Best Made Co. Returns with a Beautiful Golden Axe

From 2009 to 2020, Greatest Made Co. was a cult-favorite out of doors provide retailer in Decrease Manhattan. They offered all the things from raincoats to felling axes to enamel camp cups to dart units. For over a decade, they helped urge New Yorkers to enterprise into the countryside each on occasion. Nevertheless, after being gone for 5 years, founder Peter Buchanan-Smith has revived Greatest Made for a brand new period, launching with none aside from “humanity’s oldest and most basic instrument,” an axe.

So, What Occurred?

Canadian designer Buchanan-Smith began Greatest Made Co. a decade and a half in the past earlier than going darkish through the onset of the worldwide pandemic. Throughout its heyday, it developed from a stylish axe maker to an outdoor clothing gear brand. Round 2017, Greatest Made was offered to Bolt Threads, who hoped to make use of the badge to launch merchandise utilizing sustainable fibers like Microsilk.

After conducting some analysis, I’ve found that there was a little bit of a inventive imbalance between Buchanan-Smith and Bolt Threads, leading to Greatest Made’s founder strolling away completely in 2019.

October of 2020 marked the sale of Greatest Made to Duluth Buying and selling Co., the place it had primarily lived since as one in all a number of labels below the Wiconsin-based retailer’s umbrella. That’s, till final yr when Buchanan-Smith reacquired the Greatest Made Co. model title as soon as once more. He’s now dedicated to resurrecting his firm with its unique ethos. Whereas the Greatest Made web site at the moment has an in-depth listing of over 250 merchandise made by the model from 2009 to 2019, its present lineup of instruments is a celebration of 1. Let’s check out the Outdated Gold No. 1 axe.

Greatest Made Co. Outdated Gold No. 1 Axe Fundamentals

Going again to the model’s “north star,” Greatest Made figured the apparent selection for its revival was an axe. A number of years again, Buchanan-Smith really penned a e book on the topic. 

Hand-forged in Indiana, the Outdated Gold No. 1 joins an extended line of axes all through the corporate’s historical past. This time round, the 4-pound 1060 high-carbon metal head sports activities a golden hue achieved by way of a “delicate tempering course of and heat-treating.” The blade additionally options Greatest Made’s signature “X” marking for the primary time, together with blacksmith Nathan Brandt’s initials, deep-forged into the metal.

As for the deal with, it’s made from straight-grain Appalachian hickory with a walnut wedge to safe the blade. This will even be the primary time Greatest Made is providing one in all its axes in a number of deal with lengths — though it’s unclear what these lengths might be but.

The general design is a tribute to William McKinnon’s Rockaway sample of the late nineteenth century, which Greatest Made calls “an iconic however typically neglected American axe.” This design encompasses a pronounced lug, sweeping heel, and lengthy elegant bit.

The pictures on the product web page additionally embody a leather-based sheath, however the product description doesn’t point out this as of proper now. We will see within the coming days.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

Restricted to only 100 items, the Outdated Gold No. 1 axe will price $450 upon its September 25 launch. Head over to Greatest Made Co.’s web site to be taught extra.

Greatest Made Co. Outdated Gold No. 1 Axe

After 5 years with out its unique founder, Greatest Made Co. has returned with its first new axe in years, the Outdated Gold No. 1.