Let’s be real here: Most “budget” axes suck. Your average box-store special is made in China from who-knows-what kind of steel, has a fiberglass handle, and no natural balance to speak of. It’s a clunky throwaway tool that’ll last a few years, tops. What if we told you there was a better way? That there was an American-made axe with a tool-steel head and a real hickory handle, that felt great in the hand and would last a lifetime with proper care… and that it was the same price (or even less!) than that crappy Chinese one at the hardware store? Enter the Council Tool Boy’s Axe. So named because generations ago, a young man’s first axe was generally this size, it’s a perfect mid-size axe for a wide variety of chores in the woods. With a 2.25lb head and a 28” handle, it’s got enough heft for splitting and felling, without being so heavy it’ll wear you out cutting limbs and clearing brush. It serves perfectly as a kit axe to carry in a truck or canoe, and is also great for its original purpose – a young man’s (or woman’s) first axe to take into the woods.