Council Tool has released the second axe in their premium Velvicut line which I mentioned previously here. The newest addition is a true classic – the Hudson Bay Axe.
The Hudson Bay axe is one of the all time great pack axe patterns. This axe would be at home tucked away in a canoe or lashed to the side of your favorite pack. It has some truly premium features like a 24″ American Hickory handle, a forged 5160 head that has been hardened to 50-54 Rockwell, and leather sheath. The head is even hung in the traditional way – a soft wood wedge with a metal cross wedge.
The most important thing to consider about the Velvicut axes might be that they are made here in the USA. The US axe market is in shambles. Many once great axe and tool manufacturers have been out of business for years. Those of us who wanted premium axes have had to buy used axes to refurbish or buy an imported axe. The Velvicut line represents the return of the premium American axe.
Check out the Velvicut line on the Council Tool website.
This is great news – we need to support American manufacturing, no more $10 harbor freight axes from China. If I was currently in the market for a new axe I would seriously consider something from Council.
The standard line of Council Tool axes are very decent. They might need a bit of work on to get the most out of them. This Velvicut line is meant to compete right out of the box with the higher end axes like Gransfors Bruks.