Axe or Hatchet?

[TeeDee]

My next major purchase will be an Axe.

Or Hatchet.

??

Question for those who have the seemingly generic Small Forest Axe , Do you use it much / alot? Would a smaller hatchet not be more controlable ?
Is the extra weight and leverage required for most tasks or skills?

In Mors book and i think generally accepted it that if one had to choose between An axe and a Knife for Forest Living requirements the Axe is best as you can use it in place of a knife. I don't realistcally see that scenario arising for most of us but an additonal experience and ability of using just an axe for our purposes i can definitly see the advantage of.

This is not pointed question, just wondering .

I wandered upto Axminster Tools and handled a few Hatchets for general weight and feel , I like the benefits of the Japanese hand axe with 'beard' on it and imagined it would be useful as one's hand can get closer to and behind the primary edge but i dont think any of the major 'good' axe makers make anything similiar, do they?


Like i say , I have no axe to grind ( could'nt resist ) with either Axe or smaller hatchet, I just wonder if there are honestly anyone out there who has bought a SFA but leaves it at home in the closet because it just not justified in the Load out?

Comments welcome.

 

[forestwalker]

I'm in the full size axe camp, advocating the large forest axe (or equvalents) unless you intend it only for carving, in which case a small carving hatchet is better.

Do this experiment; if you miss with a swing, where does the axe hit on your legs. The hunter axe (etc) end up in your kneecap, the shorter hatchets if operated one-handed often also in the knee, the full size one will take out your lower leg or fot.

 

[JohnL]

I like a hatchet. I use a full size axe at home to cut wood for the fire, but I dont really see the point in taking one camping. A hatchet can easily do wood for a fire, & is better for crafty things, like making spoons or whatever is up your street.

If you are using an axe correctly it will not hit you if you miss the target however long or short the handle.

 

[robin wood]

for felling a tree or splitting firewood I like a full size axe, for carving a short handled axe/hatchet. I can see that if you want one axe to do both jobs and be small and light to backpack with then the SFA is actually a fair compromise, as with all compromises it does both OK if you know what you are doing with it. It would make a better firewood axe if it was longer and heavier but the handle is already too long for good controlled carving.

By the way the axminster japanese axe is no use whatsoever for carving it is great at what it is designed for as a kindling splitter, one lives by my fire but it does nothing else.

 

[TeeDee]

Forestwalker , Do you think , possibly , that there is a difference between Bushcraft styles due to where we both practise it? You seem to have alot of land in Sweden where you can openly practise Bush skills while in the UK it is getting harder an harder just to let someone light a fire on there land in a Forest area , chopping up large logs and such or even looking at a Tree the wrong way may possibly alter the manner in the way we can practise such skills.

I guess what i amy be alluding to ( possibly wrongly ) is that although a full size Axe may be Ideal for those in Sweden , Canada and North America where there seems to be greater flexibilty to practise full-bore bushcraft skills the United Kingdom have such restrictions that the lack of suitable unrestricted geography may hamper or limit the skills that we can practise and so the tools that we do use??

Just a thought or two.

 

[TeeDee]

Both JohnL and Robin Posted while I was typing my respone to Forestwalker.
Do you Gents think what I said was correct? Because we don't have more flexiblity , the more 'usable' choice for UK bushcraft would be Hatchet Orientated rather then Full On Bushcraft scenario wher a True Axe would be of better use???

 

[TeeDee]

Robin , Thanks for ' By the way the axminster japanese axe is no use whatsoever for carving it is great at what it is designed for as a kindling splitter, one lives by my fire but it does nothing else.'

I remember you had purchased one from another thread , just out of Ignorance is this the purpose behind all bearded axes??

 

[big_swede]

I'm in the full size axe camp, advocating the large forest axe (or equvalents) unless you intend it only for carving, in which case a small carving hatchet is better.

Do this experiment; if you miss with a swing, where does the axe hit on your legs. The hunter axe (etc) end up in your kneecap, the shorter hatchets if operated one-handed often also in the knee, the full size one will take out your lower leg or fot.

Wouldn't that feasible depend on the lengths of your arms and legs? I, who stand quite tall, hit the ground before I hit my feet or lower legs with a full size axe, and that is its main advantage IMO over the smaller axes. Then of course it is more effective and so on.

 

[shawn]

i have a 19" wetterlings similar to the SFA an i cant recall taking it out more then once or twice. i find it too bulky and oddly shaped and its just downright awkward to use. for me its a tramontina bolo machete 99% of the time, or a 21" bahco bowsaw if i plan on harvesting some bow/spoon wood.

 

[Treemonk]

TeeDee - you have answered your own question really.

Think what you are actually going to need an axe for and buy accordingly. Or indeed if you actually NEED an axe.

If you are just going to be carving - get a hatchet or similar
If you intend to do a lot of felling, limbing and sectioning - get a felling axe or similar
If you want one to do it all the SFA is the best compromise

If I need to carry an axe, which is not often, my SFA fits discretely in my rucksack and isn't too heavy. I've gone through 18"+ of hardwood log with it, delimbed big conifers and yet use it happilly enough fo volume reduction when carving.

Most of the time if I'm out I will just pack a knife and perhaps a folding saw. If you know what you are doing, you can do most jobs quite happilly with these.

 

[rawshak]

I have both the SFA and the WH, and must confess that it is the WH that comes out with me 98% of the time along with a folding saw and small knife. I just don't find myself needing the extra size if the SFA as I just don't do the jobs where anything that size is really needed when bushcrafting in British woodlands, and find that the WH copes very well. Although you could also argue that you could replace the WH with a good machette, kukri or something similar.

I would only take the SFA out if I knew I was going to do something that would warrent the bigger axe.

Still nice to own one though

 

[forestwalker]

Forestwalker , Do you think , possibly , that there is a difference between Bushcraft styles due to where we both practise it? You seem to have alot of land in Sweden where you can openly practise Bush skills while in the UK it is getting harder an harder just to let someone light a fire on there land in a Forest area , chopping up large logs and such or even looking at a Tree the wrong way may possibly alter the manner in the way we can practise such skills.

Got a point there. I really can't get my head around your situation. And even if one is restricted here cutting branches from a deadfall is both good firewood and accepted by most. Or if a logging operation has left the branches all over no one will mind if you take some for firewood. And that is inthe overpopulated bits of Sweden.

I guess what i amy be alluding to ( possibly wrongly ) is that although a full size Axe may be Ideal for those in Sweden , Canada and North America where there seems to be greater flexibilty to practise full-bore bushcraft skills the United Kingdom have such restrictions that the lack of suitable unrestricted geography may hamper or limit the skills that we can practise and so the tools that we do use??

Probably right. In which case e.g. a carving hatchet is the way to go for the OP. Quite ok for small stuff, and good for carving.

 

[Tye Possum]

I'm not a big axe user at the moment and all I have is a cheap wal-mart hatchet although I have just ordered a gransfors wildlife hatchet so I'm no expert but just bear with me here...

If you're in some sort of survival situation or a really long term camping trip then carving spoons probably isn't going to be your first priority so it makes sense to have a large, strong axe for felling trees and splitting firewood.

If you're going to be doing some camping where you'll have to split firewood but not as much as the long term situation, maybe chop some smaller trees down, do some carving and have something light enough to carry around then a medium sized axe like the SFA would probably be the best option.

The hatchet sized axe could probably do everything that the medium axe can but you'd have to be more careful with it because it's smaller and probably can't do the tougher jobs as well (or at all) as the medium axe. It would be better at carving and could handle some splitting (as far as I know) but you probably wouldn't want to cut down any trees with it.

The hatchet and large felling axe are more speciallised tools and the medium sized axe seems to be for of the multi ool of the axe world, it depends what you're going to be doing so maybe the hatchet is really all you need, maybe you need something big like a felling axe but if you want to do everything then the medium sized axe would be best but just don't expect it to perform as well as a hatchet does with carving or a large axe for felling trees.

 

[Lee Wright]

I have a 450mm (I think!) Wilkinson Sword fibrecomp axe which I find brilliant in every respect other than sometimes it's a bit long to pack in smaller bags. Due to the light weight of the shaft I can grip higher up, giving me a shorter axe in effect, and the balance is still good enough to work with comfortably and safely.

I suppose it comes down to what you want. I don't have the spare cash to have two or three different axes so I bought one that would do a little of everything. I can highly recommend the wilkinson sword/fiskars/gerber axes, had mine around six months and it's still as sharp as the day I unpacked it and feels very natural to use

 

[woof]

I've just got a Roselli axe(the 450mm one) not had much chance to use it fully yet just one outing. I thought when i first got it, it would probably replace my large camp knife, but after admittedly only one outing i find the knife a better option.

The axe does pack easily, fits in my 44l highlander, i'll just have to go out more,("i'm just conducting some research dear, see you tomorrow" !), and keep trying it out.

 

[mr dazzler]

I've just got a Roselli axe(the 450mm one) not had much chance to use it fully yet just one outing. I thought when i first got it, it would probably replace my large camp knife, but after admittedly only one outing i find the knife a better option.

The axe does pack easily, fits in my 44l highlander, i'll just have to go out more,("i'm just conducting some research dear, see you tomorrow" !), and keep trying it out.

How did you find the condition of the bevel's when you got the axe? Mine were a bit shoddy and careless, sort of rounded over at either end of the edge, it took quite some while to get the cheeks flat actually more like a VERY gentle convex radius) and no hint of any secondary or micro bevvel's. However I like it more and more. I dont fell any trees, I use axes for carving and little else, it suits me fine. I roughed the handle with 40 grit paper as it was too smooth. I like the tight radius on the cutting edge, it is great for taking agressive cuts into wide board faces, and even to do cross cuts into a bowl or platter form to begin the chopping and hollowing process (using it like a giant mortice axe) What system do you use to sharpen up? I have to say when I first got the axe christmas before last I thought oh oh I got a donkey here. But it really has grown on me, its a solid versatile little tool and I reach for it more than my other axes now. It just took a little time to get used to it. The steel is a bit soft, but it is easy to maintain on the whole!

 

[OhCanada]

I find myself being pulled toward a SFA because those that have been there, done that, and wrote the book all recommend. However, most of those guys lived way up North or lived more than 50 years ago.

Being in the city and going for weekend trips I can do all I need to do with a 9" Becker BK9 or a small hatchet. Either are easy to keep inside the pack until you get outside of the city. Both are legal but not socially acceptable in the city.

So bush craft romance but take a backseat to modern practicality for me. If I owned land in the country I'd take a SFA along.

 

[Shewie]

I prefer to carry a small axe ( BR Cegga ) to use for splitting and light carving work mainly, with the addition of a buck saw you can carry out most cutting work.



note to self ...

Get that foldable buck saw finished

 

[British Red]

There's nothing wrong with a small axe. To be honest for most "out and about" use I find the SFA to be too large a weight premium. Its a great axe - especially if combined with a buck saw as Shewie notes. If you aren't using a large saw though, you are unlikly to need something that large for splitting. Sure you can use it for felling - but again a larger saw is probably more efficient for both falling and sectioning.

All that said, the pound and a bit of my Cegga axe is verly useful and justifies its weight - but so does my Knighton bill - with the advantage od being useful to slice roast meat and bread )

Axes are hugely useful - rarely a day goes by without I use mine to feed the fire at home. If one is worth it to you out and about depends a lot on wat you plan to do.

Red

 

[woof]

Dazzler,

I got mine via a member on BB. It has seen little or no use, as the blade was unmarked. After my first outing, i just ran it over the sharpemaker a few times, and it sharpend up no problem. The edge seems fine, but i've never seen another so can't compere it.