Säteryxan from Säters Yxfabrik - The Sater Axe

We crossed the fantastic history path of The Säter Axe (Säteryxan) when Jonas found an old and rusty axe out by the cabin and started to restore it. The cabin is built back in 1803 for the Village Black Smith in Gottröra and this place have a inspiring history. You can see more about the restoration of the axe by clicking HERE.
Below you'll find some general information about the Säter Axe. Please don't hesitate contacting us if you have any additional information that can help us gather correct information about the Säter Axe and it's history.

Photo: The cover of the Säter Axe catalog from 1935

The Axe Factory
The history of the Säter Axe Factory started in 1894 by Björshyttan 7 kilometers outside the town of Säter. In 1902 the company Säters Yxfabrik AB was founded by the businessman Mr Carl Rundqvist. In 1907 the production moved into a new facility inside Säter. Since the production was put down in 1966 the Säter Axe Factory building still stands on the same spot as a landmark of an fantastic era in axe history. You can see the beautiful building when passing on Road 70 trough Säter. Today it houses a cinema museum. After closing down in Sweden in 1966 the forge was bought by the Norwegian company Mustad who moved production to Norway, carrying on the Säter Banko, Säterpilen and Mustad Banko brands.  In 1971 Mustad was bought by Øyo who continued the Säterpilen and Øyo Mustad Norway brand until 1974. After 1974 they consolidated the brand under the name Øyo Norway and are still offering axes and knives. Read more about Øyo's history starting 1860 by clicking HERE.

Model Denominations 
When studying the Säter Axe product catalogs from the start up until the 60's you notice a number of classic patterns that stuck around. Often the denomination of the axes started with a model number followed by a hint of usage (for-instance Cleaving Axe or Carpenters Axe) finishing of with a geographical denomination (for-instance Umeå Model or Turpentine Model). Some axe model names was some-what exotic, probably to attract both Swedish and foreign customers. This as the Säter Axe also was well appreciated outside Sweden.

Stamps 
The Säter Axe have used a number of variations of stamps in the axe head over history. But generally can be said; until around 1920 the Axe Factory in Säter used a stamp showing a gnome holding a hammer and an axe. The stamped logo; Säter Banco (or Banko) started to be used during the 1920's and continued up until closing in 1966, even though the company also started to use a stamp showing a Moose and the two arrows of Säter. The word BANCO probably don't have any meaning, other than that is sounded good. A number of forges used the denomination BANCO during  this era, for-instance the Igelfors Liesmedja.

Photo: From traditional-tools.com

The Production Technique
The forging of the Säter Axe was very interesting as they kept to the old and special technique of inserting (laminate) a hardened piece of steel at the edge of the axe; hold together by the softer iron of the axe head. A bit like the technique of the knife manufacture Morakniv at the time. Around 1960 the Säter Factory also shifted into full metal axe heads just as the rest of the Swedish axe manufactures had done long before them. One of the reasons for this was the lack of professional black smiths.

Photo: Label description inside the 1935 catalog

Documentation 
The Technical Museum (Tekniska museet) made a thurow documentation of the axe factory the year after closing. And thanks to this we today have a lot of objects and documents preserved at the museum in Stockholm. By using the online service of the museum you can study some of the axes and photos from Säter. Take a look in the digital archive by clicking HERE.

The Swedish Axe
Our curiosity, love for history and old tools made the old Säter Axe that Jonas found out at the cabin the starting point of our life long project called; The Swedish Axe. The project has lead us to inspiring meetings with passionate people and interesting companies, all to gain knowledge of the high quality axes made in Sweden thought history and today. The project has so far produced a number of articles and a chance for us to spread knowledge about our axes to all our course attenders. We are grateful that the project The Swedish Axe has given us good connections at the big manufacturers; Hultafors, Gränsfors and Wetterlings, as well as good friends among the smaller Black Smiths of Sweden also producing beautiful axes but on a smaller scale.

Thanks for all of your Questions
Regarding the Säter Axe; we are humble and grateful for all of your questions that have been sent to us trough the years. There are professional axe collectors out in the world as well as locals just found and old axe that have questions for us regarding their beloved Säter Axes. We must confess that sometimes we get a bad conscious for not being able to answer you all in time. But now we hope to have found a solution in publishing more about the Säter Axe here on the web site for you in the future. So keep coming with your questions and hopefully we'll be able to get back to you sooner, perhaps not with long mails but, with an interesting link to information about the Säter Axe here on the website. So stay tuned.

Thanks for constantly supporting us in spreading the heritage of the Säter Axe by caring for your tools and stay safe when chopping wood. And if you have any stories, axes or documents you would like to share with us; you are more than welcome.

We want to send a special Thanks to Mr Chris Hinchcliffe at the Tekniska museet in Stockholm for his input to the text above.

See one of the articles about The Swedish Axe.

Follow the Swedish Axe project via Instagram and the hashtag #theswedishaxe.

Welcome to Jonas Vildmark Bushcraftcenter we offer classes on Bushcraft and Survival,

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Hultafors Hultån Hatchet

The so popular little hatchet called Hultån is one of the models included in the Hultafors Premium Axes series. This is a nice little friend to bring when "the big axe" feels overkill or to heavy and bulky. The Hultån is also actually a pretty nice little carving axe.

To see more of my articles on Hultafors products; click HERE.

Welcome to Jonas Vildmark Bushcraftcenter, we offer classes on Bushcraft and Survival,

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Hultafors Qvarfot Felling Axe

The Qvarfot Felling Axe is one out of eight models in the new Hultafors Premium Axe series.
The Premium line will replace the Classic line. The hand forged Qvarfot consist of a Swedish made slim 26" axe handle from American hickory and a 0,85 kg heavy axe head made of Swedish steel. This full size axe is one of my favorites when it comes to robust tasks around the camp. The axe is slim yet heavy duty.

Stay tuned for more info about the Qvarfot Felling Axe on this page.

Welcome to Jonas Vildmark Bushcraftcenter, we offer classes on Bushcraft and Survival,

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Karesuandokniven Stoera Àksu

When we heard that Karesuandokniven was starting making axes we got real curious. After some time spent with the Karesuandokniven Unna Àksu I got even more curious when I later got the news about the larger version; Karesuandokniven Stoera Àksu. This is a well shaped and competent tool that's easy to carry inside the backpack, and at the same time I think the Stoera Áksu is a nice sloyd axe. And the fact that the axe is good looking is of-course a great bonus.

Have now been using this axe for a while out in the field and it has become a true companion in my hands. It is also very handy to have the axe at hand inside by the wood stoves when the morning fires are being prepared.

Specs
Art.No: 4013
Steel: Stainless steel
Sheath: Black cow leather. Can also be carried on the belt
Handle: Curly Birch, Moose bone and Rein Deer antler
Weight: about 650 grams
Length: about 300 mm
Price: 2748 SEK (about 265 Euro), Sweden 2019
The axe comes in a nice box also containing a diamond sharpener.

You can read more about the Unna Áksu in one of my mag articles inside the Vapentidningen; click HERE.

Recently Karesuandokniven also launched a midsize axe by the name of Vuogas Áksu.

Welcome to Jonas Vildmark Bushcraftcenter, we offer classes in Bushcraft and Survival,

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Karesuandokniven Unna àksu

An axe from Karesuandokniven? Yes! After 40 years in the knife business the Swedish company now offers an axe for the first time. The axe is called Unna àksu which means "Small Axe" in the Sami language of the indigenous people of the Nordics. Karesuandokniven couldn't have picked a better name; this is really a small axe indeed. What's special with this interesting tool is the weight, the sheath and the shape.

The Weight

Unna áksu is a lot lighter than other small axes meant to be carried in the belt. This axe I actually can carry like a knife without getting bothered by the weight. Unna áksu weighs 317 g which can be compared to the Ontario RAT-7's 361 g or the Leatherman Surge's 334 g.

The Sheath

Perhaps not the prettiest piece of leather work I ever seen, but it absolutely get the job done. I can unbuckle the sheath and pull out the axe just using one hand.

The Shape

The design of the axe's head allows me to grab the tool far up the handle. This enables me to also use the tool almost like a knife. The sharp edge holds up very good as the stainless steel is hardened to HRC 54.

Specs 

Manufacturer: Karesuandokniven AB, Sweden

Model: Unna áksu 3638 (Nature) and 3639 (Brown)

Steel: Stainless tool steel hardened to HRC 54

Length of axe's head: 105 mm

Thickness of axe's head: 20 mm

Edge length: 70 mm

Handle material: Moose bone, Reindeer antlers and curly birch

Total length: 225 mm

Weight (without sheath): 317 g

Sheath: 3 mm thick black cowhide

Total weight (axe and sheath): 375 g

Delivered with: Sheath, gift box and a diamond sharpener

Price: 1705 SEK (Sweden 2015)

A Crossing Between Axe and a Knife

Of course a small axe like this one doesn't provide the same chopping ability as a big and long axe, but the Unna àksu surprises me. I'm not a fan of batoning wood with my knives, but by batoning on the Unna áksu you get a great little tool to help you out when starting the fire.

If you wanna know more about the Unna áksu; take a look in the magazine Vapentidningen no 9 year 2014. There you can read an article I've written on the little axe. On the Vapentidningen website you can order the paper version of the magazine or take a look at the e-mag.

Also take a look at Karesuandokniven's largest axe by clicking HERE.

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Axe vs. Machete - Is it Really a Competition?

"Shall I choose to bring an axe or a machete on my trip?" This is a dear question among many of my bushcraft friends.
Personally throughout the years I've gone from favoring large knives to smaller knives, and from axes to folding saws and back to axes again. Perhaps it's time to give the very large blade; the Machete another chance?

As always learning by doing is the best way to reflect on what tools are the most proper ones for a task. Therefore I pile up my favorite axes and machetes for a evaluation session out in the woods to confront my old habits and prejudices.

Chopping Tools
Of course you can use the edge of both an axe and a machete to perform smaller handy tasks like carving and dressing game, but a small and thin blade is always my first pick when it comes to precision work. Therefore I define axes and machetes as tools for chopping. So I grab some steel and chop away on both bush and timber...

When it comes to clearing a path in a thick section of the woods the machete is the way to go as the axe is less efficient cutting the flexing twigs around finger size in thickness. Also you have the safety aspect to consider when a heavy axe's short edge misses a small tree. The long thin edge of the high velocity machete also enables to take down several small stems in one single blow when the bush is getting really thick.

But when it comes to chopping and splitting larger wood the axe is your best friend. The weight of the axe in combination with the wedge shaped head takes away bigger ships from a log than the lighter and thinner blade of the machete does. A right size axe work through a arm size and up thick tree faster than a machete does, even though the machete eventually also gets the job done.

Parang and Kukri
Although we right now focus on axes and machetes I want to also mention the big blade tools falling into the category of Parangs and Kukris. These are nice chopping tools I would say is something in between an axe and a machete. I would even say a really large Bowie knife would fit into this category. The blade is often shorter and thicker than the machete's and the weight and balance is closer to an axe. In my opinion a long,  thin, flexible and light machete is best suited for chopping bushes all day long trailing the jungle. The shorter and stiffer blade of the parang or kukri is not as energy efficient when it comes to this task. But as I touched on earlier; whenever the material meant cutting don't flex back on impact, the heavier and stiffer blades and axes chunk away real good. Perhaps these "hybrid tools" is the right pick for you if you for some reason only can bring one edge tool on your trip.

The Answer to the Question
My conclusion of today's session out in the beautiful Swedish forest is that the answer to the initial question is; "It depends on what kind of vegetation you will travel through". When in a tropical environment; the thick bush and the vines demands a machete to be able to advance in the terrain. Here in the Scandinavian outdoors focus often is on building shelter and gather fire wood rather than clearing paths. Then the axe is superior to the machete when it comes to efficiency.

It's All in the Hands
But bear in mind that the most important variables in most comparisons is the skills and techniques of the craftsman; the more experienced you are in handling a tool the more efficiently the work will get done (this also include taking care of the tool, like for instance sharpening). So my advise to you is to try out for yourself; which tool is the way to go for me, when operating in this area, doing these tasks.

My Pick
In situations when space and weight is not an issue I'd pick a larger axe for fixing firewood and more robust carpentry and a thin flexible machete for moving off trail in thick vegetation. As I said; in thick jungles the machete is you best friend moving about. It's really not a competition between axes and machetes, it all depends on the task you are about to perform. These two tools complement each other very well and fits inside or outside most large backpacks.
But of course as a Northerner the axe always will lay a bit closer to my heart than the machete.

Keep on cutting and be safe.

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Some of my Axe Projects

Right now I have a great gang of old axes in the pipeline waiting for my care. It'll be nice and relaxing to start restoring these old friends into shape again. I'll get back to you about each project along the way. I just wanted to give you a inspirational sneak peek of some of the steel on my table at the moment. Feel free to contact me and tell me about what project You are working on right now.

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Leather Crafting and Fire Smoke

Place: Almunge, Uppsala, Sweden
Time: 1 day in February

Friends, coffee, freshly baked bread, cozy fire, leather... Words describing this beautiful and snowy February day. I'm in Almunge at my dear friend and saddler Per Gustavsson's place. Besides good food and laughter I got loads of inspiring tips on how I could go about making a leather sheath for my newly restored Säter Axe. This will be a blast. Stay tuned for the result.

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The Restoration of an Old Säter Axe

I found an old rugged axe out by the cabin. After brushing of some dust and spiders web I can see it's an old classic; it's a "Säteryxa" (Säter Axe). This charming tool makes me wanna dig deeper into it's history. Helpful people at the municipality, hembyggdsförening and last but not least The Technical Museum enlighten me about the Säters Axe Factory that was built in the year of 1894. They manufactured the appreciated Säter Axe up until 1966 when the factory closed down. By then the Swedish Säter Axes had been exported all over the world. My old and rusty find bears the name "SÄTER BANCO" on the left hand side of the axe's head. This marking was put to use in 1920. Judging from the material I've been provided I'd say that this particular axe might have been made during the 1920's. In an old catalog from 1935; Aktiebolaget Säters Yxfabrik, 1935 Års Katalog I can find a younger sibling named N:r 12 Huggyxa, Turpentinemodell.

Inspired by the winds of history it's now time to clean this axe up. The handle is broken and the head is in bad shape. This axe has lived a rough life, but it will absolutely be chopping away out in the forest again soon. Conveniently I also find a new handle in the barn. I remove the broken handle, do some filing to the head and put the new handle in place. This gives a fine size axe that reminds me of an American Felling Axe. The total weight of the axe is now 1,9 kg, and the length 69 cm. After some oiling and sharpening this axe is ready for some test chopping. An scots pine get to feel this old Swedish steel and contribute to this evenings fire. The reborn Säter Axe feels really good and will probably from now on be my reliable friend in the woods. But first I need to work some more on the sharpening and also make an protective leather sheath.

To see more about the Säter Axe; click HERE.






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