Axe recomendations
- Thread starter Hippydude73
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If I were you I'd ignore the boring and regularly repeated attitudes to the GB small forest axe. The dislike comes from either very tall people, or full time wood processors.
For the average 'have a go bushman' it's great. Well made, high quality and a neat package that will handle all you need it to in your hobby. Leave the double bits and mega choppers to the lumberjacks and farm boys! So that GB sfa gets a thumbs up from me!
I did get rid of mine though. As I did with most of my axes. Why? because I don't need one for my hobbies. I have no need to split wood, chop down trees and risk killing myself when I'm out playing action boy in the woods. But when I did want to do all those things, I found a nice axe a welcoming addition to my surplus of hoarded goods!
These days I'll take my shovel with me. It cut's well, can split wood if I want it to, can dig me a sleeping trench and bog and is much more people friendly than some unwieldly axe strapped to my back!
Also, if you are set on an axe (we cannot deny their beauty!) I'd also reccommend looking at the Cold steel tomahawk range http://www.coldsteel-uk.com/store/Tomahawks-Throwing-Axes.html . They are affordable, rather well made and superb fun to modify!
Here is my cold steel trail hawk and GB sfa.
And my cold steel special forces shovel..
For the average 'have a go bushman' it's great. Well made, high quality and a neat package that will handle all you need it to in your hobby. Leave the double bits and mega choppers to the lumberjacks and farm boys! So that GB sfa gets a thumbs up from me!
I did get rid of mine though. As I did with most of my axes. Why? because I don't need one for my hobbies. I have no need to split wood, chop down trees and risk killing myself when I'm out playing action boy in the woods. But when I did want to do all those things, I found a nice axe a welcoming addition to my surplus of hoarded goods!
These days I'll take my shovel with me. It cut's well, can split wood if I want it to, can dig me a sleeping trench and bog and is much more people friendly than some unwieldly axe strapped to my back!
Also, if you are set on an axe (we cannot deny their beauty!) I'd also reccommend looking at the Cold steel tomahawk range http://www.coldsteel-uk.com/store/Tomahawks-Throwing-Axes.html . They are affordable, rather well made and superb fun to modify!
Here is my cold steel trail hawk and GB sfa.
And my cold steel special forces shovel..
The GB SFA is very nicely made, but I'm not convinced it's the best choice for typical British use.
If you're traveling in boreal forest on foot, and need to fell small trees for shelter and long log fires, it's great - not too heavy and the narrow bit takes out big chips. I can see why RM chooses it for this kind of thing. Quite good for carving too.
But often in the UK it will be mainly used for splitting wood for the fire, not felling, and for this a broader bit splits better. I used a SFA and a similar sized Wetterling (Swedish, similar quality, but not as pretty as GB) at a meet and everybody felt the Wetterling split better.
I've never taken an axe when traveling any distance on foot in the UK, because I don't like the weight or the attention. Splitting wood for small campfires can be done with the knife. At home, or at a meet, with a bigger fire I think a bigger, broader axe is preferable - with a 24" handle as suggested by BR. At home I find the SFA is just not enough AXE for some logs.
The Cold Steel tomahawk is a nice piece of kit but inferior to the SFA for either felling or splitting. Good bit lighter though, and very easy to replace the handle when necessary.
If you're traveling in boreal forest on foot, and need to fell small trees for shelter and long log fires, it's great - not too heavy and the narrow bit takes out big chips. I can see why RM chooses it for this kind of thing. Quite good for carving too.
But often in the UK it will be mainly used for splitting wood for the fire, not felling, and for this a broader bit splits better. I used a SFA and a similar sized Wetterling (Swedish, similar quality, but not as pretty as GB) at a meet and everybody felt the Wetterling split better.
I've never taken an axe when traveling any distance on foot in the UK, because I don't like the weight or the attention. Splitting wood for small campfires can be done with the knife. At home, or at a meet, with a bigger fire I think a bigger, broader axe is preferable - with a 24" handle as suggested by BR. At home I find the SFA is just not enough AXE for some logs.
The Cold Steel tomahawk is a nice piece of kit but inferior to the SFA for either felling or splitting. Good bit lighter though, and very easy to replace the handle when necessary.
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