Hults Bruk 840712 Aneby Hatchet - 2 lb Head, 20" Handle

I want to preface this with the fact that I bought 4 products for outdoor bushcraft: Hults-Bruk: Aneby Axe, Axe Handle Guard otherwise known as an "Overstrike Guard", Axe Holster, and Wax Canvas Tool Roll. You'll be seeing this same review copy & pasted on each of those items as the quality and craftmanship apply to everyone of them.The Hide and Drink Axe Handle Guard and Holster is made of quality leather that is cut and put together beautifully! All I had to do was use some Lexol leather conditioner on it when they arrived to preserve the leather to last. I also used it on the included Hults-Bruk axe sheath as it was a little dry as well. FYI Lexol is the conditioner they use on horse saddles to make them last forever. I've been using that stuff for many years on all my leather pieces and they have all stood the test of time and have never dried out or cracked so I suggest you not only buy whatever leather items you want from the Hide and Drink company, but also buy some Lexol conditioner so they last forever. On a side note Lexol does darken the leather a bit and takes off a light shade of color from dyed leather (even the browns and blacks), but in all honesty that's a good trade off to have leather that will last you forever.I'm into bushcraft and camping so I wanted a nice axe which you can see in the picture. I bought the Swedish Hults-Bruk 20 inch hand forged- Aneby. A great axe if anyone is reading this who is into bushcraft and in the market for a new axe. This axe is the perfect size and weight for both chopping wood and choking up on the blade to carve wood. At 20 inches long with a 2lbs head it's the most versatile axe I've owned. It came sharp and with a great edge!With that being said I obviously wanted hand guard to not only protect the the handle from chopping debris, but also something that I could hold when I choke up on the blade to carve or chisel wood. This hand guard does just that. It's got the perfect thickness and grip to hold onto and it's a solid piece of quality leather.The same goes for the Axe Holster. It fits perfect on a traditional belt, not a tool belt. It's the perfect thickness and quality with brass rivets holding the two pieces together. The Wax Canvas Tool Roll bag I'm using to put my smaller Japanese chisels, Scotch eyed auger, and other wood-working tools- Swedish Morakniv: wood carving knife and hook knife. The Wax Canvas Tool Roll bag is also phenomenal quality! It feels like it was made back in the 1800's when people cared about quality and craftsmanship.Another cool thing about this Guatemalan based company Hide and Drink is that every thing I bought came with a personally signed craftsman's card with the person's name hand written on it that made your unique piece. When someone takes the time to put their name on each individually hand crafted piece you know you're not only getting quality, but also accountability.

Really great camping axe. Very well made, head hung perfectly, very sharp. Small enough to be used one handed like a hatchet, big enough to use two handed like an axe. Poll is slightly beveled to use for skinning animals, but has a flat center so can be used to hammer wood stakes. The similar Gransfors Bruks axes are either smaller with rounder poll that can’t be used for hammering (hunters axe) or have a sharp edged poll (Small Forest Axe) and can’t be used for skinning and both cost $30-$50 more.

If you’re looking for a well made axe with a strong steel, than you’ve found the best bang for your buck. With this axe being 20 inches long it’s perfect for packing around, and is big enough to get through tough jobs. Being a hand made axe, few are bound to have faults in them, but in my opinion it’s well worth the stellar craftsmanship. Mine shipped with a perfect shaving-sharp grind, and beautiful wood grain in the handle. This axe is no joke, and I highly recommend it to those in need of an axe that will last a lifetime

Wonderful axe. This is my second Hults Bruk. My first was an Almike. Both axes are excellently crafted. The wood on the Aneby is superb with good grains. The head is as usual with Swedish axes, very well made. Hair flingin sharp. The mask is great leather and well designed. This axe is listed as a premium axe and the title fits perfectly. I don't like to throw shade at other axe makers but Swedish made axes are very hard to beat. They are specifically engineered to effectively put them to work in the woods. A good Hults Bruk will not let you down. There is nothing like a Hults Bruk.

All the comments I have read about lack of quality and poor workmanship made me examine the axe even more thoroughly, from every direction and the more I examined it, the more perfect it looked. The handle is gorgeous with perfect grain alignment. The shape, thickness, weight and sharpness are fantastic. This is my fourth axe, but my first mid to lower high-end axe. I can’t wait to take it out for some dirt time! All be it, it is a tool and none of what I have described will get the job done, so yes, it all about functionality but the rest is certainly an added bonus. I will update the description once I put some serious time on it...

This axe is beautiful, particularly the forging marks on the head. The length and weight are great for hatchet tasks, and some light chopping. I expected the edge to be sharper but it came needing a little tune-up to be shaving sharp. The handle grain orientation is acceptable though I would prefer it closer to parallel. Decent axe, but I think a lot of the price comes from the prestige of the name more than the quality of the product. I bought into the history but I suspect you could get a tool with similar performance for half the price.

Craftsmanship still exists! Crazy sharp, good steel. Handles is good wood, great curve makes 1 hand use easy. Comes with nice leather shieth which is good if you hang the axe on your belt.I use this while felling trees. It drives wedges well, is the perfect length. I didn't want a long axe hanging from my belt tripping me up or one thats hard to use one handed. On the flipside, I did not want a short hatchet either, need some size to drive wedges on bigger trees. This length is perfect.

The fit of the handle to the head is great, hand fitted and very tight. My only issue is the edge sharp on the ends and very dull in the center (you may be able to tell by the shine in the center) also looking down the edge isn’t straight, it like it wasn’t straight up and down (90 degrees) when it was sharpened. Once I reproduced it and sharpened it it was perfect. For an axe of this price I would expect better though. Handle was perfect no issues with anything else at all