Swedish Craftsmanship: The Hultafors Classic Hunting Axe and Its 300-Year Forge Heritage

Few outdoor tools carry as much history as the Hultafors Classic Hunting Axe, a hand-forged instrument made in Sweden by artisans who still rely on techniques passed down through generations. This particular model, also sold in some markets as the Ekelund Hunting Axe, was designed with hunters in mind—its profile suits not only chopping wood but also field dressing and skinning game.

The story behind the axe goes far beyond its current catalog listing. Hultafors AB owns Hults Bruk, a forge with roots that stretch back to the late 17th century. In 1697, a young Swede named Jacob Reenstierna secured permission to set up a drop forge near Lake Ågelsjön, using water from the lake to power the hammers. For nearly two centuries, the works produced nails—including supplies for the Swedish navy—before expanding into anchor chains, stoves, flat irons, and even railcars. Axe production became central by the 1870s, and Gunnar Ekelund, whose family had acquired the operation in 1818, steered the business toward becoming an axe specialist after studying ironworks in England, Belgium, and the United States.

That transatlantic exchange shaped the product in lasting ways. Ekelund brought back American hickory handles and head patterns, including the Yankee and Montreal styles, and the company exported axes under names like Flecha in South America, Jarrah Jack in Australia, and Tiger in Southeast Asia. The longest-lived name, Agdor, is still dated by Hultafors to 1930, with the word reportedly derived from “Rodga,” a manor on the estate, spelled backwards. Hultafors AB purchased Hults Bruk in 1992; in Europe the axes carry the Hultafors name, while American buyers still see the older Hults Bruk branding.

What sets these tools apart is the manufacturing process. Each head begins as a block cut from a Swedish steel bar and heated in an induction oven to 1,200°C. One smith rough-forges it between dies, and after reheating, a second smith finishes the shape. The eye is forged rather than drilled for added strength, and the forging machines—dating from the 1950s and 1960s—are so old that replacement parts must be fabricated in-house. The head is hardened and tempered to roughly 54 to 56 HRC, then mounted on a linseed-oiled American hickory handle secured with both a wooden and a steel wedge.

The Classic Hunting Axe pairs an 850-gram hand-forged Swedish steel head with a 500mm hickory handle, totaling about 1.21 kilograms. Its convex-ground cutting edge and smoothly ground neck make it versatile enough for camp chores, limbing, and light forestry work, while the relatively heavy head and compact handle give it more chopping authority than a small hatchet without sacrificing portability. A leather blade sheath is included, and the edge arrives sharpened and polished from the factory. Higher-end Hults Bruk axes take their names from forge people and places, a nod to the human history embedded in every tool.