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Best Made Co. has had an odd few years. First, Peter Buchanon Smith, the brand's founder, left the company some ten years after starting it. Following his exit, Duluth Trading bought the brand. Then, shortly after that and in an unheard-of reversal, Duluth sold it back to Smith.

All that trading hands and the confusion it caused hurt Best Made's reputation. But Smith was determined to right the ship and return the company to its former glory.

To that end, the brand needed a signal flare -- something that screamed, "We're back to our roots and better than ever!" It could not have picked a more appropriate release than the Old Gold No. 1 felling axe.

Based on the 19th-century McKinnon Rockaway pattern, this axe is practically American heritage incarnate. But the design is only half the story.

The head is hand-forged from 1060 high-carbon steel, utilizing delicate tampering and heat-treating processes to give it its rich golden color. And it's mated to an Appalachian hickory handle secured via a walnut wedge.