Axe-making company Brant & Cochran was dreamed up by a few good friends over a glass of whiskey. Around 10 years ago, Steve Ferguson’s godson was heading to forestry school. While sitting with his brother Mark Ferguson and their friend Barry Worthing and enjoying a few drams of single malt Scotch, Steve lamented about not being able to find a good American-made axe to give his godson as a high school graduation present. So it was decided: The three men would found their own axe-making firm, right there in Maine.
The state is a vital location for forestry in the United States. Maine employs thousands of professional foresters and arborists. The trio reasoned that their products might also find traction with folks camping, canoeing, and anyone wanting a high-quality axe to use around the wood stove, hearth, or backyard fire pit. Steve and Mark’s grandfather had been a legend in the tool trade, and the brothers dearly wanted to continue his legacy.
