Blue Spruce/Bad Axe

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I received an email from Blue Spruce (Woodpeckers) this morning promoting (gushing really) Bad Axe’s version of Disston’s No. 9 tenon saw. A few weeks ago I received the original announcement from Bad Axe. This is a limited time production similar to Woodpeckers marketing strategy. At the time I thought nothing of it, but now I wonder if Woodpeckers has their eye on acquiring Bad Axe. I own 2 Bad Axe backsaws and know times are tough, but I would hate to see another small independent toolmaker get gobbled up. That said, Woodpeckers has an outstanding reputation for quality and, thus far, manufacturing their tools in the USA. So maybe it’s just a sign of the times and a way for independent toolmakers to survive.

[Jim Koepke]

It may be a way to fire up the market. To some extent it is easier to produce a larger run of a particular item than to make one or two at a time as orders come in.

As far as Woodpeckers acquiring Bad Axe goes, how many people would really want a hand say with a bright red aluminum handle?

jtk

[Stephen Rosenthal]

It may be a way to fire up the market. To some extent it is easier to produce a larger run of a particular item than to make one or two at a time as orders come in.

As far as Woodpeckers acquiring Bad Axe goes, how many people would really want a hand say with a bright red aluminum handle?

jtk

Well, Woodpeckers hasn’t, for the most part, imposed their design or “artistic” ideas on Blue Spruce, so maybe we won’t see red aluminum handles on Bad Axe saws anytime soon. However, I’ve always thought Cosman’s bone handles were an ugly gimmick, but quite a few people seem to like them.

[Adam Grund]

I still didn’t think much of it when I got the email this morning, but did give a side eye kind of glance at it like ‘weird, they’ve not done this sort of thing before’ and moved on.
A month ( or two, maybe) bad axe had an Instagram post about the owner of woodpeckers visiting them for something or another (can’t remember if it was a general tour or something more specific) so possibly it’s nothing more than just one maker promoting another. Between the 3 brands, none of their products really interfere with another for competition.