re: Helko German axe or Gransfors Bruks Swedish axe ?

Bought my step-dad a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe for Christmas a few years ago. He is a former logger in his younger years. It is beautiful...so much so that he refuses to use it to split wood. Just keeps it with his guns locked up.

I did use it for quality control purposes before I gave it to him...you could shave a gnats arse with it.

Cool thing about their axes is the person that makes it won't put their name stamp on it unless it passes three or so final inspections. To say the company focuses on attention to detail would be quite the understatement.