Beauty and Beast: Hults Bruk Agdor 28 Axe Review

This affordable handmade axe is made for regular use.

An axe is one of the most useful camping tools you can have. Whether I’m spending the night in my truck camper or a tent, I pack one along to split camp wood, tamp in tent stakes, or clear the trail if something has fallen.

I also love fine workmanship and beautiful handmade axes. But I’m hesitant to keep a handmade axe in my truck. Honestly, I’m afraid it’ll get banged around.

When a forger’s initials are stamped into the steelhead, I feel a responsibility to use the axe that person lovingly crafted with care. And I display my handmade axe by my wood stove as much as I use it in the woods.

Although the Agdor 28 axe, which launched this winter, is made by hand, it has a much more utilitarian feel that invited me to use it hard. No task was out of range.

When I got the axe, I packed it into the back of my truck and took it camping. Once at the site, it split wood for a fire, tamped in tent stakes, and held down the corner of a blanket when things got windy.

Hults Bruk Agdor 28 Axe Review

Back at home, the Agdor split small oak logs from a tree I felled and then transitioned to turning construction scrap into kindling. Then, I slung it over my shoulder and packed it into the woods along with my chainsaw to chop out a notch and tap in a wedge, so I could set to work on next year’s firewood (in the form of a big ash).

Sure, I propped the Agdor 28 next to my woodstove where I could admire it — and where it could dry out between our snowy tree felling and the next outing.

But, I’m a lot more likely to prop this axe by the campfire or tie it down in my truck to stay ready for an unexpected adventure than I am to leave it on display.

Agdor 28 Axe Features

Hults Bruk, which has been in operation since 1697, stands as one of the premier axe makers in the world. The head for the Agdor 28 is hand-forged, in the company’s foundry, from Swedish axe steel. While the blade is being hand-ground, smiths strike the steel multiple times to increase its density, which also enhances its durability.

The axe head is constructed to give it a tempered zone at the blade, which will hold an edge for many years and through many sharpenings.

Like other Hults Bruk axes, the Agdor 28 has outstanding balance. Swinging it, the axe felt like a weighted extension of my arm and dealt a solid blow, combining the motion of the swing and the weight of the head to drive it into the log.

The hand-forged head comprises premium Swedish carbon steel and an iconic blue paint job. Plus, that paint serves as a measuring stick for how well I’ve used this axe. It wears a little with each project and adventure.

Sharp Blade, Comfortable Handle

The 2.5-pound axe head has a wide cutting blade, referred to as a “typical Montreal pattern.” The head sits on a delightful-to-hold, ergonomically curved, 28-inch American hickory handle that’s been treated with linseed oil to keep it smooth and to help it age gracefully.

The sharp blade and nice heft chinked hearty chunks of greenwood when I brought the Agdor along on a trail day. It made short work of 4” limbs on a downed pine.

Along the back, the axe isn’t tempered like a hammer. So, it can break if you use it to strike hard objects like concrete or tempered steel splitting wedges. But if you’re pounding aluminum tent stakes or tamping in a plastic wedge, it’s up for the task.

As for amusement, axe throwing isn’t my thing. If it’s yours, you’ll be happy to know that this axe is specced for throwing. It meets Big Axe specifications for WATL, IATF, and BATL.

And unlike other Hults Bruk axes, this one doesn’t have the forger’s initials stamped into it. But it’s a beautiful tool to hold and behold that will get a lifetime of use in my hands.

Check out some of the best splitting axes on the market in our Buyer’s Guide of the Best Axes for Splitting Wood.