What is the best Granfors Bruks axe, maul, or hatchet?
That will depend on what you’re wanting to do with it, of course. And whether you need a small lightweight hatchet for clearer branches on a path in the woods or a heavy-duty maul for splitting large rounds for firewood, Gransfors Bruks has a solution.
The brand has been a world-renowned Swedish axe maker since 1902. All of their axes are handmade in Sweden to this day. While being incredible tools, they also make beautiful heirloom pieces to pass down through the family.
Not sure which one you need? While the Small Forest Axe is a best seller, they have many great axes.
Gransfors Bruks Handmade Swedish Axes
Gransfors Bruk makes a variety of different forestry, wood, and clearing tools.
The 5 that we’re focusing on in this post (those shown in the table above) are their bestsellers. However, you can view the entire range here.
Other Gransfors Bruk products include:
- All Purpose Hatchet
- Carpenters Axe
- Hand Hatchet
- Hunting Axe
- Felling Axe
And many more. They also supply grinding stones, sharpening files, and other axe-care products.
Because it’s hard to see the scale of the axes in the table, here’s what they look like side-by-side.
Axes
Axes are the quintessential forestry tool.
They have long handles and a narrow, sharp head, making them perfect for felling and limbing trees. Their razor-sharp edge is designed to cut across the wood grain.
They can serve a range of purposes. For example, felling axes are quite different from the Gransfors Bruks Small Splitting Axe.
Mauls
Mauls have a long, straight handle with a heavy, wedge-like head.
Mauls don’t have much of an edge because they are designed for splitting wood rather than cutting. The narrow edge of a maul’s head sinks into the wood, and its wedge-like shape forces the wood apart along the grain.
Find out more about whether you need an axe or maul here.
Hatchets
Hatchets are small, one-handed tools and commonly accompany both mauls and axes.
They are used mainly for chopping firewood and kindling.
Here are the top five Gransfors Bruks axes to help you choose which one is right for you!
1. Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe
- Axe weight: 2.2 lbs
- Axe length with handle: 19 inches
The Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe is a gorgeous small axe that is great for a plethora of uses.
The Small Forest Axe has a bigger head and a longer, curved handle than a standard hatchet, which adds to its versatility.
This axe is small enough to be easily carried through the woods. Despite its small size, it possesses the strength and durability needed to tackle the bigger tasks you might normally use a felling axe to complete.
It works beautifully for small tasks as well, like cutting firewood and kindling.
Pros:
- Leather sheath included
- Includes Gransfors’ Axe Book
- Versatile uses
Cons:
- Pricey
- Some knock-offs out there
2. Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Axe
- Axe weight: 2.6 lbs
- Axe length with handle: 25 inches
The Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Axe is a beautiful axe that can do almost anything you need.
This axe looks much like the Small Forest Axe, but its overall length is longer, and it weighs a bit more. This allows you to get even more done with this than the Small Forest Axe.
This axe was designed with professionals in mind and can fell large trees while still being easy to carry. Its longer handle provides more force behind your swing, and the sturdy, sharp head is sure to cut through wood like butter.
Pros:
- Leather sheath included
- Includes Gransfors Axe Book
- Sharp out of the box
Cons:
- Occasional manufacturer imperfections
3. Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet
- Axe weight: 1.3 lbs
- Axe length with handle: 13.39 inches
The Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet is the perfect camping companion. If you are looking for a hatchet with the power to cut firewood for your campfire with ease, this is the hatchet you’re looking for.
The Wildlife hatchet has a sturdy, hand-forged head with a beautiful wooden handle that curves forward at the end to provide a good grip.
This hatchet has a longer handle than Gransfors Bruks’ Hand Hatchet, making it more versatile while still being tiny enough to easily fit into a backpack. You never know what you might run into while camping, so this versatility can come in handy.
Pros:
- Leather sheath included
- Includes Gransfors’ Axe Book
- Sharp edge out of the box
- Comfortable handle
Cons:
- Also known to have knock-offs out there
4. Gransfors Bruks Splitting Maul
- Axe weight: 7 lbs
- Axe length with handle: 32 inches
The Gransfors Bruks Splitting Maul is a beast of a tool and is the heaviest of all the Gransfors Bruks models.
This maul has an incredibly long, straight handle to provide the most power to your swing and a long, concave-ground head that digs into the wood without a problem. The head is reinforced by a steel collar to ensure that it can handle the hardest of hits.
The back of the axe head is thick and flat like a hammer, and it can even be paired with the Gransfors Bruks splitting wedge for those extra tough logs.
It is rather appropriate that Gransfors Bruks sounds a lot like “grand force bruks”, isn’t it?
Pros:
- Leather sheath included
- Includes Gransfors’ Axe Book
- Perfect for knotty wood
Cons:
- Occasional manufacturer imperfections
5. Gransfors Bruks Small Splitting Axe
- Axe weight: 3.53 lbs
- Axe length with handle: 23 inches
The Gransfors Bruks Small Splitting Axe is truly a beautiful, grand axe, and makes our list of the best splitting axes.
This small axe is the perfect tool to keep by your woodpile as it’s designed specifically for splitting firewood.
The Small Splitting axe has a long handle and a wide, razor-sharp head. The axe efficiently cuts into your firewood, and then its wide head pushes apart the wood like a mini maul.
There is also a steel collar on this axe, just like the one on the maul, to offer reinforcement.
This axe should not be used in place of a maul. It is not designed to split large logs or be struck the way you would strike a maul.
Pros:
- Leather sheath included
- Includes Gransfors’ Axe Book
- Light and fast way to split firewood
Cons:
- The sheath is sometimes too big
Gransfors Bruks History
Before Gransfors Bruks officially opened, brothers Johan and Anders Pettersson owned two separate scythe forges in Gransfors, Sweden, in 1868.
While it’s plausible that they also forged axes from time to time, the need for axes didn’t really ramp up until the late 1800s, when the logging industry began its boom in Sweden.
Axe forges popped up all over to feed this demand, but they were all located further south, whereas the forests that were being logged were up north. The Pettersson brothers got the idea to build an axe forge further north than others to satisfy this domestic demand.
In 1902, the scythe forge that Anders Pettersson bought became the foundation of what we now know as Gransfors Bruks axe forge.
The term ‘bruk’ means ‘work’ and was a common suffix for large industrial businesses at the time who had Royal privileges to mine, manufacture, etc.
Royal privileges were no longer in play by the time Gransfors Bruks came about, so it’s thought that the addition of ‘Bruks’ to the name served to make it seem older than it really was.
Gransfors Bruks Axe FAQs
Let’s go over some common questions you might be wondering about as you choose your perfect axe!
What is the Forest Axe?
The forest axes made by Gransfors Bruks are meant to be a versatile tool for all of your needs out in the woods. It’s small enough to easily carry while being hefty enough to handle more than your average hatchet.
The forest axe is designed to be like a felling axe.
It is meant to cut across the wood grain like you would when felling a tree as opposed to a splitting maul or axe, which is meant to split wood along the wood grain.
Who makes Gransfors Bruks?
Gransfors Bruks is owned by its parent company Svedbro Smide, which is owned by Gabriel Branby.
Gabriel’s sons, Daniel and Adam, are currently leading the company.
Where are Gransfors Bruks axes made?
The company is located in Gransfors, Sweden.
How are their axes made?
Gransfors Bruks axes are made on-site at the company’s forge by many skilled blacksmiths.
Forest Axe
All in all, Gransfors Bruks has a beautiful array of axes for you to choose from.
Whether you are looking for a small camping hatchet or a beast to split the biggest logs, Gransfors has what you need. One of the axes, mauls, or hatchets from the entire range is bound to fit your needs.
The Forest Axe (here on Amazon) is definitely the most popular, but any of the range is made to same high standard of quality.
We hope we have been able to help you on your journey of finding your perfect Gransfors Bruks axe.
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