Karesuando Knives may be best known for its Scandinavian-inspired knife designs that are, to this day, made 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle, but one of the best products in their catalog is their Stoera Aksu, made with a curly birch haft and a stainless, 12C27 stainless head.

It may also be the case that not enough sportsmen carry an ax in the field, or even in camp. This model should change that. Here are some of the most salient features that add value. 

The Head Profile Is Highly Versatile 

The Stoera Aksu from Karesuando Knives is not bearded, but it does have a heel that hangs down from the head quite a bit.

As a result, this ax pattern is highly versatile, and in addition to being used for basic camp chores like limbing as well as quartering and splitting small rounds, it can be used for carving, fleshing, hewing, and processing small harvests. 

That alone gives it the flexibility to perform many of the offices as a hunting knife; not as a replacement, but as a practical second option.

12C27 Might as Well Be a Super Steel

Many axes are made with alloys that are not corrosion resistant, like 1045 and 1055. These are good steels for axes, especially big felling and splitting axes that will take a lot of abuse. 

But, 12C27 is capable of taking a ridiculously fine edge, one that you could shave with (not that you would want to do this) and on top of that is marvellously corrosion resistant. This makes it highly practical for a pack ax, one that will be carried away from amenities and creature comforts for extended periods of time.

Plus, with only a little more than half a percent of carbon, it is tough and shock-resistant enough to make a good steel for an ax head. 

Curly Birch Is Not Just Pretty

The Stoera Aksu is made with curly birch, which is a type of birch with interlocking grain and beautiful figure, not altogether commonly used for knife and tool handles.

It is used, primarily, for its wonderful aesthetics, but don’t let that fool you. It is also very strong. 

As ax aficionados, we train ourselves to look for straight grain in beech and hickory handles. A straight grain confers strength, lacks grain runout, and decreases the chances that the haft will break prematurely even if abused. 

You will not find that in this ax but don’t underestimate the strength of wood with curly grain. Even though it doesn’t have straight grain, the curly birch in this ax has an interlocking grain that is insanely strong and in fact, less likely to split than a haft with straight grain because the grain in curly birch is interlocked. 

Plus, in a small pattern of this size, grain orientation is far less significant than it would be with a larger felling or splitting ax. 

It Comes with a High Quality Mask

The mask is often the weak point of what would otherwise be an excellent ax, and in many cases, axes, hatchets and tomahawks don’t even come with them. That is not the case here. 

The Stoera Aksu from Karesuando Knives comes with a high quality leather mask that protects the blade and which can be fastened to a belt for easy carry.

Where to Learn More About This Ax and Other Karesuando Knives

Convinced the Stoera Aksu is an indispensable tool for the trail? You wouldn’t be wrong. If you want to learn more about it, have questions, or want to explore other Karesuando Knives, visit The Knife Connection for more information or get in touch with their customer service directly.

For more information about Lionsteel and Bradford Guardian 3 Please visit: The Knife Connection.