Council Tool Jersey Classic with Forged Bevels 32 Inch Curved Wooden Handle Sport Utility Finish (with Sheath)

I have a gransfors bruh small forest axe. It is great, super sharp, and well finished but it is expensive. When it came time to buy a full size felling axe I researched a lot and settled on this axe. Out of the box it is a great axe and exactly as I expected. You pay a lot less than you would for a Gransfors Bruk. What you get is a less finished axe but that is what I wanted. The axe comes with a very dry unfinished handle and the blade is not even close to sharp. But again, this is what I expected and was willing to compromise on for a more affordable axe. To finish this axe and to make it superb I will apply boiled linseed oil to the handle and sharpen the bit with a file and stone. After that this axe will be top notch. The grain on the handle is straight, the axe head is symmetrical and hung well, and is overall a great axe. If you want a great axe but don't want to spend over a $100 dollars and are willing to do some finishing yourself I highly recommend this axe.

I am very happy with this product. I have seen reviews that have mentioned misaligned grain on Council Tool's wooden handles and various complaints about quality control. My experience with this product has been very positive. The handle was perfectly formed and the grain properly aligned with the bit. The cutting edge took a shaving sharp edge with little effort and cuts like a dream. The hardening seems to be of good quality and the axe retained a perfect edge after chopping a day's worth of firewood. The axe head is wonderfully balanced and swings very well. Overall I would say that this is a proper all purpose working axe. Cosmetically it is not pristine like some boutique axes, but it is functionally flawless. Plus, it's American made and offers modern production of a classic American axe pattern at a price much lower than some imported competitors.

VERY fine workmanship. This is an axeman's axe. Very good grind. Straight grained, nicely thinned handle.

The axe head is an all-around, five-star cutter. Dress the edge and you're good to go. The axe is perfectly balanced just as it should be with the cheek of the blade up, not sideways. She swings, "sweet". The handle is what leaves to be desired. The grain runs at about a 45-degree angle and has some runout. It is however solidly anchored to the head and soaks up the raw linseed oil like a sponge. I have a feeling that the handle will be just fine. I have no regrets on my purchase.

I debated on the 5# or this 3.5# ax and went with this one. I could tell lifting it out of the box that this was a nicely balanced ax. It came sharp out of the box, took it out after work and split some wood with it. It did a really nice job and sharpened back up quickly. Very impressed with this thing, it splits like a big ax but I wouldn't hesitate to take it with me on a canoe trip if it was needed.

Great tool!!! Some of us still use these for more than a decoration and finding a good axe is not easy anymore. Council uses 1060 high carbon steel and heat treats it right. After cleaning up the edge with a file and a couple of different stones it was shaving sharp and stayed that way. The handle is absolutely beautiful. It was raw with no finish but it was a handle you would have gotten 80 years ago. Thin and light. The head isn't really polished it is just ground and left in the white. It polishes nicely pretty easily with minimal work. The handle is secured with an aluminum wedge that has loosened on mine after hours of hard use, but tightens back up very easily. This tool is very accurate in swinging and very large chips fly well clear of the cut. This tool is well worth the price as it performs very effectively.

If you want a garage wall hanger, this is not the axe for you. The axe head is not brightly polished and the finish on the handle looks like "good enough" was good enough.* * * * * BUT * * * * *This is a VERY WELL MADE tool. It is meant to be used, abused, repaired, and abused again.Out of the box, the head is sufficiently sharp for chopping or splitting. The balance is good. I had no problems putting the edge right where I wanted it to land.The handle is solid and the grain orientation is correct - I had no issues with the handle cracking or splitting. The finish on the handle is not as smooth as a baby's butt, however I saw no issues with the surface quality of the handle - "good enough" was good enough. It's a tool. You'll put more dings and scrapes in it the first time you use it.If you need an axe, spend the $$ one time and buy a quality tool - one that is MADE IN THE USA!!!!!

I own about 20 axes, including Hults Bruk, Gransfors Bruk, Helko Werk, Council Tool Velvicut, and Council Tool Woodcraft. This Council Tool Sport Utility axe came just a sharp, the handle has excellent grain orientation, the head is hung perfectly, and the handle shape is very comfortable. I would order this axe again every day and twice on Sunday. I am very pleased with this axe. Just as good as my higher priced axes at a fraction of the cost.