SA Wetterlings Wildlife axe- review and impressions

I have long been looking for the perfect outdoor cutting tool. The problem is, no such tool exists. Different tools exist for different jobs. I have always been a lightweight hiker and I don't believe in taking everything, including the kitchen sink, into the wilderness. My back just doesn't like it. I am not an ultralight hiker, and I don't obsess about pack weight, but I only take necessities and weight is of primary concern to me. So until now, I have always carried knives as my primary cutting tool.

Things changed for me when I started contemplating sea touring on a kayak. Kayaks can easily accommodate one hundred or more pounds of gear, so weight is not a concern there. That is when I started looking at camp axes and hatchets. After doing my homework, I decided that their were two viable options for me, Gransfors Bruks, or SA Wetterlings. The Wetterlings line seemed appealing to me for a few reasons. For one, they were slightly cheaper than Gransfors. Both were made in Sweden, and both hand forged. One of the reasons why Wetterlings appealed to me is because the CEO was a woman.

Julia Kalthoff, CEO of SA Wetterlings, is not just a CEO that fell into the trade. Julia is an actual blacksmith who knows axes. It impresses me that an outdoor company in a predominantly male trade would hire a female CEO. It may be a silly reason, but this, along with Wetterlings reputation for quality, persuaded me to buy a Wetterlings axe.

I scoured the Internet and found the axe for me. A 13 inch hatchet length axe, Wetterlings Wildlife model.



Once I received the tool, I was immediately impressed. The Wildlife axe was sharp enough to shave my bear-like arms right out of the box. It has a smooth, gently curved 13 inch hickory handle which was perfect for both powerful swings and shaving wood by choking up on the handle. The color of the wood was uniform and did not have any major imperfections. The axe head itself was about 2 1/2 inches wide and about 5 inches long. The blade is ground to a 24 degree profile according to Wetterlings. It should be noted that the exact specs vary, because each axe is hand forged.



The cutting edge on this axe is amazing. Without any effort I was able to chop wood. The size is perfect for making fur strips to start a fire. It is small enough to stow away on a kayak, or even in a backpack for that matter. For winter hiking, this is now a required piece of equipment for me. I might even carry it in the summer! Of course, it's no replacement for a small knife, but it is a wonderful tool that serves its purpose well.



The Wetterlings Wildlife axe, as with all Wetterlings axes, comes with a leather sheath. Some do not like the sheath. The sheath is more of an edge guard than it is full length protection for the axe head. I suspect it is less about protecting the blade and more about protecting me from loosing my fingers. I may make a new sheath for it. Or I may just leave it as it is. Either way, for $75 bucks, this axe was a steal!

-Beardman