The Basque region and Rhineland are around 1800km distant. Part of the Basque country is in France, which may explain why the French trappers brought the axe pattern we call Hudson Bay to the Indian lands where they traded. As much a knife as a hatchet, used in choked-up grip. Can even skin a deer with one! Probably 600gm maximum, short handle, often hung off belt. Sold in large numbers to various Indian nations. Thanks for the review!
That council tools axe is brilliant, Now as it happens I have had to rehandle mine for exactly the reason you describe. The trail boss I've had mine for 7 years now and use it for bucking and splitting all sizes of wood up to 8inch logs. I got the council tools hudson bay this year and for me it is the far better in no small part because the handle on mine is excellent. Good video tyvm for sharing :)
You are welcome. Thank you for checking out the video. Question for you: do you find the steel on the Hudson Bay and the Trail Boss to be similar or is one better than the other in your opinion?
@@bladesandbows1521 It's difficult to say tbh, I have to touch up the CT axe more; but then I have a really fine angle (probably too fine) on the ct axe, and I use it more. The trail boss I had to reprofile after a bad chip but since then it hasn't needed more than a seasonal touch up. Not being a steel buff I tend to assume that unless I take care it will rust so in the off seasons I use a thick sticky wax / oil to protect the blades on all my axes; and before use I check the edge. I have a feeling that your conclusion that the handle style affects preference has a lot to it, totally understand why you prefer the Trail boss, it is a great axe
Gotcha. I appreciate the insight. Always love some good conversation. I'm actually working on filming a new bit tonight. You should check it out. Gonna be on the German Oberharzer pattern.
Glad to have found another small axe channel. I just started a similar type of channel. It’s true there isn’t much holding wood in the Hudson Bay axes.
The Cold Steel Trail Boss does not have this problem, as they addressed this known issue before they were in production, by putting TWO circular, metal wedges to counter those forces. Same with their new head version, which seems impossible to damage and loose heads are easily tightened and will never fly off, unless you completely break the head.
I’ve been looking at the sport utility utility council axes for so long now. I want the Hudson Bay and the Jersey. But I already have like 5 vintage jerseys. But only one Hudson Bay. I love my other council axes.
Been there done it, broke my Trail Boss handle shortly after I have re-seated it on the original handle, when splitting wood during winter, broke exactly on the point you describe as weak. Moved over to Husqvarna Forest Axe, it has a larger eye
Heck, I avoid the Hudson Bay patterns just for the reason of their shallow eyes, & as a particular pattern, they absolutely don't offer anything that I can't get from a 2.25# Dayton pattern boy's axe. But, to each their own.
i have the velvicut 18 hb and the standard 28" model from council tool and must say the 28" is one of my favourite axes despite the lack of attention i give it. the only downside is that the standard model i have is hung pretty poorly with one of those demon aluminium wedges but has yet to have any issues. That cold steel trail boss performed better than i expected but aesthetically i will always prefer a true hudson bay pattern. keep it up!
@@bladesandbows1521 Blades, Bows and Bushcraft i'd argue that the trail boss isn't a true straight handle due to the palm swell shapeand subtle curvature in it's desgin, but it is how a straight handle SHOULD be. I'm not a massive fan of straight handles partially again due to the aesthetics of them but also feel like they work very well for simply striking in a straight down movement such as splitting with a maul or bucking but i personally much prefer a curved (not excessively). i would also add that it's my personal belief as an amateur handle maker/tester, the more important aspect of a handle is the palm swell. Ideally it should hook into your hand and give you confidence and power behind your swings regardless of whether the handle is straight or curved. There are many very high tier axe makers who get this wrong and seem to almost always over emphasise the curves in a handle and go purely for looks rather than functionality. I've noticed multiple blacksmiths that sell their axes on Etsy go for this approach along with a couple far more well known makers... P.s stop wasting ash ;) (i've finally managed to find some really nice Ash cordwood to make handle blanks from)
@@bladesandbows1521 i feel you on that fiskars conflict haha. I'm a tree surgeon and i honestly use a fiskars x25 and a big maul all the time for splitting. There just simple isn't anything that would replace it for a real life, reliable work tool. We've had similar issues with Ash Dieback in the UK. we've have beetle issues too but not with Ash yet. As far as i'm away it affects Pines more than anything here. My best advice r.e Axe handle making is invest in a 2nd hand Angle grinder and a cheap 10x pack of flap disks and off you're pretty much kitted out just with that. Doesn't take long to get the hang of but it's a bit daunting at first i must admit..
I heard through the grape vine the geometry on those trail boss axes are extremely acute out of the box. I reckon if you took your hudson bay down to a 17.5-20 degree chisel or convex grind you’ll get a substantial boost in performance and will certainly maintain its sharpeness. I’ve had a couple councils and they can definitely handle that aggressive of geometry. Elemental4rce turned me on to your channel and I’m really enjoying it so far. You should check his stuff out as well as Ben Scott if your in to axe videos. We became good friends because of our love for axes, so we support each others’ channels lol.
@Blades, Bows and Bushcraft Before I had a friend make me a bevel gauge I would file flat with the eye to achieve acute geometry but once I got one it made a difference for sure. There’s a quantum leap in performance once you go under 20 degrees inclusive. Even more so at 15 degrees but I don’t recommend it for axes lacking special tool steel that’s suited for competition. All of us smaller channels are pretty tight knit. Most of us are on the axe cordwood challenge page on fb as well as axe hounds. Tons of invaluable information in those groups. Join us! “One of us! One of us!” haha I can tell you have the passion and haven’t become a hard headed jag off so I’m happy to share all trade secrets/sources. I have mad respect for anyone that’s willing to learn and especially those who film their progress. Lots of guys have a death grip on outdated ideals because of things they’ve read in forums and don’t actually put in the ground work to articulate why they feel that way.
Cold steel cuts slightly better due to the geometry imho. The Hudson bays from council are nice for general work but definitely a little thick when it comes to bucking. could be easily fixed but i don't feel like it's a big enough of an issue to warrant changing it. whack a bastard file on it for 5 minutes and go go go! Also, handle wise i tend to agree that their stock handles aren't the best on the hudson bays. i thinned mine and scooped out the palm swell and it made a huge difference! My boys axe that came on the exact same handle didn't need any of this done to it. Very strange variations in their products.
It's a Mexican made one I got from Ace Hardware. Absolutely trash. I wanted to let my 12 play around with modifying it but realized Id be better buying and oldy but goody instead.
That little chip was prolly from something hard stuck in the bark like a small pebble or something the trailboss is better..should get a grand forest if your looking for quality..
You are more than welcome never to waste your time with one of my videos again. As a matter of fact, you’re more than welcome to block me because I don’t want you watching any of my videos ever again because you sound like an absolutely hideous human being.
The Basque region and Rhineland are around 1800km distant. Part of the Basque country is in France, which may explain why the French trappers brought the axe pattern we call Hudson Bay to the Indian lands where they traded. As much a knife as a hatchet, used in choked-up grip. Can even skin a deer with one!
Probably 600gm maximum, short handle, often hung off belt. Sold in large numbers to various Indian nations.
Thanks for the review!
You def have more knowledge than me. Thanks for sharing the info and watching.
Thank you for sound advice as I am about to buy a Council Tool Hudson Bay Sport Utility myself!
That council tools axe is brilliant, Now as it happens I have had to rehandle mine for exactly the reason you describe. The trail boss I've had mine for 7 years now and use it for bucking and splitting all sizes of wood up to 8inch logs. I got the council tools hudson bay this year and for me it is the far better in no small part because the handle on mine is excellent.
Good video tyvm for sharing :)
You are welcome. Thank you for checking out the video.
Question for you: do you find the steel on the Hudson Bay and the Trail Boss to be similar or is one better than the other in your opinion?
@@bladesandbows1521 It's difficult to say tbh, I have to touch up the CT axe more; but then I have a really fine angle (probably too fine) on the ct axe, and I use it more. The trail boss I had to reprofile after a bad chip but since then it hasn't needed more than a seasonal touch up.
Not being a steel buff I tend to assume that unless I take care it will rust so in the off seasons I use a thick sticky wax / oil to protect the blades on all my axes; and before use I check the edge. I have a feeling that your conclusion that the handle style affects preference has a lot to it, totally understand why you prefer the Trail boss, it is a great axe
Gotcha. I appreciate the insight. Always love some good conversation. I'm actually working on filming a new bit tonight. You should check it out. Gonna be on the German Oberharzer pattern.
Glad to have found another small axe channel. I just started a similar type of channel. It’s true there isn’t much holding wood in the Hudson Bay axes.
The Cold Steel Trail Boss does not have this problem, as they addressed this known issue before they were in production, by putting TWO circular, metal wedges to counter those forces. Same with their new head version, which seems impossible to damage and loose heads are easily tightened and will never fly off, unless you completely break the head.
I’ve been looking at the sport utility utility council axes for so long now. I want the Hudson Bay and the Jersey. But I already have like 5 vintage jerseys. But only one Hudson Bay. I love my other council axes.
Been there done it, broke my Trail Boss handle shortly after I have re-seated it on the original handle, when splitting wood during winter, broke exactly on the point you describe as weak. Moved over to Husqvarna Forest Axe, it has a larger eye
Love the husqvarna. One of the better axes as far as "bang for your buck".
Heck, I avoid the Hudson Bay patterns just for the reason of their shallow eyes, & as a particular pattern, they absolutely don't offer anything that I can't get from a 2.25# Dayton pattern boy's axe. But, to each their own.
Hey Old-timer, agreed. They don't offer any extravagant... They are kinda noveltyish.
i have the velvicut 18 hb and the standard 28" model from council tool and must say the 28" is one of my favourite axes despite the lack of attention i give it. the only downside is that the standard model i have is hung pretty poorly with one of those demon aluminium wedges but has yet to have any issues. That cold steel trail boss performed better than i expected but aesthetically i will always prefer a true hudson bay pattern. keep it up!
@@bladesandbows1521 Blades, Bows and Bushcraft i'd argue that the trail boss isn't a true straight handle due to the palm swell shapeand subtle curvature in it's desgin, but it is how a straight handle SHOULD be. I'm not a massive fan of straight handles partially again due to the aesthetics of them but also feel like they work very well for simply striking in a straight down movement such as splitting with a maul or bucking but i personally much prefer a curved (not excessively). i would also add that it's my personal belief as an amateur handle maker/tester, the more important aspect of a handle is the palm swell. Ideally it should hook into your hand and give you confidence and power behind your swings regardless of whether the handle is straight or curved. There are many very high tier axe makers who get this wrong and seem to almost always over emphasise the curves in a handle and go purely for looks rather than functionality. I've noticed multiple blacksmiths that sell their axes on Etsy go for this approach along with a couple far more well known makers...
P.s stop wasting ash ;) (i've finally managed to find some really nice Ash cordwood to make handle blanks from)
@@bladesandbows1521 i feel you on that fiskars conflict haha. I'm a tree surgeon and i honestly use a fiskars x25 and a big maul all the time for splitting. There just simple isn't anything that would replace it for a real life, reliable work tool. We've had similar issues with Ash Dieback in the UK. we've have beetle issues too but not with Ash yet. As far as i'm away it affects Pines more than anything here. My best advice r.e Axe handle making is invest in a 2nd hand Angle grinder and a cheap 10x pack of flap disks and off you're pretty much kitted out just with that. Doesn't take long to get the hang of but it's a bit daunting at first i must admit..
I only use my Trail Boss for splitting stove wood. Handy little axe! As far as full size axe's go, I use Rinaldi's!
Have just received a rinaldi in the mail... yet to try it out. 37" inches long I believe. Probably put a video up when I use it for a while.
I like the one with the thinner handle. What other axes do you have?
I heard through the grape vine the geometry on those trail boss axes are extremely acute out of the box. I reckon if you took your hudson bay down to a 17.5-20 degree chisel or convex grind you’ll get a substantial boost in performance and will certainly maintain its sharpeness. I’ve had a couple councils and they can definitely handle that aggressive of geometry. Elemental4rce turned me on to your channel and I’m really enjoying it so far. You should check his stuff out as well as Ben Scott if your in to axe videos. We became good friends because of our love for axes, so we support each others’ channels lol.
@Blades, Bows and Bushcraft Before I had a friend make me a bevel gauge I would file flat with the eye to achieve acute geometry but once I got one it made a difference for sure. There’s a quantum leap in performance once you go under 20 degrees inclusive. Even more so at 15 degrees but I don’t recommend it for axes lacking special tool steel that’s suited for competition. All of us smaller channels are pretty tight knit. Most of us are on the axe cordwood challenge page on fb as well as axe hounds. Tons of invaluable information in those groups. Join us! “One of us! One of us!” haha I can tell you have the passion and haven’t become a hard headed jag off so I’m happy to share all trade secrets/sources. I have mad respect for anyone that’s willing to learn and especially those who film their progress. Lots of guys have a death grip on outdated ideals because of things they’ve read in forums and don’t actually put in the ground work to articulate why they feel that way.
Nice woods axes for camping. Hope you have a big burn pit. I can see two little Paul Bunyan's who are going to be busy chopping. No tree is safe.🤣
Cold steel cuts slightly better due to the geometry imho. The Hudson bays from council are nice for general work but definitely a little thick when it comes to bucking. could be easily fixed but i don't feel like it's a big enough of an issue to warrant changing it. whack a bastard file on it for 5 minutes and go go go! Also, handle wise i tend to agree that their stock handles aren't the best on the hudson bays. i thinned mine and scooped out the palm swell and it made a huge difference! My boys axe that came on the exact same handle didn't need any of this done to it. Very strange variations in their products.
Which model of Collins axe is that?
It's a Mexican made one I got from Ace Hardware. Absolutely trash. I wanted to let my 12 play around with modifying it but realized Id be better buying and oldy but goody instead.
That little chip was prolly from something hard stuck in the bark like a small pebble or something the trailboss is better..should get a grand forest if your looking for quality..
Nah, velvicut or woodcraft line is better
Lin Tomson has a lil twinkle in his eye when ppl in the know say "I like the trail boss,"
This design can handle chopping, splitting forces. But yank on it and it breaks. I just don't buy that.
As soon as i see a review starting with children, i know it's not going to be serious. I wanna see axes. Not children.
You are more than welcome never to waste your time with one of my videos again. As a matter of fact, you’re more than welcome to block me because I don’t want you watching any of my videos ever again because you sound like an absolutely hideous human being.