Sharp things can easily turn into dull things if you neglect to sharpen them. There are many wonder gadgets on the market but you cannot go wrong with a good ol’ whetstone. This one has two sides: one with a rougher grit and the other finer. Designed especially for sharpening axes but can also be used for knives and other dull blades.

Use

You can do a lot more unwanted damage with a dull blade. Therefore it is important to keep them sharp. A proper big grinding wheel is of course the best, especially the old hand-cranked ones, but a high-quality grinding stone works, too. Hultafors grinding stone is shaped ergonomically to keep your fingers out of harm’s way.

The stone has two grits. You use the coarser 180 grit when the axe has gone really dull. And the 600 grit is designed for the finishing touches. When you sharpen the axe often enough and don’t try to split stones with it, you don’t need to use the coarse grain. We heartily recommend adding water when using this product. Don’t use oil. The best way is to soak the stone in a bucket of water for a while. Really dull axes are easier to sharpen with a grinding wheel. If you don't have access to a wheel and your axe is in a bit poor shape, you could just put the axe on a bench, use a metal file to smooth out the worst and then finish the blade with a sharpening stone such as this. YouTube is your friend.

Hultafors axes are made of relatively soft steel which is easy to sharpen but keeps the edge rather well (when not hit against a rock). We imagine if they have made them like this for centuries, it's a pretty good recipe!

Comes with a leather cover

The stone comes with a beautiful leather pouch which keeps it safe and sound. It closes with a snap fastener and it has "ears" through which you can insert the cord of your choice for, say, hanging purposes.

Manufactured by Hultafors

This grinding stone is manufactured by Hultafors, a Swedish company known for their axes and other high-quality tools. Hultafors axes are manufactured at Hults Bruk in Southeastern Sweden. Hults Bruk was originally founded in 1697. First, they primarily forged nails for shipbuilding but quite soon they also began making various hand tools. By 1870 axes had become a major part of their production. Today Hultafors is a fascinating combination of traditional handicrafts and modern technology.