Husqvarna Carpenter’s Axe for Trapline and Camp, Review

We had been looking for a good axe to use around camp and on the trapline. We wanted something that was of good quality but not super expensive. Something that had a short hardwood handle that would be easy to carry on the belt, in the pack basket or backpack, and was light enough to carry long distances, yet heavy enough to get the job done. We wanted an axe with knife’s edge, made of quality steel, that could be used for bushcrafting projects around the camp as well as the basic tasks that need to be done on a trapline. To be honest, that’s a lot to ask for.

While searching on-line I stumbled upon the Husqvarna Carpenter’s Axe. Right away it caught my eye because it is styled in the tradition of the old “Hudson Bay Axe”. The Carpenter’s Axe might be designed and marketed primary for woodworking, but it meets all the specifications for a north country trapping and camp axe. The hickory handle is 17.5″ long, just the right size for carrying on your belt or carrying in the pack basket. The overall weight is 2.2 lbs and that suits me to a tee. The Swedish steel head is hand forged and crafted in such a way that you can get your hand extremely close for maximum control for the finer bushcraft work. This axe has an excellent, straight, knife’s edge that sharpens easily and is very well suited for whittling and carving. Even so, it chops down small trees efficiently, can drive trap stacks, and do any job that comes up on the trail. This axe is well balanced and simply a pleasure to use.

This little tool far exceeded my expectations and I would never expect an axe of this quality to sell for under $60, but this one does. Are there better axes out there? You bet there are, but they also carry a hefty price tag. The bottom line is that this tool is an incredible value and really just about perfect for camp and trail.