Velvicut® 4 lbs. Premium American Felling Axe with Sheath

SKU: JP40DV36C

MSRP $254.98

(3 customer reviews)

This 4 lbs. heirloom American felling axe was produced by our most experienced artisans.

Where to Buy

This 4 lbs. heirloom American felling axe was produced by our most experienced artisans. The Dayton pattern is a timeless shape and much preferred by skilled woodsmen for a full-sized felling axe. After the head is forged, much care is taken in the finishing process. The axe head is rough ground in a robotic work cell and then sharpened by an experienced craftsman using increasingly fine abrasives and then finished with leather stropping.

A sharp axe is a safe axe as it is less likely to glance out of the cut. Be assured that this axe has been hand-honed razor sharp by our skilled craftsmen. All components are Made in USA.

  • Forged from 5160 grade alloy steel for strength, toughness, durability and the ability to hold an edge. “Council” is displayed on one side of the head, and the other is marked “USA”. The head will last for a lifetime. We guarantee it!
  • Heat treated and quenched to produce a hardened edge extending 1-1/2 inches up the bit for maximum edge holding. The edge is tempered to Rc 52-56 to hold an edge without becoming brittle.
  • 36 in. Handle is made of grade “A” American hickory and its traditional pattern embodies the heirloom quality of axes from times gone by. The grade “A” hickory handle is selected for grain orientation and density. Handle is mounted to the head in a traditional manner using a softwood wedge along with a round steel wedge for added security.
  • The axe head is coated with oil to prevent rusting and to showcase its natural beauty. A Linseed oil coating is applied to protect the handle.
  • A premium leather sheath is included to protect the tool and user and features a buckle for fastening and an embossed logo. Sheath is Made in USA.

 

Customer comments:

“Form and function, when linked, is the essence of beauty.
Whenever we can make the most ordinary something of beauty, we have elevated the most mundane to a place of honor. Beauty and function are united when function has a place of honor.”
October 2011

“I have used it often over the summer and have truly come to appreciate the quality of steel you have used in this ax. It holds an edge better than any other ax I have including some vintage axes…” Your company certainly has something to be proud of.
July 2011

“My Dad and son loved their father’s day Council Tools gift axes! Very Special – please thank all who were involved for us!!!!”
June 2011

“What a beautiful record of your commitment to not only producing solid, useful tools but also objects of beauty as objects themselves. Tools have their own aesthetics and nothing so useful and elegant as the essential ax. Congratulations on your many years of contributing solid and valuable objects that we humans must take to hand where computers cannot do the job.”
May 2011

Prop 65 Warning: This product contains Nickel (Metallic), a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov.

  1. Justin Smith

    I recently became interested in green wood working and decided to build a hewn-log house to incorporate my traditional woodshop. One of my personal requirements of this project was to buy only American made tools whenever I could. After some extensive online research I decided to give this axe a try. The tool was delivered to my house in two days. The axe was shipped in a cardboard box that was adequate enough to hold the merchandise, but not large enough to be obnoxious. No damage to the shipping container was noted upon receipt. Opening the box reveled a masterpiece of workmanship. The axe head was made of exceptionally high quality steel and was shaving sharp right out of the box. The angle of the axe head was hung slightly closed which is perfect for hewing timbers in the round. The eye of the axe head was well executed and was almost perfectly symmetrical. The axe head was fastened to the handle with hardwood wedges and a round shank wedge. The handle itself is beautiful. The grain of the wood is clear and straight and the amazing fawns-foot handle has a thin profile that fits perfectly in my hands. The handle was not coated with any kind of synthetic veneer. This is terrific because the veneer on most box store axes diminishes the user’s grip while increasing the likelihood of blisters on your hand when you actually use it. This axe came with a high grade saddle grain leather sheath that is a fine piece of workmanship in its own right. The axe was shipped with a very concise booklet which gave a brief description of the Council Tool company history, as well as some tips on how to maintain your axe. This is an amazing tool that has already dropped and hewn several hardwood trees into cabin logs, some with facings as large as 18″ and overall lengths exceeding 21′. This axe is heavy enough to bite deep into hardwood but balanced enough to control your swings. The head does not bury itself into the wood but bites and releases, which is exactly what you want an axe to do. It is obvious that the axe head profile angles are almost perfect for heavy felling work. The head has not loosened at all and I have only honed the blade twice during and an entire summer of work. If you are looking for an axe for occasion work, buy this axe. If you are an amateur that needs a good axe for large projects, buy this axe. If you are a professional who needs to rely on your tools when performance counts, buy this axe. You will never regret the purchase and I am guessing that your kids won’t either when you pass it down to them. Great work Council Tools. You have made a fan of your products for life!

  2. Wade Moss

    Love the Axe head! Chops well outta the box!

    My only complaint was the handle. It was rather rough. I used 220 grit sand paper on it and linseed oiled it. Much much better! Cheap fix. But would be nice if it came that way for the price.

    Overall though, its a Monster chopper. Great for clearing trail while packing mules!

  3. Charles Brodeur II

    After recently buying the Velvicut Boy’s Bad Axe and putting it to work I found a great buy online for this Velvicut 4 lbs. Premium American Felling
    Axe from Howland Tools in Shelburne Falls, Mass., and pulled the trigger. While shopping I ruled out all axes that are hafted on ash, as they are too thick and stiff for my liking. It boiled down to considering the Hults Bruk Arvika 5 Star Racing Axe and this one. I felt that the Velvicut is superior for several very important reasons. I chose it because 5160 steel tempered in the mid 50sRC is extremely tough and holds an edge well along with it containing chromium that adds hardenability to its higher carbon content. It’s used by many that hand forge large blades and edged tools for these reasons. HB’s “Swedish steel” is C50 and though good it has less carbon and no chromium nor silicon and I highly regard Council Tool’s tempering as perfect. One only needs to view any of their “Utility” line axes. The color and placement of the temper line on the blade testifies to what’s in hand. Every one of my five Utility axes have a distinct purple to blue rainbow 1&1/2″-2″ from the edge. They’re all harder to file than my Hults Bruk Torneo was. Think old school hickory haft that is thick enough to last and thin enough that I won’t be shocky. The grain orientation is vertical from the butt to the eye with no runout of grain; what I call grade AA. The grind of the blade is evenly balanced and the bit convexed and honed to perfection right out of the box; the head mounted solid on center. In comparison the HB Torneo was mounted on a B grade club that took me over eight hours to pare 1/2″-5/8″ off its width and thickness and coat with BLO and it’s still too thick. After the Torneo I decided that all the imported axes were less value for more money than what I received from Council Tool. To all the Hults and Gransfors fan club I say, “The Velvicut axes are the shiz. If you haven’t got one, you will”. One thing that I wish is that Velvicut Felling Axe was available on a 32″ or even a 30″ haft. This because I find my CT Jersey Classic with it’s 32″ haft a better fit for me, but there’s an axe for every job. One small disappointment is the mask that comes with it. The description states, “A premium leather sheath is included to protect the tool and user and features a buckle for fastening and an embossed logo. Sheath is Made in USA”. What came with it is not even real leather; but pleather; manmade polyurethane synthetic leather. My CT Boy’s Bad Axe did come with a thick welted cowhide full head sheath with a snap and two D-rings. I feel as the quality of this axe alone is worth the price, but also worth a sheath or mask comparable to the sibling. I’ve made welted cowhide masks for all my other axes and this one will get one, too. If you want the best and can afford it, then start with your choice of Velvicut axe, because you’re bound to end up with one or both anyway; like me. If your money is smaller, then you can’t go wrong with an axe from CT’s “Utility” line. They’re better than the European imports; hands down. Best steel (AISI 1060), heat treatment, and hickory hafts for half the cost. I’m stoked on my Council Tool axes.

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