Thanks heaps mate, wasn't sure if you guys would like all the extra scenery stuff, but being out in the landscape is what it's all about I reckon. Cheers!
I am a big fan of 3/4 axe AKA Boy's axe. They have been the go to axe for places in the far north of N. America for a long time. I use a Council Tool Boy's axe for all my bush travels and making kindling at the home. I have not had the pleasure of swinging a HB Montreal 2.5# yet, but they interest me a lot. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching mate! I've always used 4 or 4.5lb axes for general chopping except for the 1.2kg/2.75lb HB Dayton, which I've had for years and love, but only used for certain lighter jobs. So the Montreal was a nice surprise, and it's been a main user since! There's a few 3/4 axes in my shed now, hope to get some vids out in the coming months. Cheers!🪓👍👍
Hey Kurt, this was a great video. Loved the camera work. I am also impressed with that 2.5# Montreal HB. It did everything from felling to feather sticking. You've put that axe on my radar now !
G'day Joey, thanks mate. Definitely recommend the HB for a lighter weight work axe. Its a bit different to my usual heavies, but if you scale down the timber to suit it's a pretty versatile bit of gear. Doesnt take long at all to get through a 6-8 inch tree, and light enough to not notice on a carry-in trip. Cheers for watching!
Doing okay! Thanks for asking. Was down to -20s last week but warmed up to -5C so much easier on the firewood supply now. Found your channel while checking out videos for the HB Agdor 2.5 Montreal Pattern I bought 2 years ago but have not used yet. Will have to grind it down to a better edge though but thats a given with all new axes. I started collecting vintage axes a few years ago and restored a couple including a 3.5lb Walter's Black Diamond on 28inch handle I use for splitting. It is a good chopper as well but I am pushing 70 hence the HB purchase for that and general duty. In the 1980s I used an Iltis Oxhead for cutting line for mining exploration surveys in north Saskatchewan. Hard to find them now but they were preferred axe for cutting jack pine and black spruce conifers. Looking forward to checking out your videos as a new subscriber😊
@@marksmith9295 minus 20 bloody hell that's cold! Walters made some nice axes, I had one of thier tassie patterns a while back. Never used an Iltis but heard they're great axes. Cheers for subscribing mate!
Thanks mate! And cheers for checkin out the older vids, this was a fun one to put together, great little axe too. Nuthin better than a fire and a cuppa to finish the day off!
Nice chopping! It's almost hunting season here in the states so I won't be able to get out until late winter so I hope you have more videos on the way to help me get through till then.
Cheers mate, I know what you mean, Aussie bass season just opened here too so I've been more out in the creek than the bush. I didn't even draw a string on a deer this year, hope you have better luck than me! Definitely not finished with the cordwood yet though!
Awesome vid bro iv been looking into getting a new axe and wanted to go with Hultafors but just wasn't sure witch one i was going with so you just made my mind up for me lol Thanks man...
Hi Kurt, nice chopping again! Love the Hults Bruk axes- awesome hard steel. I have six beeches this autum so take down and i am looking forward to make my first vid of it! A small one i felled already with my Hults Bruk Agdor 1,2kg
G'day mate, good to hear from you, cheers for watching! Big fan of HB's, the Agdor 1.2 is another awesome all rounder in my opinion. Looking forward to your vid, good luck mate!
@@kurts64 Thing burned me out down the filter and I barely had time to catch my breath it felt like. I still need to get back to that portion of the woods with my saw and cut that truck up.
This was a free one called "openshot". Seems very capable and there's still a lot to learn about it, but I found it taxed my (very basic) laptop and lagged a fair bit. Also plenty of user errors! A tech guy I aint-still on the learning curve 😁
Haha cheers mate, love my HB's and the Montreal has become a go-to for sure. Super light and fast, just flat out works well, pretty much ideal cordwood axe
@@kurts64 good deal man yeah I have a feeling it’ll be my go to, I need to tune it up still. How thin did you make yours as far as the grind. It’s seems like it chops like butter !!
@@940joey2 I took mine down to 18° flat grind, but was getting a bit of edge damage so backed it off to 20° and added a microbevel. Some guys could get away with finer angles but I've found this works for me in my wood. If you go thru the cordwood page I've got some pics of the build on there, and some clips of edge testing and comparing with a HB 1.2. Good luck with the build!
@@kurts64 awesome thanks Kurt, yeah I’ll start at like 20 or 22 no micro and see how I go if anything add a micro bevel I mostly have all hardwoods by me
Great vid Bushy !! A high mark ! Now that you've used the Montreal and the Muller. How do they compare. Which do you prefer for the size timber they are made for ,?
Thanks mate! The Montreal is a bit wedgier than the Muller, and has less toe, so I reckon has a slight advantage for smallish, on-the-ground bucking like in this vid. The Muller profile is a bit more limbing oriented, but can still do this kind of work. Both are nimble and super fast. The Muller would be a better carver if that was something you were after in this sized axe. The HB handles are nice quality hickory but I chose to add palm swells to get a decent grip, the ash handle on the Muller comes with enough meat to have a decent swell already. Steel quality about even. Both are blue lol...both would work in your area very well, I'd guess if your limbing a lot of pines (and possibly carrying a larger axe for bucking/splitting) the Muller would be the pick👍 cheers for watching man!
@@aussieaxedude154 Thanks man, yeah same love the bush sounds. Cicadas have started coming out here now, so its gone from nice and quiet to bloody noisy! Cicadas mean bass fishing though, so I don't mind at all😆👍
How would you say this compares to the Hultafors felling axe? Trying to decide between the two for general camping use, ranging from harvesting smallish dead pine and poplar in the backcountry, to splitting up the larger rounds found at campsites.
Gday mate, depends which weight you go for. The Yankee/Dayton pattern Hultafors felling axes (say the 1.2kg vs this 1.1kg Montreal) have a bit more convexity in the cheeks which makes for a slightly better splitter and chopper. The Montreal, due to the beard and smaller eye height, has a a head shape I think better suited to more general bushcraft use, including carving. But honestly both would perform well. I have both and am happy grabbing either one for any lighter tasks. In the 3.5lb/1.5kg range, I would go the Yankee felling pattern. If they both had a 20° edge bevel for example, the Yankee would stick less. Thanks for watching man 👍👍🪓
@@kurts64 Thanks for the advice! I actually have 4lb Yankee and Montreal axes, but different manufacturers. For camping I want something in the 28", 2.5lb range, and in Canada these two axes are the best value. I have a 2lb German style Agdor head on a 26" handle, but its a poor splitter. My Fiskars splits better but is a much worse chopper, and I find the 23" handle too short.
@@bushleague3472 that is one of the things I like about HB/Hultafors, they're good value. I reckon the 28inch, 1.2 Agdor would probably be the pick of the two. Montreal is great for limbing and bucking green wood, the 1.2 for bit heavier work. Canada looks like a beaut place, on my wish list for sure 👍
@@kurts64 Just ordered this axe today, cant wait to put it to work! Where I live in Canada it feels like the edge of civilization, and I cant really imagine living elsewhere. Regardless of how crazy the world gets, there is this giant unknown that makes me believe that I cant be swallowed by the insanity. I imagine people who live by the ocean feel roughly the same thing.
@@bushleague3472 Congrats on the new axe hope it works for ya! A "Giant Unknown", that's poetry right there. Love it. Standing alone on the ocean rocks, casting a line early morning or in the late afternoon quiet is like that. With just the sound of the swells you know that one wrong move and its all over
Sweet. I know these and the blue agdor daytons have been around for years, a vintage 1.2 Dayton was my first 'non-tassie' axe, probably a decade ago now. Still one of my most used axes, lives in the ute. HB's are awesome!
Thanks for watching mate. They're an Aussie brand called King Gee. No specific cut protection, just heavy duty cotton work pants, stand up well in the bush over the years. If your after cut protection, maybe look into chainmail socks. Expensive but work very well👍
It came with I suspect an 80 grit V-edge that was surprisingly paper-cutting sharp, probably about 30° from memory. A quick run over with a stone and it would have cleaned up pretty well. I ended up putting an 18° on it, and later settled on 20° with a microbevel. Cheers for watching 👍
Thanks Kevin, glad to hear the shots came out ok, had a few laptop and camera issues during editing some of it seemed a bit grainy. Still using the p900, though it's been belted a fair bit
Nothing awry to my eye. You are by far the best ASMR axe content on the internet, bar-none that I am aware of. If only our interests where more mainstream, you’d be killing it. But I suspect, you like me, have a blast not only chopping but filming the experience too. But Seriously, you have really good eye for composition. Has photography been an interest of yours in the past? I seem to remember you having a solid grasp on camera hear.
@@KevinsDisobedience thanks heaps man. Always loved taking still pics, would love to have the budget and time to invest a bit more in it. Learning the vid/computer side of things definitely has its moments!🤬 on top of that though it's cool just to be able to be out there and share it
Cheers mate I appreciate that👍 I've had a pair of the 1.2 Yankees for a long time now, probably a decade or so and is one of the best modern axes you can buy I reckon. The main one is in a few other vids if your interested and is gunna be in another vid coming up soon. Thanks for watching mate👍👍
@@kurts64 I appreciate your thoughts, Cheers. They certainly seem like good value as well. Lucky enough to have inherited a very nice Hytest Craftsman 4.5 pound. Great axe, but heavy for most of the uses I have for it.
@@outdoors5352 love an ol' Hytest! It's funny I've often thought if I lost all my axes, the first two I'd hunt down again would be a HB 1.2 and a Craftsman 4 or 4.5. Those two would cover any job I reckon.
Hey Kurt, the cutting ability of that axe melded with your swing is impressive. You might want to sew a leather sheath around the throat of the handle to protect it from the abuse it encounters from such deep cuts along with your style of repeated edge placement that makes handle contact. Just a thought since you take such good care of your axe I noticed as touching up the blade keeping it razor sharp, scraping the handle, making your own sheath etc. Keep up the good work.
@@kurts64 one method I’ve used with success is to tightly wrap the upper part of the handle with natural string like jute or hemp twine, then apply epoxy to the string so it sets like a plaster cast. You end up with a very solid collar to protect the handle, but of course if you need to drop the head further onto the handle it would be a pain.
Thanks a lot mate, I think it's a good all rounder size, a bit of a step up weight wise from say a husqvarna or GB forest axe, still super fast and maneuverable but nowhere near the bulk of our standard Tassies. Steel is good too, it comes unsheathed and with a raw edge that needs final grinding but it's easy to file down (I settled on 20°)and keeps it's edge a good while. Theres also plenty of scope for customising the handle if you want. Cheers for watching, looking forward to your swagman series
HB gives their axes multiple colors and names. This one is the same as their forest or felling axe, the same as one of Hultafor and Husqvarna axe. But It is one of the best all around axes.
G'day mate, there may be other versions not available here I haven't used, but mine is definitely different to the husqvarna and HB forest axe. It's 3/4 pound heavier, has a longer straighter bit, different cheek geometry, no "ears"/"lugs" and comes on a longer handle. But yep definitely one of HB's best imo! Thanks for watching and commenting mate!👍👍
@@kurts64 You are correct mate. The other axes I mentioned are lighter and smaller. I am thinking about getting this one. It looks like a powerful chopper and splitter. Nice work!
I’m not sure which was better: your axemanship or your photography. Awesome video! What type of tree was that? With that red sap? Very cool. March/April is firewood season here for me. I’m usually cutting and splitting 5-6 cord. That HB is something I am going to check out. I don’t need another axe; but I want one. Again, really nice video 👍👍
Thanks a lot mate! The tree is a Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera), a native hardwood down here. Very similar to a eucalyptus, makes some very hard timber when they get big. The red sap can be used medicinally. 5-6 cord is a fair effort! What kind of timber do you work with?
@@kurts64 I’m in the northeast USA (upstate New York) and up here it’s a pretty good mix between hardwoods and conifers. Nobody here burns the softwoods though except in camp fires. We are fortunate to have great firewood which is nice because it’s cold half the year. I burn my wood stove 5-6 months out of the year. I live out in the woods and have permission to my neighbors woods also. I’m don’t fell anything, but take storm damaged trees. Up here we get enough snow and ice that trees come down all the time. I try to keep 2 years wood supply on hand which equals about 11-12 cord: cut, split and stacked at my house. I’m mostly burning red & white oak; white ash; red& sugar maple; black cherry & fire cherry. Every now and then I will get some American elm, but then I need my hydraulic splitter!! Mostly I split everything by hand with an axe. Great video again. Where about are you located? Those birds are also very cool.
@@MDR-hn2yz it's cool that you've got a variety of species to work with, would be some beaut forests especially in the autumn months. Sounds like it gets bloody cold up there! I'm in northern NSW, it's fairly warm most of the year but we run a fire over the winter months. About 1.5- 2 cords of gum does the trick plus whatever else I split to sell occasionally. It's just a good excuse to be out bush😁 Are you still getting snow up that way?
Turpentine, there's plenty of these small half burnt ones around. The saw cut wood was turp as well, makes decent wood for an outdoor fire. Rock hard when it's seasoned but straight grain stuff like these are fairly easy to split. Some people reckon not to cook over it or burn it inside, but I've never noticed any issues with it. Nice wood for carving and decorative stuff, and bugs don't really like it either
@@shaveclassy9986 made chopping boards spoons etc but never tried it for a handle. They'd grow down your way, if you've got hillsides or shady gullies, or around ironbark stands, I'd aim for a 10 inch log and split it down to size. Seasoned it's usually a pinkish colour in the trunk
Gday mate! Never been to BC (looks like a top spot) but I used it recently on some introduced Radiata Pine here in Aus. It was pretty much perfect! Hope to get the vid out soon. Cheers for watching!👍👍🪓🌲
this is the nicest axe video I have seen ever, lovely quality and great chopping. Damn I miss having some woods to chop in
Wow mate thanks a lot legend! I know your pain, my lease on this bush block is up at the end of this year, I'm trying to make the absolute most of it.
Rippin speed and horsepower...with accuracy.... Killer camera work....Much Respect from St Petersburg Florida...
Thanks mate!👍🪓
Too much bad news on line .
Really Nice to watch a mate go have a nice chop and a cuppa!!
It gets like that hey. Sometimes ya just gotta switch off. Cheers mate👍👍🪓🪓
An absolute masterclass in chopping and filming, fantastic! What an amazing place that is too.
Thanks heaps mate, wasn't sure if you guys would like all the extra scenery stuff, but being out in the landscape is what it's all about I reckon. Cheers!
@@kurts64 Definitely keep doing it, it's great to share such a great spot with the rest of us!
Those hb axes are some of the best ever.
Agreed, mate! For an axe of its size and use, it's hard to fault. And still going strong. Cheers!👍👍🪓🪓
I am a big fan of 3/4 axe AKA Boy's axe. They have been the go to axe for places in the far north of N. America for a long time. I use a Council Tool Boy's axe for all my bush travels and making kindling at the home. I have not had the pleasure of swinging a HB Montreal 2.5# yet, but they interest me a lot. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching mate! I've always used 4 or 4.5lb axes for general chopping except for the 1.2kg/2.75lb HB Dayton, which I've had for years and love, but only used for certain lighter jobs. So the Montreal was a nice surprise, and it's been a main user since! There's a few 3/4 axes in my shed now, hope to get some vids out in the coming months. Cheers!🪓👍👍
@@kurts64 I just broke down and purchased a HB Montreal 2.5 on 28 inch handle. I'll let you know what I think.
@@tomhalverson3438 haha that's awesome mate! 👌 👍👍🪓
@@tomhalverson3438 So one year later, how do you feel that Montreal axe compares?
Hey Kurt, this was a great video. Loved the camera work. I am also impressed with that 2.5# Montreal HB. It did everything from felling to feather sticking. You've put that axe on my radar now !
G'day Joey, thanks mate. Definitely recommend the HB for a lighter weight work axe. Its a bit different to my usual heavies, but if you scale down the timber to suit it's a pretty versatile bit of gear. Doesnt take long at all to get through a 6-8 inch tree, and light enough to not notice on a carry-in trip. Cheers for watching!
A real treat of a video Kurt. The early morning segments in silhouette looked really cool. Great chopping and fire scenes.
Cheers Brett! Thanks for coming along mate!
All the UA-cam axe guys are commenting here. You know its good content. Keep it up!
Thanks a lot mate, i appreciate it! Couple more vids soon I hope, just gotta find some editing time. Cheers!
Great technique, accuracy and efficiency. A pleasure to watch someone that can swing an axe and film as well. Cheers from the Ottawa Valley in Canada!
Thanks mate, that means a lot! Hope your doin alright through the winter, cheers from Nambucca Valley in Australia! 👍👍🪓
Doing okay! Thanks for asking. Was down to -20s last week but warmed up to -5C so much easier on the firewood supply now. Found your channel while checking out videos for the HB Agdor 2.5 Montreal Pattern I bought 2 years ago but have not used yet. Will have to grind it down to a better edge though but thats a given with all new axes.
I started collecting vintage axes a few years ago and restored a couple including a 3.5lb Walter's Black Diamond on 28inch handle I use for splitting. It is a good chopper as well but I am pushing 70 hence the HB purchase for that and general duty.
In the 1980s I used an Iltis Oxhead for cutting line for mining exploration surveys in north Saskatchewan. Hard to find them now but they were preferred axe for cutting jack pine and black spruce conifers.
Looking forward to checking out your videos as a new subscriber😊
@@marksmith9295 minus 20 bloody hell that's cold! Walters made some nice axes, I had one of thier tassie patterns a while back. Never used an Iltis but heard they're great axes. Cheers for subscribing mate!
My pleasure to subscribe. The Oxheads have a really nice ring to them.
You make axing looks so easy :)) It's great to watch.
Haha cheers mate, hope alls good up your way and you find some time to get out there!
Very enjoyable. Great photography, got me hooked with the opening shots. Excellent axe work. Top quality altogether
Thanks heaps mate, I appreciate that! Cheers
Quality axemanship. Incredible video sir!
Thanks heaps mate, nuthin' better than a day out bush. Cheers!
@@kurts64 absolutely! Amazing what a day in the woods with nothing but an axe can do for a man.
I know this is not new but I have just seen now. Great viewing. You got talent mate. Axe AND Camera.
Cheers.🙂
Thanks mate! And cheers for checkin out the older vids, this was a fun one to put together, great little axe too. Nuthin better than a fire and a cuppa to finish the day off!
Nice chopping! It's almost hunting season here in the states so I won't be able to get out until late winter so I hope you have more videos on the way to help me get through till then.
Cheers mate, I know what you mean, Aussie bass season just opened here too so I've been more out in the creek than the bush. I didn't even draw a string on a deer this year, hope you have better luck than me! Definitely not finished with the cordwood yet though!
Great video, it has some of the best camera work I have seen period.
Glad you enjoyed mate, thanks!
Awesome vid bro iv been looking into getting a new axe and wanted to go with Hultafors but just wasn't sure witch one i was going with so you just made my mind up for me lol Thanks man...
Haha no worries mate, cheers for watching and good luck with the axe!
Well filmed Kurt, great camera and axe work 😎👍
Cheers mate, she's a good little axe!
Wow you cut through those limbs like they were nothing! Great chopping and very nice filming
Cheers Michelle, thanks for watching! She's a little laser beam, looking forward to your next one👍
As usual, an excellent video. Great watch with my morning coffee.
Thanks mate, glad to help with the coffee😆how are you going with those pines?
@@kurts64 Slaying! The team got 300 odd in the snow a month ago. Good fun.
@@southafricanaxeenthusiast9144 good stuff!
Hi Kurt, nice chopping again! Love the Hults Bruk axes- awesome hard steel.
I have six beeches this autum so take down and i am looking forward to make my first vid of it!
A small one i felled already with my Hults Bruk Agdor 1,2kg
G'day mate, good to hear from you, cheers for watching! Big fan of HB's, the Agdor 1.2 is another awesome all rounder in my opinion. Looking forward to your vid, good luck mate!
Wow. You really took your time with this video. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great work man.
I appreciate that mate, thanks a lot! How's your winter treating you?
It had been very mild but we got 22 inches of snow on Sunday into Monday haha. Keep up the good work man.
Some great chopping choppers you did man. Makes me want to go back out in under woods again.
Cheers mate, how'd you go with that giant tree you did, that thing was a monster
@@kurts64 Thing burned me out down the filter and I barely had time to catch my breath it felt like. I still need to get back to that portion of the woods with my saw and cut that truck up.
@@skaagkaal2613 was a bloody big tree for an axe!💪
@@kurts64 It sure was but man i'll tell you it sure was fun knocking it down with one.
Hey Kurt, I really enjoyed this one. Your scene framing and editing was excellent. Nice job mate.
Cheers Alex, was trying out a new editor for this one, made for some "fun" computer moments! Thanks for checking it out!
@@kurts64 which editor?
This was a free one called "openshot". Seems very capable and there's still a lot to learn about it, but I found it taxed my (very basic) laptop and lagged a fair bit. Also plenty of user errors! A tech guy I aint-still on the learning curve 😁
@@kurts64 well I didn't notice any errors. Looked great.
@@AlexDoes cheers mate👍
Very nice!! The editing skills, though 👍 Glad to be here, just got you over the 100 mark!! Cheers!!
G'day mate, thats awesome thanks heaps for watching! And for taking the time to comment, have a good one!
That’s one tree challenge complete! (For the second time) 👍🔥
I didn't think of that..sweet! Still need to find a Big Log!
Hell yeah Kurt I loved this man !! I can’t wait to get out an use my HB Montreal !!!!
Haha cheers mate, love my HB's and the Montreal has become a go-to for sure. Super light and fast, just flat out works well, pretty much ideal cordwood axe
@@kurts64 good deal man yeah I have a feeling it’ll be my go to, I need to tune it up still. How thin did you make yours as far as the grind. It’s seems like it chops like butter !!
@@940joey2 I took mine down to 18° flat grind, but was getting a bit of edge damage so backed it off to 20° and added a microbevel. Some guys could get away with finer angles but I've found this works for me in my wood. If you go thru the cordwood page I've got some pics of the build on there, and some clips of edge testing and comparing with a HB 1.2. Good luck with the build!
@@kurts64 awesome thanks Kurt, yeah I’ll start at like 20 or 22 no micro and see how I go if anything add a micro bevel I mostly have all hardwoods by me
Another great video bud and that HB looks real nice 💯
Cheers for watching mate, much appreciated !👍
Beauty shots, mate.
Cheers mate!
That looks like tough lumber. Great video
Thanks a lot mate!👍
100% ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS!!! TY!!!!
Gday, thanks a lot mate!👍👍🪓
Some nice relaxed but accurate chopping
Nice vid
Cheers man, such a light axe, it takes bugger all effort to throw it around. So much easier over a day than the heavies
Great vid Bushy !! A high mark !
Now that you've used the Montreal and the Muller. How do they compare. Which do you prefer for the size timber they are made for ,?
Thanks mate! The Montreal is a bit wedgier than the Muller, and has less toe, so I reckon has a slight advantage for smallish, on-the-ground bucking like in this vid. The Muller profile is a bit more limbing oriented, but can still do this kind of work. Both are nimble and super fast. The Muller would be a better carver if that was something you were after in this sized axe. The HB handles are nice quality hickory but I chose to add palm swells to get a decent grip, the ash handle on the Muller comes with enough meat to have a decent swell already. Steel quality about even. Both are blue lol...both would work in your area very well, I'd guess if your limbing a lot of pines (and possibly carrying a larger axe for bucking/splitting) the Muller would be the pick👍 cheers for watching man!
Sweet video dude this axe looks awesome!!!!
G'day mate, cheers for watching! She's a little beast!
@@kurts64 Cool scenery shots man love the sounds of the Aussie bush.
@@aussieaxedude154 Thanks man, yeah same love the bush sounds. Cicadas have started coming out here now, so its gone from nice and quiet to bloody noisy! Cicadas mean bass fishing though, so I don't mind at all😆👍
Nice video and one of my favorite axes. I just look at my axe handles and can see which ones get the most use.
Cheers mate! This one's a bit lighter than I'd usually go for but has become a favorite as well👍
A talented axeman.
Thanks a lot mate, cheers for watching👍👍🪓
I really like your videos, long-lasting interaction registration💝👍
Nice display
Cheers mate, and thanks for watching!👍🪓
I'd never take you on at golf HAHAHA. Great axemanship
🤣🤣 cheers mate! 👍👍🪓
How would you say this compares to the Hultafors felling axe? Trying to decide between the two for general camping use, ranging from harvesting smallish dead pine and poplar in the backcountry, to splitting up the larger rounds found at campsites.
Gday mate, depends which weight you go for. The Yankee/Dayton pattern Hultafors felling axes (say the 1.2kg vs this 1.1kg Montreal) have a bit more convexity in the cheeks which makes for a slightly better splitter and chopper. The Montreal, due to the beard and smaller eye height, has a a head shape I think better suited to more general bushcraft use, including carving. But honestly both would perform well. I have both and am happy grabbing either one for any lighter tasks.
In the 3.5lb/1.5kg range, I would go the Yankee felling pattern. If they both had a 20° edge bevel for example, the Yankee would stick less. Thanks for watching man 👍👍🪓
@@kurts64 Thanks for the advice! I actually have 4lb Yankee and Montreal axes, but different manufacturers. For camping I want something in the 28", 2.5lb range, and in Canada these two axes are the best value. I have a 2lb German style Agdor head on a 26" handle, but its a poor splitter. My Fiskars splits better but is a much worse chopper, and I find the 23" handle too short.
@@bushleague3472 that is one of the things I like about HB/Hultafors, they're good value. I reckon the 28inch, 1.2 Agdor would probably be the pick of the two. Montreal is great for limbing and bucking green wood, the 1.2 for bit heavier work. Canada looks like a beaut place, on my wish list for sure 👍
@@kurts64 Just ordered this axe today, cant wait to put it to work! Where I live in Canada it feels like the edge of civilization, and I cant really imagine living elsewhere. Regardless of how crazy the world gets, there is this giant unknown that makes me believe that I cant be swallowed by the insanity. I imagine people who live by the ocean feel roughly the same thing.
@@bushleague3472 Congrats on the new axe hope it works for ya!
A "Giant Unknown", that's poetry right there. Love it. Standing alone on the ocean rocks, casting a line early morning or in the late afternoon quiet is like that. With just the sound of the swells you know that one wrong move and its all over
I got a very similar ax to this it was originaly a boys ax. Its a blue HB 2-1/4lb. Looks almost identical.
Sweet. I know these and the blue agdor daytons have been around for years, a vintage 1.2 Dayton was my first 'non-tassie' axe, probably a decade ago now. Still one of my most used axes, lives in the ute. HB's are awesome!
i need more of this
Thanks for watching mate!👍👍
Yep me too
Wich pants do you use are they good to help for axe cuttings ?
Thanks for watching mate. They're an Aussie brand called King Gee. No specific cut protection, just heavy duty cotton work pants, stand up well in the bush over the years. If your after cut protection, maybe look into chainmail socks. Expensive but work very well👍
@@kurts64 ok Thank you for awnsering me!
Found a vintage head like this in great shape at a garage sale for 2 bucks recently
Hey what a score! Makes an awesome lighter weight chopper👍👍
How was the grind on this axe when you first got it
It came with I suspect an 80 grit V-edge that was surprisingly paper-cutting sharp, probably about 30° from memory. A quick run over with a stone and it would have cleaned up pretty well. I ended up putting an 18° on it, and later settled on 20° with a microbevel. Cheers for watching 👍
What camera do you have? Footage looks fantastic. Also, nice clean chopping, but that goes without saying…and nice sheath!
Thanks Kevin, glad to hear the shots came out ok, had a few laptop and camera issues during editing some of it seemed a bit grainy. Still using the p900, though it's been belted a fair bit
Nothing awry to my eye. You are by far the best ASMR axe content on the internet, bar-none that I am aware of. If only our interests where more mainstream, you’d be killing it. But I suspect, you like me, have a blast not only chopping but filming the experience too. But Seriously, you have really good eye for composition. Has photography been an interest of yours in the past? I seem to remember you having a solid grasp on camera hear.
@@KevinsDisobedience thanks heaps man. Always loved taking still pics, would love to have the budget and time to invest a bit more in it. Learning the vid/computer side of things definitely has its moments!🤬 on top of that though it's cool just to be able to be out there and share it
Great video, thanks for taking the time to film and edit it. Did you check out the Agdor Yankee 1.2kg prior to buying your Montreal? Cheers
Cheers mate I appreciate that👍 I've had a pair of the 1.2 Yankees for a long time now, probably a decade or so and is one of the best modern axes you can buy I reckon. The main one is in a few other vids if your interested and is gunna be in another vid coming up soon. Thanks for watching mate👍👍
@@kurts64
I appreciate your thoughts, Cheers. They certainly seem like good value as well. Lucky enough to have inherited a very nice Hytest Craftsman 4.5 pound. Great axe, but heavy for most of the uses I have for it.
@@outdoors5352 love an ol' Hytest! It's funny I've often thought if I lost all my axes, the first two I'd hunt down again would be a HB 1.2 and a Craftsman 4 or 4.5. Those two would cover any job I reckon.
@@kurts64
Haha that's the plan 😉
Hey Kurt, the cutting ability of that axe melded with your swing is impressive. You might want to sew a leather sheath around the throat of the handle to protect it from the abuse it encounters from such deep cuts along with your style of repeated edge placement that makes handle contact. Just a thought since you take such good care of your axe I noticed as touching up the blade keeping it razor sharp, scraping the handle, making your own sheath etc. Keep up the good work.
Gday Jim, thanks for watching and some sound advice! I appreciate it mate👍👍
@@kurts64 one method I’ve used with success is to tightly wrap the upper part of the handle with natural string like jute or hemp twine, then apply epoxy to the string so it sets like a plaster cast. You end up with a very solid collar to protect the handle, but of course if you need to drop the head further onto the handle it would be a pain.
@@deathbyastonishment7930 cheers mate!👍 thanks for watching too
that's proper choppin'
Cheers mate👍👍
Really good vid mate. Nice axe. Whats your thoughts on it? Well filmed to mate
Thanks a lot mate, I think it's a good all rounder size, a bit of a step up weight wise from say a husqvarna or GB forest axe, still super fast and maneuverable but nowhere near the bulk of our standard Tassies. Steel is good too, it comes unsheathed and with a raw edge that needs final grinding but it's easy to file down (I settled on 20°)and keeps it's edge a good while. Theres also plenty of scope for customising the handle if you want. Cheers for watching, looking forward to your swagman series
I'll never get tired of hearing an axe in the bush, great sound. Keep up the good work bro
@@Southernlandbushcraft same here, cheers mate
Small channel. Epic video. 🎉 FR AF.
Legend, cheers mate👍👍🪓
HB gives their axes multiple colors and names. This one is the same as their forest or felling axe, the same as one of Hultafor and Husqvarna axe. But It is one of the best all around axes.
G'day mate, there may be other versions not available here I haven't used, but mine is definitely different to the husqvarna and HB forest axe. It's 3/4 pound heavier, has a longer straighter bit, different cheek geometry, no "ears"/"lugs" and comes on a longer handle. But yep definitely one of HB's best imo! Thanks for watching and commenting mate!👍👍
@@kurts64 You are correct mate. The other axes I mentioned are lighter and smaller. I am thinking about getting this one. It looks like a powerful chopper and splitter. Nice work!
@@snowwalker9999 no worries! The montreals still in my top 2 smaller axes, still goin strong! Good luck with it mate🪓👍
I’m not sure which was better: your axemanship or your photography. Awesome video!
What type of tree was that? With that red sap? Very cool.
March/April is firewood season here for me. I’m usually cutting and splitting 5-6 cord. That HB is something I am going to check out. I don’t need another axe; but I want one.
Again, really nice video 👍👍
Thanks a lot mate! The tree is a Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera), a native hardwood down here. Very similar to a eucalyptus, makes some very hard timber when they get big. The red sap can be used medicinally. 5-6 cord is a fair effort! What kind of timber do you work with?
And we can all do with another axe😆
@@kurts64 I’m in the northeast USA (upstate New York) and up here it’s a pretty good mix between hardwoods and conifers. Nobody here burns the softwoods though except in camp fires. We are fortunate to have great firewood which is nice because it’s cold half the year. I burn my wood stove 5-6 months out of the year.
I live out in the woods and have permission to my neighbors woods also. I’m don’t fell anything, but take storm damaged trees. Up here we get enough snow and ice that trees come down all the time. I try to keep 2 years wood supply on hand which equals about 11-12 cord: cut, split and stacked at my house.
I’m mostly burning red & white oak; white ash; red& sugar maple; black cherry & fire cherry.
Every now and then I will get some American elm, but then I need my hydraulic splitter!! Mostly I split everything by hand with an axe.
Great video again. Where about are you located? Those birds are also very cool.
@@MDR-hn2yz it's cool that you've got a variety of species to work with, would be some beaut forests especially in the autumn months. Sounds like it gets bloody cold up there! I'm in northern NSW, it's fairly warm most of the year but we run a fire over the winter months. About 1.5- 2 cords of gum does the trick plus whatever else I split to sell occasionally. It's just a good excuse to be out bush😁 Are you still getting snow up that way?
What breed tree🌳 ?
Turpentine, there's plenty of these small half burnt ones around. The saw cut wood was turp as well, makes decent wood for an outdoor fire. Rock hard when it's seasoned but straight grain stuff like these are fairly easy to split. Some people reckon not to cook over it or burn it inside, but I've never noticed any issues with it. Nice wood for carving and decorative stuff, and bugs don't really like it either
@@kurts64 sold I want a bit for a maddock handle
@@shaveclassy9986 made chopping boards spoons etc but never tried it for a handle. They'd grow down your way, if you've got hillsides or shady gullies, or around ironbark stands, I'd aim for a 10 inch log and split it down to size. Seasoned it's usually a pinkish colour in the trunk
Nice axe perfect 2.5. To 3 pound is my preference
Thanks for watching mate. Agreed, it's a good size for general work, I wish more manufacturers would make 3 pounders
Me too
Like 29👍
Dude…great video……please watch where your feet are!
Thanks for watching mate, will do!
Its the perfect mid size for the conifer forests here in BC 🍁
Gday mate! Never been to BC (looks like a top spot) but I used it recently on some introduced Radiata Pine here in Aus. It was pretty much perfect! Hope to get the vid out soon. Cheers for watching!👍👍🪓🌲
@@kurts64 I lived in Australia for a year backpacking and surfing, came for a wedding for 3 months and just stayed 😂
@@bradfarrahgerwing154 haha nice!