1844 Helko Werk Germany Bavarian Woodworker Axe

I’ve been using this axe heavily for a while now for log building, bushcraft, and wood processing. I am very pleased with this axe, chops and splits wood very well. The handle was perfectly hung and has never came loose on me, it also has a beautiful grain pattern with proper orientation, it feels very comfortable with very little vibration felt. The head itself is very durable, it came sharp out of the box, I’ve never had to resharpen it even after all the use I’ve put it through. Overall this is a high quality, well built axe designed to be used hard, it’s definitely worth the price if you’re seriously into bushcraft or log building.

I ordered this for a member of my family I don't know anything about this item but family member I bought for loves everything about it they were very please they said it seems to be very sharp like the weigh feel of handle the way it swung but has chopped wood yet so this is all information I have on it for now I'll update when I know more about it just saying 😊🇨🇦

What can I say, the quality of this tool is amazing. I unboxed this axe and immediately checked out the grain orientation in the handle- so far, it seems to be the only negative I have is that the grain is about 25-30 degrees angled away from the head. its a bit more than i am used to. with that said, I seriously doubt it is going to be a problem. The wood looks of high quality. The dimensions of the handle are wide, giving me optimal purchase with a variety of grip positions (I have larger hands) the cutting edge was a solid 4.5/5 on sharpness, a little love with a stone and it should be good to go. I have heard that these axes sometimes need work on the cutting edge, but i got fortunate I suppose. The black forest model is the perfect length for a taller guy like myself who finds that 17-18 inch handles are awkward,( causing me to have to get into janky footing positions as to not whack myself in the leg) but still compact enough to be articulate in my cutting motion and retaining a small footprint on my mountain pack. This axe also has a very wide cutting edge in comparison to the rear of the head, a slight even beard above and below, with a notible and almost "medieval" reduction to the rear. I know some folks like myself talk about axe's and hatchets having a soul or spirit, whether or not its true is irrelevant. I cannot wait to bring my Helko Werk axe with me to the sticks and build a bond with this wonderful example of fine craftsmanship. This is definitely worth what they are charging. Germany, giving Sweden a run for their money. UPDATE 3/19/19 Had this axe out for a three day winter bushcrafting trip. The edge was lost pretty quickly the first day- so I took the bastard file to it to reallign the bevel edge and rehoned with a stone. The edge kept sharp after that for the rest of the trip. The handle worked itself slightly loose on the last morning, it had dropped down from 40 degrees F that previous afternoon to almost negetive 5-10 F. So, I set the head in boiled linseed oil and added a single beavertail wedge and it tightened right back up- (I might note that once I got home and got the axe back into room temp, the head could no longer be wiggled) This axe exceeded expectation, wonderful for one handed use debarking and gerdalling larger frozen logs- felling smaller 3-4" pine and aspen was easy but anything girthier than that was quite a chore. Splitting with this axe is not really an option unless you have very small pieces. The axe would just sink into stumps without causing much of a split, but its cutting ability is top notch. I will update again as time goes on. 3/29/24 update. Still using it! Still my go-to, although I have more to my collection now for specific trips out. This one is still my first choice, and will likely outlive me.

It is very sturdy and well made product. I am very happy with the quality and the look of it. The model I picked is Traditional Black Forest Woodworker, just good to know that it is a bit towards heavy side and need more arm grip and power to control the head weight, but there is a good purpose for it. There are more and different models that I believe anyone’s need can fit in.

The quality of this axe is superb. It is an heirloom quality axe. The materials, craftsmanship and overall quality are on par with or superior to any other production line axe on the market. The leather mask(sheath) is well made with quality leather and buckle, it is well riveted with good quality rivets and they are properly set. The axe comes with Helko Werk's head oil, Helko Werk manual/catalog and the leather mask/sheath. The axe comes with a factory ground edge. with very little honing I was able to quickly bring the edge of the C50 high carbon steel to my preferred sharpness. The handle comes untreated (which I prefer) and finish sanded with what feels like 150 grit, so I lightly touched it up with 220 grit and then xxxx steel wool and 3 treatments of boiled linseed oil. After the final treatment of boiled linseed oil had dried, I rubbed down the handle and the head with "Fix in" wax from Self Reliance Outfitters and then wiped down the handle and buffed it by hand with a clean cotton shop towel and then installed the leather collar guard onto the handle. It turned out beautifully. About Helko Werk North America Customer Service; In the original Amazon listing that I ordered my axe from, it included a "Metal Overstrike Protector" as part of this package. Upon receiving my axe there was no "Metal Overstrike Protector" included with my axe as stated in the original listing. I contacted Helko Werk customer service and after some correspondence with them and upon further investigation on their part, they were generous enough to send me one of their leather axe collars free of charge in place of the "Metal Overstrike Protector". So, I must report that they are true to their endeavor to accomplish customer satisfaction. In the future I would buy Helko Werk axes and products with confidence based on their quality, craftsmanship and materials that go into their products and on their customer service. Furthermore, I have and do recommend Helko Werk axes and leather products for anyone looking to invest in heirloom quality products.