Plus one for House Handle. They will even sand off the varnish for 50 cents. Well worth it if you like a natural handle. They seal them all by default. I buy 5 or six at a time to make shipping worth while. As for fine Swedish axes, check out Husksvarna. I bought a forest axe. Then a hatchet. Made by one of the famous axe companies. Blade cover is a bit lame, but axe is first rate.