Hultafors Classic Hunting Axe and Mini-Trekking Axe

I had mentioned in our recent Ontario Blackbird knife review that some of our photos got misplaced during the confusion that came with a wildfire here back in the summer of 2012. While I was digging out the Blackbird field test photos, I ran into some more goodies in the archives......

During that summer, I did some field testing on a couple of Hultafors "Classic Line" Axes, specifically, their 20" Hunting Axe (2lb head), and their Mini-Trekking Axe (a 1.25lb hand hatchet). The quality of these axes is excellent, and similar to that of Gransfors Bruks axes. They are what I like to call "Elven-like" in their build quality and mystique, and would fit perfectly into a Lord of the Rings movie. Did all the Elves move from Middle Earth to Sweden when we weren't looking, just to make axes?

20" Hunting Axe

Mini-Trekking Axe

One of the surprises I found when using these axes is just how well they perform when doing fine carving tasks. The curved edge design makes them without a doubt the best finest carving axes/hatchets I've tested. In fact, I became "addicted" to the little Mini-Trekking Axe, spending hours at my base camp carving with it and not wanting to put it down. They also chop great too. The steel quality is similar to Gransfors Bruks, and just like Gransfors, they came razor sharp, and held a great edge. Enjoy!

Carving with the Mini-Trekking Axe

Aspen-bark spoon carved with the Mini-Trekking Axe:

20" Hunting Axe

A tiny featherstick carved free-hand using the Hunting Axe:

The Hunting Axe easily chopped this dead pine tree in half:

For more information visit www.hultafors.com/products/cutting


About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)