If you landed here, chances are you’re looking for a German-made axe. Nowadays, many companies prefer to manufacture their products in low-labour countries, and customers feel the drop in quality. Axes in particular require great craftsmanship and experience, and many customers prefer to buy a high-quality, long-lasting product.
Germany is known to produce high-quality axes full of character, but do German companies still produce axes in Germany? Let’s find out more about German axe brands.
Do Any Companies Sell German Made Axes? (The Short Answer)
After doing some research, I found 4 companies that sell German-made axes – Adler, Bison 1879, Idealspaten, and Ochsenkopf.
Adler
Founded in 1919, Adler is a high-quality axe manufacturer from Germany. The family-owned company started as a small blacksmith shop in Southern Germany. Since its inception, Adler prides itself on building each axe to perfection, with a focus on sustainability. The company is transparent about the way it does business, so it wasn’t difficult to find its manufacturing facility. It is located in Waghausel, Germany.
Also, Adler’s facility is certified FWI, confirming that the axes are produced in Germany.
Here are some of Adler’s axes made in Germany:
Bison 1879
Bison 1879 is a German axe manufacturer that has been around since 1879, as the name suggests. Just like Adler, Bison 1879 prides itself on producing axes that last. Thanks to its 125 years of experience, Bison 1879 produces high-quality axes with a focus on craftsmanship. Bison 1879 manufactures its axes by hand at Großschönau, Saxonia in Germany, as is indicated on its website. There was no indication that Bison 1879 produces any axes outside its factory at Großschönau, Saxonia.
Here are some of Bison 1879’s axes made in Germany:
Ideal
Idealspaten commonly known as Ideal is a German tool and equipment manufacturer that was founded in 1899. The very proud German company prides itself on the high quality of its construction and gardening tools.
While it focuses more on gardening tools, Ideal does produce axes too. “Made in Germany” is mentioned multiple times on its website, as you can see below.
Also, Ideal states on its website: “We offer our comprehensive range of spades, shovels, hoes, picks, rakes, forks, and other construction and garden tools in various quality levels. This diversity, coupled with the will to maintain Made in Germany as a medium-sized company, is both an incentive and a promise for us.
The firm’s factory is located in Herdecke, Germany, as indicated on its website.
Here are some of Ideal’s axes made in Germany:
Ochsenkopf
Established in Remscheid, Germany in 1781, Ochsenkopf is one of the oldest axe manufacturers in the world. It was the very first axe manufacturer in Germany. The company’s axes are known for their toughness and durability. Ochsenkopf is part of the Gedore group, who manufactures its products at its factory in Remscheid, Germany, as you can see below.
Axes that are commonly mistaken as being made in Germany
Helko Werk
Founded in 1844, Helko Werk is a German axe and hatchet manufacturer founded in Cronenberg, now part of Wuppertal. It’s one of the oldest German axe manufacturers.
After remaining at its original factory for over 60 years, Helko Werk moved locations, but only 3 kilometres away. At first, all signs point to its axes being manufactured in Germany. Helko Werk has a factory in Wuppertal, which you can see below.
On its website, its logo says “Helko Werk Germany”, and its domain name ends in .de, which is for Germany. However, it is mentioned on its official website that its leather sheaths are made in the USA.
Also, I found another source claiming that Helko Werk’s handles are manufactured in Switzerland (see below).
So, Helko Werk’s axes are not entirely made in Germany.