Fire Axe, Inc. Review
We recently had the opportunity to do a product review on two different axes from Fire Axe, Inc. The two axes we reviewed were the 8lb flat head axe with 36” fiberglass handle, and the 6lb pick head axe with 32” hickory handle. At first glance it may appear that these are presentation axes, but nothing can be farther from the truth… These axes are made to be abused! The axe heads are made from high grade tool steel, heat treated and polished (not chrome plated.) If we had to sum up their performance in one sentence, we would simply say: These axes held up better than any other axe we have ever used.
Since these axe heads are made from high grade tool steel, and undergo a significant heat treating process, the head itself held up extremely well to the abuse we put it through. We experienced no “mushrooming” of the metal on the striking surface. Many other axe heads tend to “mushroom” on the striking surfaces due to heavy impact. After hundreds of strikes against a Halligan, no mushrooming was present. We even beat multiple holes in a cinder block wall with the back of the flat head axe, and no mushrooming occurred. We even knocked holes in the block wall with the pick of the pick head axe with no observed deformation. We tried like hell to find what these axe’s limitations were, and honestly couldn’t find any.
Pictured above is the Fire Axe, Inc. 8lb flat head axe after significant abuse. Pictured below is a non Fire Axe, Inc. after similar abuse. These pictures demonstrate the mushrooming mentioned above, and difference in the quality of materials.
Fire Axe Inc. was created by Los Angeles (CA) Firefighter Jason Knight. When Jason got on the job, he came to realize that the LAFD favored Seagrave Axe was no longer being produced and the dies were no longer in existence. So he embarked on the journey to make his own. While in the development stages Jason identified some improvements (like the handle guard) and incorporated them into his new design. Ever since the beginning Jason has been meticulous about ensuring a high level of quality workmanship and materials go into each and every axe. As a result, these axes are made in the USA for firefighters by firefighters. Additional details on the axes and Fire Axe Inc. can be found at the Fire Axe Inc. website: firefighteraxe.com.
6lb Pick Head Axe
32” Hickory Wood Handle
6lb pick head with 32” hickory wood handle. The wood handle is attached with four wedges (one wood and three metal ones.) This wedge set-up held the axe head solidly in place even after significant abuse. The 5” pick on this axe is much larger than most other axes, and provides an excellent purchase point when used. The axe was well balanced and fit comfortably in the hands, and didn’t “roll” as much as some other axes when striking the roof. The blade held it edge nicely throughout the review. The axe has an integrated handle guard that extends 1 ½” below the head to protect the handle from overstrike damage. We did feel that the 6lb head was a little light for our preference. We are trying to convince them into making an 8lb pick head. The 6lb got plenty of work done, however we felt an 8lb would be ideal.
8lb Flat Head Axe
36” Fiberglass Handle
8lb flat head with 36” fiberglass handle. The fiberglass handle is much stronger than it looks. We buried the head of the axe and put a significant amount of lateral force on the handle to test its strength. The handle took the abuse without being damaged at all (the handle is rated at 1200lb.) The fiberglass handle is epoxied into the axe head. Even after all of the abuse, the head was still held firmly in place. Another nice feature of the fiberglass handle is the fawns-foot at the base of the handle to improve your grip. Perhaps the best feature on the flat head is the integrated halligan groove in the head. The groove allows for a halligan to be perfectly married with the axe. The groove prevents the tools from un-marrying and decreases hand fatigue when carrying the tools. This is probably due to the fact that you do not have to squeeze the tools together as much, using less grip strength. The flat head also has the handle guard that extends 1 ½” below the head protecting the handle from overstrike damage. The blade on this axe also held it edge nicely throughout the review. The flat head also felt very balanced in the hand, swung well and struck solidly.
The axes come with detailed maintenance information to ensure the axes look good, and are ready to perform. (Please refer to the detailed instructions included with the axe for their suggested maintenance.) We found that a basic cleaning with gasoline removed all of the heavy tar and grime from the heads. Once all of big stuff was off, a high-speed buffer with some compound shined the heads up nicely. A thin coat of carnauba (car) wax kept the heads from developing any oxidation. A hand file on the blade surface allowed us to maintain the edge we desired. (As a side note, grinders should not be used on any tool that has been heat treated. The high heat produced from a grinder will change the heat treated properties of the tool and soften the metal.) The wood handle took a light sanding and some linseed oil, and the fiberglass handle cleaned up with a scrub pad and come all purpose cleaner.
As we’ve mentioned throughout the review, we were quite pleased with the performance of these tools. A significant amount of work when into their design, and it shows. They performed above and beyond our expectations.
