Wetterlings or GB what to buy


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skorpyd

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I have decided that I want to buy a quality small axe/hatchet. I have been looking at the Wetterlings wildlife and the GB wildlife.

Is the GB worth the extra money for hopefully a lifetime purchase.
Are there any other brands in that size/quality range I should look at, and where is the best place to get one?

So far I have been using a large knife, small knife combo but want to see if I like the axe knife combo more.
 
I went with the GB and love it can't believe I waited so long to try one. I don't think it will matter a lot on which one you choose they are both high quality pieces.
 
I'm leaning towards the GB, especially after seeing another recent post and pics of a Wetterlings
 
skorpyd said:
So far I have been using a large knife, small knife combo but want to see if I like the axe knife combo more.
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If you are unsure if you will even like a hatchet/knife combo, why not get something like the kobalt hatchet first and try it out. It's $100 less than the GB, and very nice quality for the money. Just a sugestion.
 
556mp said:
If you are unsure if you will even like a hatchet/knife combo, why not get something like the kobalt hatchet first and try it out. It's $100 less than the GB, and very nice quality for the money. Just a sugestion.
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Agreed. My dad gave me an old beat up craftsman hatchet that has and will continue to do the job until I can afford something better. Those axes cost quite a bit and could be considered an investment because of the quality level.

That being said I'm becoming a big fan of tomahawks during warmer months because there's not a need to process as much wood. They are lighter to carry and multifunctional.

556 is right. Try it out before you take the plunge. It would likely be worth the wait to know for sure. Just my .02 though.
 
I guess if you are gonna enter it in a beauty contest, you may want to chose the GB. If you're going to use it for it's intended purpose, you will do just fine with either. Matt's advice is sound as well.
 
The Estwing is another mid-priced hatchet that will last a lifetime.

Personally I have several older ones that were scrounged from garage sale finds or traded here on the forums.

My brother just got a 13" GB and it is very nice indeed. If money and other priorities were not an issue, a GB would be in the bag for sure.
 
Well, I got a couple of GBs for Christmas (yay!).

One thing I will say for them, is that unlike just about every axe I've ever seen, they could shave hair out of the box.

The other thing is the edge profile is much thinner than most axes I've seen, and even thinner than my tomahawk. I have a feeling that these are going to cut DEEP with each swing.

So, I think buying a GB will be more likely to get one to like axes, than one that has to be sharpened or re-profiled to do so. I've read many reviews by men much better than I on the GB Wildlife hatchet, and have yet to read a negative review.
 
I can't really comment on a Gransfors Bruks since all I have ever done is hold one. But, they are highly praised and I'm not sure that I've ever really heard anyone complain about theirs.

I do have 4 Wetterlings and I'm very pleased with their quality and performance and they were all shaving sharp when I received them. They've easily handled every task that I ever needed. Plus, they are a bit cheaper than the GB, if that's an issue.

Council Tool makes very good American made axes and cost less than a Wetterlings and GB. I have several of them, but mine didn't come very sharp and required a little work before their first use and you'll either have to make your own mask or purchase one for it. Of course, their new Velvicut line is supposed to be comparable to a GB, but I've never seen or held one personally.

I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them, just depends on how much you want to spend and what you plan to use them for.
 
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I have a 1960 Globemaster that I restored and it does the job for me in the hatchet dept. I do have a GB SFA and it is great although I learned to use an axe on an inexpensive model first.

Hope this helps. : )
 
Thanks all for the great opinions. I looked up the council Hudson Bay and it looks very interesting. It is just a bit bigger than what I was thinking I wanted but for the price it might be worth a try, and maybe it would be a better size than the smaller wildlife sizes. I have an Estwing campers axe and it is just a bit big and heavy to carry on a woods outing.
 
You can pick up a Vaughan carpenter's hatchet (28oz head, 18" handle) on clearance at Home Depot right now for $7.93. Good hatchet, USA made, and prime for modifying! I would recommend that you start there.

Looker
 
I would lean toward the wetterling for its slightly thicker bit.

And speaking of thicker bits, the roselli has really impressed me with its all around functionality. It's weird looking but worth considering.
 
I can not offer any help on the GB or wetterlings as I do not have one and probably will not due to the cost. But I was gifted an OLD 28" axe from the 1940's that is just fantastic.

I have been reworking it and plan to put a shorter handle on it. This axe has the same thin edge of a GB but still plenty of weight behind it to help it bite deep.

That being said, check out your local hardware stores before you go and spend the hefty price on a GB, those cheap hardware store axes can be just as good in the right hands.

-Brandon
 
I believe either a Wetterlings or Gransfors Bruks hatchet would last a lifetime, you pay a little extra for the GB because it has a superior finish.

Husqvarna also makes a similar hatchet that would be worth looking at.
 
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skorpyd said:
I have decided that I want to buy a quality small axe/hatchet. I have been looking at the Wetterlings wildlife and the GB wildlife.

Is the GB worth the extra money for hopefully a lifetime purchase.
Are there any other brands in that size/quality range I should look at, and where is the best place to get one?

So far I have been using a large knife, small knife combo but want to see if I like the axe knife combo more.
Click to expand...

I have both of those and they are not the same hatchet. The GB Wildlife weighs a bit less, has a slightly lighter head with a thinner profile handle.

I also have the small Wetterlings hand axe (it uses the same head as the Wetterlings "wildlife" hatchet) which is shorter in length than the GB Wildlife but has a heavier head and weighs more than the GB Wildlife.

Both of the brands are very similar, Gransfors axes are better finished and polished cosmetically.

I think you will be happy with the Gransfors though. If you would be spending the money only once anyway, the price difference is little when taken in consideration of it being a lifetime tool. They even offer an extremely long warranty.
 
Looker said:
You can pick up a Vaughan carpenter's hatchet (28oz head, 18" handle) on clearance at Home Depot right now for $7.93. Good hatchet, USA made, and prime for modifying! I would recommend that you start there.

Looker
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Looker, I had to go to HD for a saw blade and didn't see any of these is it online or just in your area. Which may not be too far from my area
 
I have decided that I want to buy a quality small axe/hatchet. I have been looking at the Wetterlings wildlife and the GB wildlife.

Is the GB worth the extra money for hopefully a lifetime purchase.
Are there any other brands in that size/quality range I should look at, and where is the best place to get one?
Click to expand...

I have several Wetterlings axes (used some of their hatchets), even more Gransfors Bruks axes...owning both the Wildlife and Mini hatchets.

A friend of mine owned a woodworking tool store up until about four or five years ago. He sold a number of axe brands, including Wetterlings and Gransfors. I would often sort through his pile of axes that would arrive in the shipments and occasionally bring one home. It was not at all unusual to find an axe or two in the pile that did not meet with his or my approval. These, he would send back to his source. A few other stores might have sold these same expensive, poorly made axes to the public, perhaps not knowing any better.

I worked with our local fire department budget committee for a time (a volunteer). Here, I often inspected some of the new equipment that would come in, including our annual shipments of Council Tool axes. As much as I love the idea of "American Made", these axes were often a disappointment. Our wildland firefighters used the same axes with the same 'hit & miss' quality. However, most all of the firefighters didn't know a good axe from a bad one and, they were content with what they were issued. Yes, they really abused 'em, so it might not have mattered too much anyway.

Ordering an axe by mail order is not something I do, for the reasons mentioned. I know some get lucky, but I tried that a time or two and didn't do so well, for a variety of reasons. I like to do a "hands-on comparison" when I buy tools...if I can.

Of all the hatchets I own, my favorite is a Norlund that I restored a few years back. I purchased the Norlund new as a young man and, if memory serves me, I think I paid around $9.00 for the thing (I paid between $60 and $80 each for the Gransfors Mini and Wildlife). For the type of work I do, the Norlund serves me best. Your needs might be better served with another hatchet. A bit like buying shoes sometimes, you just need to try the axe on to see if it fits. :)
 
I have a Fiskars hatchet. cost about $22.00 on Amazon. Nothing to look at, but does a good job and is so light you don't know its in your pack. They say its unbreakable. The handle is hollow and could be filled with other survival stuff.
 
After seeing the amount of gransfors axes that were poorly made at my local dealer I would say go with a wetterlings. Ive been carrying my wetterlings for years and it still performs perfectly.
 
I have a 20" Wetterlings and love it. I'm not terribly concerned with appearance; it is an axe for goodness sake.

Start with the Wetterlings and if you don't like it then sell it and buy aGB.
 
I really, really, really, really recommend picking up an inexpensive old axe head (craftsman, plumb, whatever) then learn how to re-handle it. Learn how to use an axe on that. When beginning axes, you will have the boyish compulsive feeling to throw it. I don't recommend throwing a $200 GB. I have beat the crap of my little carpenters hatchet. Learned how the edge should be sharpened. I have chipped the edge many, many times via rocks in the process of learning how to use an axe. I would hate to chip a GB because of lack of experience. This being said, from what I read here you can hardly go wrong.
Please note: I am just saying what i think, I still completely suck with an axe and know little about them in reality. But what i said is what i have found to be true. YMMV
Good luck
 
skorpyd said:
Looker, I had to go to HD for a saw blade and didn't see any of these is it online or just in your area. Which may not be too far from my area
Click to expand...

If the store has them, they will be with the hammers, They usually have them down by the floor since they are on clearance, or you could ask an employee if they have their clearance items somewhere else. They're going pretty fast since they went on clearance though.

Looker
 
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