Salivate over these 8 stately axes

Co-designed and forest-tested by Canadian survivalist superstar Les Stroud, this multi-functional axe is a must-have for wilderness adventures. Its broad, wedge-shaped head is perfect for taking down small trees and chopping up firewood. The axe also has a hammer neck and comes with a hickory handle and leather sheath.

A small team of craftsmen in Latvia labour over every step to create this powerful axe: forging the steel, handling the tools, creating the sheaths, and promoting the finished product. Their designs are timeless and very detail oriented.

This historically inspired axe comes from a small family run business in Sweden that produces no more than 4000 axes every year. Their Viking model is based around an ancient weapon that dates back to the middle ages. It’s a perfect carving axe, ideal for larger projects, but also finer detail work.

The Sloyd is the only axe produced by renowned Swedish toolmaker Hans Karlsson, who is also praised for his knives and gouges. With its long blade, light weight and flat bevels, it’s perfect for carving and shop work.

This is basically the All-American axe, featuring the iconic Dayton pattern head. The blade has a slimmer profile than a lot of other modern felling axes, which makes cutting and chip throwing a little easier. The handle is made from premium hickory from the Appalachias.

Developed in collaboration with master craftsmen Willie Sundqvist, this large carving axe is a woodworker’s dream. It has a long, curved, double-sided cutting edge that can be specially ordered to fit either right-handers or left-handers. The handle has a slightly uneven surface and provides an excellent grip, but you can also order a carved handle for even better control.

This axe comes from the new label by blacksmith John Neeman, who started John Neeman Tools, but has since split from the original company and formed his own forge. It’s the go-to tool for people looking to butcher meat and divide it into different cuts. The best part? The beautifully clean finish makes is incredibly easy to wipe down once the messy business is out of the way.

This type of axe was a hot trade item during the Fur Trade Era and Snow and Neally’s version is an update of that classic design. Made from high carbon steel, it’s essentially a cross between a hatchet and a tomahawk, ideal for hardy camp work. This design is slighter lighter than the average camp axe, making it much easier to cart though the woods.