Gransfors Bruk Swedish Carving Axe

Gränsfors Bruk Swedish Carving Axe

Gränsfors Bruk Swedish carving axe is used where efficient production and a rough-hewn texture are your goals. This axe has a wide 4-1/2 inch curved edge, carried well above the eye. The textured handle is 14 inches long; head weighs 2 lbs.

Carving axes are used in two ways. The first is swinging (or chopping) as you would with a normal axe. In addition, a carving axe can be held at base of the head and used for shaving or slicing cuts. (Yes, Gränsfors Bruk axes are sharp.) In this cut, you push the axe, rather than swinging it.

Double Bevel Carving Axe

The standard version of the carving axe is the double bevel. It has an identical bevel ground on both sides of the cutting edge (like a standard yard axe). The cutting action of the edge works the same regardless if you swing the tool with your right hand, your left hand or if you swing using a forward chop, a straight downward chop or a back swing chop. The symmetrical bevel grind has the edge engaging the cut similarly in all the positioning circumstances possible when using the axe. This affords a good deal of versatility in handling the vast majority of axe carving tasks regardless of which hand holds the tool. double bevel axes are easier to use when making slicing cuts.

Single Bevel Carving Axes

Single Bevel axes will have a more prominent bevel ground onto just one side of the cutting edge. The other side of the axe head has a more gentle bevel angle grind and may look and feel nearly flat in comparison to the prominent bevel side.

So why consider a single bevel style carving axe? That flatter, gentler bevel side of the axe head can reference off the wood surface more easily, which makes some cutting actions a bit more controllable, like skimming, pairing and flattening cuts, when compared to cutting with a double bevel axe. This cutting action is similar to that of a single bevel broad axe and as you can imagine makes it easier to control the cut for some tasks like creating a flat and straight side to a limb or log.

However, the flatter side of the axe limits how you can swing the head to experience the benefits of the single bevel grind (ie. having the flatter side of the axe head reference the wood surface to more easily making those paring cuts).

• The left-bevel carving axe has the prominent bevel on the left side of the cutting edge when looking at the axe from behind and the edge is pointing away from you. The more gentle, flatter bevel grind of the cutting edge is on the right side.
• The right-bevel carving axe has the prominent bevel on the right side of the cutting edge when looking at the axe from behind and the edge is pointing away from you. The more gentle, flatter bevel grind of the cutting edge is on the left side.

Which axe should you choose?

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules. It depends on the work you're doing and which hand you use to swing the axe.

If you are shaping the outside of a carved bowl and are right handed and all of your chops will be a forward chop, performed by pulling the tool back over your right shoulder and swinging down and to your left, a Left-Bevel Axe would be useful in this instance. The flatter side of the cutting edge (the right side) is referencing the stock and the chips are coming off the bevel on the left side of the cutting edge.

However and this is important, when still using your right hand, as soon as you change your swing to straight up and down or to a back swing chop, the prominent bevel side of that left edge is now engaging the wood - not the flatness of the axe heads right side.

Imagine roughing out a spoon blank. You're working at a carving stump with your left hand on the end of a 2 foot long limb held mostly vertically (and the other end of the limb on the stump). With your right hand, you are either swinging mostly straight down cutting onto the side of limb or with a bit of a back swing. To have the flatter side of a single bevel axe reference along the side of the limb as you cut in this fashion, you need a Right-Bevel Axe.

As you can see, the circumstances in how you use a single bevel carving axe, the hand you are using to swing it and the swinging direction you move the tool, affects how the blade cuts. If you're not sure which single bevel axe you may prefer, the best choice is a double bevel model.

Comes with leather sheath

We do not sell Gransfors Bruk tools to resellers.
We reserve the right to cancel any order we believe to be from a reseller.

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