There’s something satisfying about hard work. When I was first put in front of a woodpile, I hadn’t been handed an axe and I wasn’t allowed to split a thing. My job was to just re-stack. Stacking wood gives you an appreciation for the person splitting it, and it wasn’t long before I found myself with an axe in my hand and a smile on my face. It was by processing firewood where I learned some truths like sharp bits make short work of the woodpile. Straight Grain Supply grew out of this experience, with a mission of creating premium, American Made axe accessories and maintenance tools that you are proud to own and proud to use.
Straight Grain Supply’s home is Asheville, N.C. While the area is certainly known for craft breweries, it was once home to a bustling timber industry and was the location to the first forestry school in the U.S. To pay homage to this history, we strive to work directly with local partners in Western North Carolina to source our products. If it’s not made in W.N.C, then your purchase supports another American based manufacturing company elsewhere in the country.
Q&A with Straight Grain Supply
Q. Other than your first experience stacking wood, why was starting a premium American made axe accessory line important?
I’m sure folks have heard this line, but my grandfather taught me that the most expensive tool is the one you buy twice. When I first laid eyes on a premium hand forged axe, it reinforced everything he had told me to look for in a quality tool. Most of the brands I admire didn’t offer a wide range of axe accessories and maintenance tools, so we decided to create a brand to complement the existing premium axes in the market today.
Q. Who are some of the axe brands that you admire?
My first hand forged hatchet was a Wetterlings Hunter’s Hatchet and was given to me as a gift by my brother-in-law. I loved the fact that I could use and then set it on the mantle and admire it. It was form and function at its best. This led to a collection of Hults Bruk, Gransfors, Adler and Council Tool Axes. I appreciate anything vintage and would love to add a Hoffman Camp Axe to the collection one day.
Q. Can you elaborate on the name Straight Grain Supply?
I have to give a nod to my grandfather here as well. It’s one of the first things he told me to look for when selecting an axe. Straight wood grain is considered structurally more sound and less likely to fracture if properly wielded. Bits and blades can always be worked, but you can’t do anything to change a crooked grain handle. It also goes back to buying the right tool the first time. Wood handles won’t last forever, but you have an advantage by picking a straight grained handle.
