Wetterlings Small Axe. 10 1/4" overall. 2 3/4" cutting edge. Hickory handle. Leather blade cover and lanyard hole. Hand forged from Swedish quality steel alloyed from iron, carbon, silicon, manganese and vanadium. Hand forging uses presses that deliver many blows, making the axe edges stronger than if they were drop forged. The special axe steel alloy makes high quality hardening possible. After grinding, hardening and tempering, the Wetterling axes keep a Rockwell hardness of 57-58. These are the main reasons the Wetterling axes hold a keen edge with good "sting" longer than most axes. The handles are lathed from American hickory. The best stress capacity and resistance to blows make hickory the wood of choice for good axe handles.