Like Chris W. said in his review, you'll need to do some work! I didn't have sand paper so I used my knife to scrape off the varnish very carefully, if you watch a few videos by wranglerstar on youtube you'll eventually find a video where he teaches you how to do this. The handle looks and feels BEAUTIFUL without the varnish! I oiled it with olive oil which will do just fine, you'll just have to re-oil it more often. and for the edge, it seems there is some sort of clear coat on it which could be bad for the environment AND your stone as it could clog it up, i suggest starting with a file to remove the clear coat before moving onto your stone. No bow in my handle lucky me, the handle is absolutely beautiful and the grain is great, but I just like all wood. me and my friends cut down a small tree 17 inches in diameter but very tall with this, we all took turns because those monkeys wanted a chance to swing it too. I would recommend this to a friend for sure, but due to shipping and the labour needed as people are lazy I'd probably also suggest they just search home depot for a decent hatchet and whetstone.

Seems like I got lucky with my piece, since there are almost no blemishes on the handle, I counted less than ten little black dots. The blade is also "sharpned" if you can call it that, meaning it at least comes together in a tip, not completely rounded, so it will be easier to sharpen it up with a file. Some small rust specs, but not worth the mention. No bends in the handle either and I don't think I ever saw straighter grain on an axe handle, not even on pictures. Anyway, don't count on your luck being the same, but for the price, I recommend you roll the dice. I would consider this a great product for the price that I paid for it. Should have bought two.

I am very happy with this hatchet- with a couple caveats. It's rugged, simple, will do the job just fine- and for a very reasonable price. However, this is still a cheap hatchet and like all cheap axes there is some work you need to do before it will work as intended. First- it comes completely blunt, like just a rounded piece of metal blunt. Without a sharpening stone (which you would need when getting a more expensive axe anyway) it will be no good to you. Second, it does not come with a proper blade cover. I made one in about an hour, a newbie leather worker could do it in a little more than that. You wouldn't need much leather, and maybe only an awl, some needles and a sharp knife. A press stud setting set would be good to have too. At this point our overall package is climbing in price if you don't already have these materials. Third, you need to sand off the varnish, and apply oil. Everyone's favourite is boiled linseed oil, imo most natural oils will work fine. This needs to be repeated multiple times. Money and time requirements are rising, although some midrange axes will also need oil. So overall price is not as low as initially seems, unless you already have this stuff. However it is still much better value than many other more expensive hatches. Time, however- it depends how much you value yours. You need to spend a while getting this up to spec, and considering the low initial price (and perceived 'quality') thos may be a turn off to some. I enjoy the activity though. My only actual, real, substantial issue is this: the axe has been stored improperly for quite some time, and has received a 'veteran's bend', where the handle leans over to one side because the weight of the head has pulled it that way over time. Axes should always be stored hanging up from the head with nails, to prevent this. This is... less than ideal, and will reduce the lifespan of the handle. However, all handles will break eventually, and knowing how to replace them is a useful skill. Again, handle breaking is a possibility even with more expensive axes. This axe loses 1 star for the bend, and half a star for the labour and cost that goes into getting it ready for use. If this project sounds like fun to you, go ahead and get it. If you're looking for something you can grab out of the box, go to the woods with and smack wood all day, I would recommend a Fiskars. If you're looking for an axe you can take to the woods to get pretty Instagram photos, get a Gransforth Bruk. All axes need care.