. I'm curious how the OA will perform. Plus it reminds me a little too much of my Small hatchet.

I've had this little chopper for a bit. It's a good one. I think those who bash it expect too much out of a tool like this.

I could tell the gentleman doing this review was shooting way above this tools intended purposes just based on the very 1st footage of him chopping with it.

To me it is like the guy who buys a 3 season tent and then complains about it coming up short during a northeast snow storm because he is eating spindrift sandwiches.

This axe to me is best utilized when complimented in a system. My setup is 3 fold. The LT Wright Outback 3v saber grind, the Grandfors Outdoor Axe, and finally the Silky Ultra Accel 240 curved

I sometimes run the Agawa Boreals(both sizes) from time to time as well.

I've been at the outdoor stuff(backpacking & climbing) for 4 decades some of which was as a gear reviewer as well as doing a bit of r & d for a few very well recognized & respected brands.

Not bashing this review.

Just saying when reviewing a product get a grasp of what its limitations are before you expect it to do to much & when it doesn't perform say it is the tools fault & not the users.

This is the one gransfors bruks models I’d like to get though I do have their Scandinavian axe small forest axe and the wildlife hatchet so it’s hard to buy another gransfors bruks axe for room and money. For a pack axe I love the small forest axe the Scandinavian is my camp axe and for game and light hikes the wildlife hatchet is my go to. I have all your gransfors bruks axes except this one your showing in this video.

Hockey tape will fix the small handle problem

Great review mate, detailed as always. As you said, possibly a bit underpowered, but a handy tool nonetheless. Shame about that chip though. Good stuff Eric

Overpriced, overrated, and nothing that my USA-made Estwing couldn't do at a fraction of the price.

Well Eric, that's a full blown field test, great job.

Wow, you really tested this outdoor Axe/Hatchet in every possible scenario.
Thanks for all the time markers.

Great review!

Was just looking at this one the other day for a specific system, I choose the Fiskars X7 instead but I´m gonna buy this one for another application/system to go with the scandinavian axe

Thanks for the upload and greetings from Sweden :)