Testing and reviewing a $640 handmade axe on logs of increasing difficultyfrom @bradley.thor

Transcript

This is without a doubt the most beautiful axe I've ever put on this channel. Correction. This is the most beautiful axe that I've ever owned. However, this axe worst 640 fucking dollars. And as nervous as I am to swing this thing on a piece of firewood, I have to. So let's test it and give it a one through 10 rating. And boy, do I hope it's good. Here we go. The black oak, it's a little bigger, but it's an easier species of wood to split. Alright. We're gonna start stepping it up a little bit to a larger knotted piece of iron oak. It feels sort of elegant. Doesn't create a lot of fuss when it goes through the wood. This next piece is a ugly grained piece of iron oak. I expect a few more swings tier. That's exactly why we picked it. Straight through a fucking burl. Pretty good. I'm good with that. I think this piece sort of speaks for itself. We got a big knot on the face right here and then two on the side. Should create a situation where I have to swing quite a few times. Unbelievable. Let's review it. So worst and foremost, this is made by a company called Northmen Guild. It is a Finnish style splitting maul. The way this is made is absolutely fascinating because it is completely forged and tempered with this one block of steel. There are no moving pieces. None. So they get a huge bonus in my book for that design. That means even the over strike protector is just a part of the ax head protecting your handle. And they have to use what's called a draw knife. You've maybe seen me use one before to actually shape each handle to fit the individual axe head. It's handmade top to better, not in a factory, in a craftsman's shop. So the way the company works is is they just aggregate a bunch of different craftsmen and use them to build the things in separate locations. It's a piece of art. Now for the elephant in the room, this is a $640 purchase. I mean, I don't even know what else to say. Despite how beautiful it is, despite how handmade it is, you have to knock it down some points for the fact that it's that expensive. It doesn't seem fair. I understand how much time and energy goes into it. But if I'm reviewing access for splitting wood, I have to think of who is splitting wood. It's people who are trying to stay off the grid, not spend as much money on energy, etcetera, etcetera. In case somebody in here goes, I want one of those, they do have a lifetime warranty, and I think that's worth saying. 9.6. That is the highest score I've ever given an ax and might be the highest score I ever give an x. No to the next one.