I am in total agreement Chris. A fellow can spend upfront to purchase a properly made and sharpened ax which makes the learning a joy. Or they can buy cheap, and not knowing how to remake the ax into a perfomer, they never learn how a proper ax should work and give up in frustration.

Buying quality up front is always a better option for someone learning in my view.

Cheap project axes are much better for someone who knows how to properly tune them....not for a beginner.