Council ToolVelvicut 2.25 Pound Premium Bad Axe Boy's Axe with Sheath

Bought this from Amazon and a hults bruk kisa from REI. One for me, this one, and the kisa for my son. The kisa is comparable in specs. The kisa is a couple of inches shorter and about half a pound lighter. Hults bruk is said to be comparable to gransfors bruk but there isn't anyplace i can handle a GB in person. REI carries HB. I went and took my pick of three. The HB i bought had the most symmetric head grind, best hang, straightest handle, and best grain of the three there. It's a very nice axe and limbs and fells small to medium oaks very well.The council velvicut boys axe is better made. The head is finished fairly similarly, similar bit width, similar slight hollow cheeks. Everything about the overall profile is very similar. Some cosmetic differences.The handle on the council tool is surprisingly well done. One of the best axe handles I've personally seen. I'm not an avid axe man but I've used them since i was a boy. The grain is incredible. Almost completely straight from heel to head with the exception of the natural growth ring curvature. Tight, well hung. The only real problem is that they left grind marks on the head. Forge marks are ok with me but not grind marks.The handle on the HB needed to be reworked. It is far to thick near the head and the grain was left splitting where it runs off. I spent about 5 hours over the last two days sanding and filing the split grains and making the handle more appropriately thick for the light head weight. Even after a LOT of sanding with 80 grit paper i could not get beneath the splits. I eventually gave up and dug small divots to cut the splits out and sanded them smooth. There are probably 10 divots left.If i had to choose I'd keep the Council but since the HB is my son's first axe I'll expect that at some point he'll have to put a new handle on it. The heads are fairly equivalent and could be left up to what you personally like better. Council prides itself on producing the best handles for their velvicut line and based on this example i can see why.For reference i make knives and rehandle a lot if other's knives which let's me be familiar with quite a bit of wood. I was disappointed with the HB handle. I can and will likely make my own handle for it when my son inevitably breaks this one.I really don't see how Gransfors Bruk could objectively produce something better. Equivalent, sure. Different, sure. But obviously better? I doubt it. Not if Hults Bruk can't produce even one out of three that's on the same level of a random velvicut axe i bought from amazon sight unseen.Edit to add:It's been awhile since i bought these two and I'd wholeheartedly suggest this over a Hults Bruk. It's really to the point where i wonder if people who would advocate for a hults bruk over a CT velvicut have actually used them.This is an unashamed endorsement of the CT velvicut line based on the axe i received. It's really, really good.

Counsel tool makes great tools. Make sure that you ordered from an authorized reseller and check that the tool you receive is actually the Velvicut model. I now believe that the problem was not caused by the retailer but was mislabeled by a middleman.

This axe is not worth anywhere near the cost. Mine arrived so dull. It wouldn’t cut pudding. I will need to spend hours putting an edge on it. The sheath is not the one shown, it’s way too small. Wont come close to fitting. Not sure if I should call Council or just send it back and go Hultafors.

Aint much to say, she seems pretty spot on to me. My first actual axe i decided to buy (id rather not with that fiberglass stuff at Lowe’s and Home Depot sorry), but seems like everything is good to me. Im still new to general axe head/handle knowledge but the grain looks pretty good, axe head isnt perfect its got some scuffs but its not like its warped or cracked or anything.Axe head will hang down when you rest the handle on your fingers to balance it, some people dont care some people do just throwing that out there. Feels very solid in the hands not heavy at all, have yet to swing it at some wood though been a bit mucky outside but will update this review after ive used it for awhile. Sharp part of the axe head is all weird looking from me sharpening it, it comes decently sharp but not... “hair shaving sharp” or “skin cutting sharp” but after a few grinds with the Lansky Puck it was skin cutting sharp easily.Hope the pictures did justice!(Edit a few days after this post):So far this axe is amazing, bites hard and deep but with how thin the profile is it tends to stick quite a bit and i find myself using more energy prying it out vs actually chopping the wood. Also in the description it says the handle was coated in Linseed Oil but it doesnt seem like it was coated with anything to be honest it just looks and feels as if they made the handle and threw it on there. Doesnt look or feel any different, if thats the case though ill just do it myself just thought id throw that out there.

I have a favorite "boy's axe" (I prefer the old Boy Scout field book term 3/4 size axe) that I have had since I was about 14 years old. So I wanted to duplicate the size to have one in my motorhome and one in my airplane. Mine has a total wood handle length of 28.25 inches (including the wood inside the head) which is really perfect. This one claims it has a 28 inch axe handle "before installation" but I was very disappointed to find that it is only 27 inches long including the 1/4 inch protruding beyond the head. So it is basically 1.5 inches shorter than the axe I've been using for 54 years. It looks like a decent axe but for the money, I think I'll return it and get one with the right length handle.

Love it!!!

I bought this as a multi-use axe, mostly felling/limbing. After much research, I decided on Council over any foreign made axe due to the ability to cut hard/frozen wood. Other Swedish axes of similar quality are meant only for softwoods and I needed an axe to handle everything. I would give it 5 stars other than the fact that the handles are all pretty bad. I had to re-wedge this axe a few times. Council's handles (at least for the boy's axe) are all junk. The company they buy from shaves off too much wood from the eye and the result is an axe that just doesn't fit the way it should. But I got some lighter pine and made a wedge, the resin acts like a natural glue, and I put two of my own steel wedges in the eye. Now it's pretty solid. I would definitely recommend this axe to anyone looking for an alternative to a GB or Wetters. American made, ready for the tough woods, although not perfect, the handle is solid and quite beautiful if maintained. Now this is my wife's axe and I am awaiting a man's axe in the mail.(Tuatahi work axe)