Gransfors Bruks Ray Mears Wilderness Axe

£140.00

Brand: Gransfors Bruks

EAN 7391765434104

Weight: 1400 g 100 reviews

The Gransfors Bruks Ray Mears Wilderness Axe is an exclusive collaboration between Ray Mears and the Swedish company Gransfors Bruks. After years of designing, testing and refining, Ray and the Woodlore team are extremely excited to unveil this unique signature model; in Ray's words, it's the 'Small Forest Axe Plus'.

While many Gransfors axes are forged en masse in large presses, the Wilderness Axe is produced in small quantities by Gransfors' experienced blacksmith, who work by hand with a traditional hammer press. Thanks to the use of this press from the 1940's, the production looks the same as it would have done back then.

Upon its release in December 2010, Ray sat down with us for an interview on this new axe, answering questions on its design, purpose and benefits over other models available today. An excerpt of this is shown below:

What were your main goals when you set out to design this axe?

A good axe needs a combination of many features, but most importantly, it needs the right weight balanced with the right length of handle. There will always be a compromise between a small, portable hatchet and a large axe more suitable for felling; the Small Forest Axe is great, but it is lacking in weight and length for good splitting and chopping. I wanted an axe that was a little bit longer, better to swing with two hands, with a heavier head.

So what is it that makes the head of this axe so special?

It’s been designed to give real bite. The weight of the head combined with its size makes it a little more potent to use - you can split wood with it one minute and then use it for carving the next.

And what's different about the handle?

The length is different, which is critical to the functionality of the axe. The handle is long enough, and the head heavy enough, so that the head is doing all the work. This means that your muscles can instead focus on guiding the axe, making it a much safer axe to use. The length of the helve, in balance with the weight of the head, is designed to give perfect balance. It’s a mix between the Gransfors Scandinavian Axe and the Small Forest Axe, but there is real magic in it; anyone who uses it will see and feel the magic quality of weight and length - it makes it a very special axe.

What would you say are the ideal uses of this axe?

Anything you have to be able to do in the woods – felling trees, chopping dead trees that have blocked a portage trail, splitting, carving, fashioning a canoe paddle - but it does require expertise to use it well and these things take a long time to learn...

To read the full interview, please visit the Woodlore Blog.

Details:

Ray Mears Bushcraft logo on handle
Head weight: 0.8 kg
Total weight: 1.4 kg
60 cm hickory handle
Protective leather sheath included
20-year guarantee

Under UK law, this item can only be sold to persons over 18 years of age. Woodlore will need to verify your age before your order is dispatched. From January 2020 age will be checked on delivery. This item cannot be delivered to a locker.

Quantity

Shipping

Delivery in 1-2 days within the United Kingdom
UK Orders placed before 2PM GMT will be dispatched the same working day
Overseas delivery times will vary depending on the destination

Please note that our offices are closed at weekends, so any orders placed after 2PM GMT on a Friday will not be dispatched until the following Monday.

Orders with a total value over £300.00 will be dispatched free via a next day delivery service within the UK at no extra cost.

Please note that in some instances, orders for heavy items may take an extra day to arrive.

Overseas deliveries

For overseas deliveries, please refer to the following estimated delivery times:

Europe: 3 - 5 working days
Rest of the world: 5 - 7 working days

Returns

A full refund or exchange will be given provided that the items have not been worn or used, and are returned to us within 30 days of purchase, together with all relative labels and packaging. You are responsible for the cost of returning items.

Please ensure that you include a copy of your invoice, along with an explanation of why you have returned your goods. If you wish to return your goods for any reason, please do so to the following address:

Woodlore Limited
PO Box 3
Etchingham
East Sussex
TN19 7ZE
United Kingdom

Product Reviews

Gransfors Bruks Ray Mears Wilderness Axe is rated 5/5 based on 100 customer reviews.

All of our product reviews are from customers with verified purchases.

Overall Rating:

(88)

(8)

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1 of 100

A very well made and durable axe. The craftsmanship is evident straight out of the box. Both the axe head and handle are excellent. For me this is the perfect size for a pack axe. It’s got more heft than the Small Forest version and makes chopping easier yet it retains the ability to be used for carving and various bushcraft activities. I am very pleased with this purchase.

David White

12th June, 2020

Rated: 5/5

2 of 100

What a fantastic axe, and the pricing on this site is better than I could find in the US for the smaller GB forest axe. And even though it was being shipped across the pond I received it pretty quick even during all this Corona virus stuff. I really can't recommend this axe or this website enough.

Ryan O.

27th May, 2020

Rated: 5/5

3 of 100

My Gransfors Bruks Ray Mears Wilderness Axe is just perfect. Thanks Woodlore.

Ursan Eusebiu Cornel

23rd May, 2020

Rated: 5/5

4 of 100

So nice I bought two! Just excellent all around. Fit and finish is great. Perfect size axe for me. Packable yet big enough for most work. Slightly thicker cheeks than other Gransfors. Better splitter in my opinion. Shipping to the US didn’t take as long as I’d thought it would. Great service Woodlore! Thanks.

Brandon

22nd May, 2020

Rated: 5/5

5 of 100

I’m very pleased with my wilderness axe. This is my third Gränsfors Bruk axe and is a perfect fit between my hatchet and splitting axe. Plenty of weight to split smaller logs. Well balanced for doing close work like feather sticks and shaving bark but with its weight it’s easier to use a knife or hatchet instead. It’s a bit big for carrying in a small backpack but I bought it mainly for car camping so it suits my needs ideally. I have made it a leather guard to protect the handle from my clumsy missed swings.

J Ryder

16th March, 2020

Rated: 5/5

6 of 100

This is my second Ray Mears axe. I went hunting with a friend he fell in love with it so I gave it to him. I went home got on the waiting list and bought another. This axe has a great head wieght and the length of the handle is perefect for it. All GB axes come shaving sharp. You will love this axe in your bushcraft kit.

David

15th March, 2020

Rated: 5/5

7 of 100

This is the second Gransfors axe I’ve bought and this one is just as good. High quality and great in use. The inclusion of the booklet that helps identify the maker is fascinating. I can highly recommend this axe.

Phil Pickin

13th March, 2020

Rated: 5/5

8 of 100

This is by far the finest axe I own. The head weight to handle length are outstanding. The head fitting is first class. The handle is fairly dark but looks fantastic. I was surprised by how rough the handle came, however a slight sanding and several coats of boiled linseed oil and the handle is now silky smooth, and will last a lifetime. I love the Ray Mears branding, and the exclusivity of this axe. This is definitely the axe which is missing from the Gransfors Bruks range. Woodlore communications excellent and rapid delivery. Well worth the wait for stock to arrive. Very happy with this purchase

Phillip Mountford

11th March, 2020

Rated: 5/5

9 of 100

I recently received my Ray Mears Wilderness Axe after a long wait and I couldn’t be happier. The fit and finish is impeccable, and you can tell that it was made by a true artisan. I love its weight and overall balance. This exceptional tool is exactly what I was looking for in a portable Bushcraft and camping axe. I can’t thank the wonderful people at Ray Mears Bushcraft enough for their kind attention and their ability to answer all of my questions about this product. The axe arrived well packaged and in good condition after such a long journey from the UK to the United States. My first tests in the field with the Wilderness Axe were quite impressive. I was able to easily fell, limb, and split, trees that were six inches and more in diameter without expending an inordinate amount of energy. I highly recommend this wonderful axe to anyone who loves spending time in the woods.

Bruce E Posey

1st March, 2020

Rated: 5/5

10 of 100

One of the lucky few who managed to snag this axe when it came back in stock, and lucky I did. Great all-rounder with TT forging a great axe. Will be using it in the backcountry of Queenstown and wider areas in NZ. Cheers.

Jason Shon

12th February, 2020

Rated: 5/5

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to frequently asked questions on this item can be found here. If you have a question about this product, please contact us.

Does this axe come supplied with a leather sheath?

Does this axe come with a steel wedge?