A stainless steel Gränsfors Bruks axe

[Arjendude]

Same here, the GB is for using imo an I never had any problems with rust. Just put it away a bit cleaned with my pants or so during the trip and clean it at home. I always put some shoe polish (fat) on it and it still looks and perform great

 

[Uilleachan]

I don't have any bespoke bushy axes. My splitting axe sits by my splitting stump in all the weather the west highlands can throw at it. The splitting axe has no rust and is on it's way to out living it's third splitting stump, thats in 22 years, it has a plastic handle but the head is traditional (wide splitting wedge style) and is still remarkably clean.

I've a long hatchet/small axe, lost at the moment assumed stolen or borrowed, that I've had almost as long and it usually sits stuck in the stump. It's stayed remarkably clean too. This has a hickory handle that I periodically treat with raw linseed oil when ever we have a prolonged period of dry weather, I always oil the head too, not really necessary as the act of splitting in normal use keeps things clean enough for me.

 

[petrochemicals]

You miss the main reason why axes are carbon steel. The differential temper. Harder edge, softer eye area. Not really possible with stainless due to how they need to be heat treated. If you have a stainless axe, it would likely be the same temper throughout the entire head, so you would either get a soft edge, or a hard eye. Neither are desirable qualities in an axe.

see estwing at Wicks, the head is moulded with a metal shaft. So I suppose if you want to have an axe with a wood shaft, you're all out of luck

 

[robin wood]

As Nic says most axes are forged, whether hand forged, forged in a press like Gransfors hultafors etc or drop forged in Asia like most cheap axes. Anyone who has tried forging stainless will know why you don't get stainless axes. It's fine for making stock removal knives.