Hults Bruk has forged in Aby, Sweden since 1697, 65 years before Gransfors opened its first hearth. The reputation is quieter and the street prices run $30 to $50 below comparable Gransfors patterns. Four models we have swung, with real specs and the shortcomings we hit before hour 30. Prices are USD street 2026-07. KnifeCenter and Amazon links pay us a small commission; the verdict does not move.

Four Hults Bruk models, ranked

1. Aneby — mid-tier hunt-camp hatchet

1.25 lb head, 16 in American hickory, Swedish high-carbon steel, vegetable-tanned leather sheath, $180 street. Our top mid-tier pick. 30 hours white oak in western Pennsylvania: edge held with a hour-15 puck-stone touch-up. Shortcomings: sheath rivets loosen after a season of belt carry; leather stretches faster than the Gransfors Wildlife sheath at the same price. Check on KnifeCenter.

2. Kisa — compact belt-carry alternative

1.0 lb head, 15 in American hickory, Swedish high-carbon, $160 street. The Wildlife Hatchet alternative for $35 less. Kerf slightly thicker from the factory; expect 10 minutes of file work. Shortcomings: factory bevel needs work, and the handle finish is light oil that dries out in 90 days without re-oiling. Check on KnifeCenter.

3. Torneo — Scandinavian forest axe

1.5 lb head, 20 in hickory, Swedish high-carbon, $200 street. Two-handed forest axe for camp splitting and long-limb work. Not a belt pick. Shortcomings: 20 in handle binds in tight brush, and the factory cheek finish shows tool grind marks in raking light. Check on KnifeCenter.

4. Agdor — two-handed felling axe

2.5 lb head, 26 in hickory, Swedish high-carbon, $220 street. Felling and splitting axe (not our hunt-camp pick). Shortcomings: the 26 in handle is too long for a truck cabin, and the Agdor pattern needs a thicker kerf profile if you split gnarled hardwood. Check on Amazon.