Hello fellow woodsmen/women.
Being a Rocky Mountain trapper for an average of 200 days a year, puts me under the stars for more time than most. After having axes lost (wetterling), stolen(gransfors), worn out(hardware store variety), and yes... even chewed/pecked on(damn woodpeckers in spring!), it was realized that a change may be in effect.
Late Fall, Winter, and early Spring constituted the testing period for the Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe (FPCA from now on). Some of the duties required of this tool included:
Firewood collection and felling of 'dead standing' beetle-kill trees (Ponderosa Pine, Pinion Pine, juniper)
Primitive living quarters construction (Juniper, Pine, Aspen)
Kindling splitting
Small animal bone separation
Chasing off curiously hungry black bears during evening hours
Some relative specifics on the FPCA:
-Handle is molded from a semi-hollow, fiber reinforced hardened nylon composite called 'nyglass'
-Axe head is constructed of high carbon drop forged steel with an HRC of ~45 for the body and ~52-56 for the edge
-Axe head total weight ~1.85 kg(2#)
-Axe edge length ~10 cm(4.5 in.)
-Handle weight ~.15 kg
-Total length ~75 cm(28 in.)
-Handle is molded through and around axe head, reinforcing -Fiskars lifetime warranty against loosening, separation, and handle breaking..blah blah
-Axe head is coated with a PTFE based paint which aids in smoother low-friction cutting
-Retail cost at time of purchase = $39.00 USD
Some points I would like to make regarding the axe's 'pros' vs. 'cons'...
PROS:
-Excellent weight - swing - penetration ratio
-Convenient orange colored handle facilitates easy location
-Handle is 'virtually' unbreakable, will not rot, and requires zero maintenance. Palm butt at end of handle is well designed to prevent slipping
-Comes sharp but takes an easily field-sharpened razor edge
Head will never loosen under normal use (normal?)
-You break it, they replace it
CONS:
-Head is hollow ground from top to bottom -defeats the purpose of non-stick coating because the ridges act as friction bands
-Traditionalists will abhor the plastic handle
-Stock holster/sheath is bulky and poorly designed
-Orange paint on handle is more slippery than an eel in a bath tub filled with olive oil
-Inexperienced users may find improper chopping techniques will lodge small chips/fibers between head and overmold.
Now for a few photos and some descriptions on how the FPCA performed...
The FPCA next to the trusty puukko and the proverbial camp gnome (one of many which are carved and left at each new trap location... Coyotes love to investigate gnomes covered in animal fat).
Originally, the FPCA came with a large obtrusive carry handle/holster for protecting the head. After a little slicing and carving, the sheath was whittled to an easily packable 'hi-Tec' edge saver.
Don't be fooled by the handle's weight and appearance. This thing is brutally tough, doesn't nick like wood, and is incredibly straight to within less than .25 mm. The orange handle saves eye strain after a long cold night with Mr. Cognac
A backside view of the holster showing how the Velcro is threaded through. If and when you get the FPCA this should be the first thing to modify along with the whet edge.
A topdown view shows that the primary grind is straight and chunky... leading the user to believe a 70/30 chopping/splitting use. Deflection may pose a problem to new users because of the weighting. The edge bevel is adequate due to a lower HRC than, say, gransfors, but leaves your sharpening time at ~15% more in the field. Swipe a DMT diamond card several times and it turns pinion into butter (more on that later).
Aside from a tired swing leaving a nick in the edge (everybody loves grinding though...right? ...and this edge grind is only .9 cm!), you can make out the grind lines which run at a vertical tangent to the edge. This bothers me (do they paint it to make it smooth? Is it a cover up? Prevent rust?). Not only will the ridges become more pronounced as the paint wears, but they will increase the wedging effect over time. Friction is an axe's worst enemy. When society finds me again, this head is going to hit a stone for polishing.
Perpendicular relief cuts into ponderosa pine penetrated to ~3-6 cm depending on density and rot (bark not included... Wood fiber only). Angled removal cuts almost doubled in penetration depth. The edge size and weight of the FPCA make a formidable chopping beast rivaling larger axes with 30% more weight.
Big companies love branding. Fiskars couldn't resist the urge to raise their name and location (towards the butt of the head, on the over-mold) at the expense of our right-handed friction-free chopping pleasure. Puukko to the rescue! Shave that mountain of over-advertised, friction loving plastic to ease the woes of overhand fatigue.
An underside look at the handle over-mold as it meets the head. At first there was a little concern about this getting caught and/or having bark/sap/fiber getting wedged between head and over-mold on underhewn chops. So far it's been little, if any, in the way of a problem. We'll see by next year.
Burn it! Was the first thing on my mind when seeing the ridiculous holster for the FPCA. After a little campfire modding though, it turned out to be more than acceptable for pack and field use. How long will it last?
22 cm tree having been cut half through in 16 seconds. This axe is highly recommended for trees under 30 cm. Anything larger and the birds will wonder.
Every edge I've owned is shaving sharp. In the field however, it's difficult to keep that edge with constant use. So i bought one of these diamond cards and have been extremely pleased with it. It's lightweight, small, unbreakable, uses water to lube, and has diamonds on the other side (diamonds? gentlemen, I've found these make great bait for luring women into the dark recesses of camp. Most of the sharpening companies probably make something similar. Price = $10 USD
If I were the head engineer at Fiskars R&D division, these might be some of the user comments received:
-Add 5 cm to the handle length. At 1.83 m tall, I found myself holding onto the handle without using my little finger. Maybe it's the use of larger handled axes in the past; maybe its the design of the butt... Either way, it just feels like it needs a little more for taller people
-Increase the texture on the orange handle area. The rest of the handle feels good. The paint over the top of the existing texture has removed all but the slightest traces of the original feel
-Put a traditional curve in the handle or introduce an axe series that offers this option
-Grind the head perpendicular to the edge, NOT parallel. On more than one occasion the axe required the 'old foot leverage' technique to remove a deeply sunken swing
-Add a fold out corkscrew, solar flashlight, and hair dryer... just kidding!
But wait! You say... What about photos of kindling chopping, grand domiciles, majestic larches in falling motion, giant campfire flames licking the stars, hardcore rabbit preparation, and removing those pesky buttons from a willing squaws dress?
Well...
-Kindling splitting with the FPCA has replaced my hand hatchet and the batoning routine. With the weight balanced 6 cm below the head and the semi-hollow handle, this axe excels at low fatigue kindling creation. This thing will not work in the kitchen unless you've got a stockpile of freshly killed mammoth.
-Grand domiciles you say? A tarp and sleeping bag in everything but inclement weather. For those situations requiring a bit more protection (read: 1 m of snow expected in 24 hrs), simple 3 m lean-to's were constructed in 3-4 hours with the FPCA exclusively. Chairs and porch not included
-We do not have larch trees in the Rocky Mountains. We do have ponderosa pines which average 20 m. Any pine over 9-10 m is too large ( and would take hours straight to fell
-Fires are for cooking and warmth. Most of the fuel wood used is simply hacked from felled trees. The FPCA works great for limbing and pruning branches in the 10 cm range
-Quartering a hare with any SHARP axe/hatchet is simple. I actually used the butt on the head of the axe to render many coyotes terminal after running out of ammunition.
-Those deer antler buttons are next to impossible with teeth. So, if your puukko is inaccessible, reach for thy trusty FPCA to aid in attire removal from your loved one. No stropping required!
Some personal notations which crossed my mind while using the FPCA...
Q. Based on design, what type of person would most likely choose this axe over any other?
A. Rally race car drivers
- Is the nyglass handle UV stabilized? Will it fade and deteriorate over time?... it's dangling from an 8 hour, sun hammered tree as this is being written.
- What kind of steel is the head made of?
-After completing a nice custom Helle hunting knife with a laminated blade, I began to wonder why noone has introduced stainless lamination over high carbon axe heads. Any links? Ideas?
- this FPCA should be renamed to 'the haxxett.
- Plastic melts. Nylon melts. Perhaps there is a way to get a curve in this handle? Campfire catastrophe scene 1, take 1
Conclusion:
For $39 USD, this is one hell of a deal. Even if you have axes hanging in every room, this axe makes an excellent backup.
Being a strong, lightweight swinger, that packs a big punch, gives this axe kudos for future use.
On the downside, a questionable grind and poorly designed holster(both, of which, are easily... yet untimely, fixed) detract from the potentially perfect mass-produced axe.
Several good strong years of use will tell if the guarantee is applicable... or just insurance for a substandard product.
Overall, out of the box, the Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe has earned 86/100 for quality, value, materials, and design. With a more acute edge grind, head resurfacing/polishing, and a properly fitted holster, 92/100 could easily be achieved.
If anyone here is interested in further information regarding the how, what, and where this axe was used, please reply... And I'll answer when weather permits.
This entire review was written using a pocket pc!
...if I'm not in the hills chasing the squaws
Being a Rocky Mountain trapper for an average of 200 days a year, puts me under the stars for more time than most. After having axes lost (wetterling), stolen(gransfors), worn out(hardware store variety), and yes... even chewed/pecked on(damn woodpeckers in spring!), it was realized that a change may be in effect.
Late Fall, Winter, and early Spring constituted the testing period for the Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe (FPCA from now on). Some of the duties required of this tool included:
Firewood collection and felling of 'dead standing' beetle-kill trees (Ponderosa Pine, Pinion Pine, juniper)
Primitive living quarters construction (Juniper, Pine, Aspen)
Kindling splitting
Small animal bone separation
Chasing off curiously hungry black bears during evening hours
Some relative specifics on the FPCA:
-Handle is molded from a semi-hollow, fiber reinforced hardened nylon composite called 'nyglass'
-Axe head is constructed of high carbon drop forged steel with an HRC of ~45 for the body and ~52-56 for the edge
-Axe head total weight ~1.85 kg(2#)
-Axe edge length ~10 cm(4.5 in.)
-Handle weight ~.15 kg
-Total length ~75 cm(28 in.)
-Handle is molded through and around axe head, reinforcing -Fiskars lifetime warranty against loosening, separation, and handle breaking..blah blah
-Axe head is coated with a PTFE based paint which aids in smoother low-friction cutting
-Retail cost at time of purchase = $39.00 USD
Some points I would like to make regarding the axe's 'pros' vs. 'cons'...
PROS:
-Excellent weight - swing - penetration ratio
-Convenient orange colored handle facilitates easy location
-Handle is 'virtually' unbreakable, will not rot, and requires zero maintenance. Palm butt at end of handle is well designed to prevent slipping
-Comes sharp but takes an easily field-sharpened razor edge
Head will never loosen under normal use (normal?)
-You break it, they replace it
CONS:
-Head is hollow ground from top to bottom -defeats the purpose of non-stick coating because the ridges act as friction bands
-Traditionalists will abhor the plastic handle
-Stock holster/sheath is bulky and poorly designed
-Orange paint on handle is more slippery than an eel in a bath tub filled with olive oil
-Inexperienced users may find improper chopping techniques will lodge small chips/fibers between head and overmold.
Now for a few photos and some descriptions on how the FPCA performed...
The FPCA next to the trusty puukko and the proverbial camp gnome (one of many which are carved and left at each new trap location... Coyotes love to investigate gnomes covered in animal fat).
Originally, the FPCA came with a large obtrusive carry handle/holster for protecting the head. After a little slicing and carving, the sheath was whittled to an easily packable 'hi-Tec' edge saver.
Don't be fooled by the handle's weight and appearance. This thing is brutally tough, doesn't nick like wood, and is incredibly straight to within less than .25 mm. The orange handle saves eye strain after a long cold night with Mr. Cognac
A backside view of the holster showing how the Velcro is threaded through. If and when you get the FPCA this should be the first thing to modify along with the whet edge.
A topdown view shows that the primary grind is straight and chunky... leading the user to believe a 70/30 chopping/splitting use. Deflection may pose a problem to new users because of the weighting. The edge bevel is adequate due to a lower HRC than, say, gransfors, but leaves your sharpening time at ~15% more in the field. Swipe a DMT diamond card several times and it turns pinion into butter (more on that later).
Aside from a tired swing leaving a nick in the edge (everybody loves grinding though...right? ...and this edge grind is only .9 cm!), you can make out the grind lines which run at a vertical tangent to the edge. This bothers me (do they paint it to make it smooth? Is it a cover up? Prevent rust?). Not only will the ridges become more pronounced as the paint wears, but they will increase the wedging effect over time. Friction is an axe's worst enemy. When society finds me again, this head is going to hit a stone for polishing.
Perpendicular relief cuts into ponderosa pine penetrated to ~3-6 cm depending on density and rot (bark not included... Wood fiber only). Angled removal cuts almost doubled in penetration depth. The edge size and weight of the FPCA make a formidable chopping beast rivaling larger axes with 30% more weight.
Big companies love branding. Fiskars couldn't resist the urge to raise their name and location (towards the butt of the head, on the over-mold) at the expense of our right-handed friction-free chopping pleasure. Puukko to the rescue! Shave that mountain of over-advertised, friction loving plastic to ease the woes of overhand fatigue.
An underside look at the handle over-mold as it meets the head. At first there was a little concern about this getting caught and/or having bark/sap/fiber getting wedged between head and over-mold on underhewn chops. So far it's been little, if any, in the way of a problem. We'll see by next year.
Burn it! Was the first thing on my mind when seeing the ridiculous holster for the FPCA. After a little campfire modding though, it turned out to be more than acceptable for pack and field use. How long will it last?
22 cm tree having been cut half through in 16 seconds. This axe is highly recommended for trees under 30 cm. Anything larger and the birds will wonder.
Every edge I've owned is shaving sharp. In the field however, it's difficult to keep that edge with constant use. So i bought one of these diamond cards and have been extremely pleased with it. It's lightweight, small, unbreakable, uses water to lube, and has diamonds on the other side (diamonds? gentlemen, I've found these make great bait for luring women into the dark recesses of camp
. Most of the sharpening companies probably make something similar. Price = $10 USDIf I were the head engineer at Fiskars R&D division, these might be some of the user comments received:
-Add 5 cm to the handle length. At 1.83 m tall, I found myself holding onto the handle without using my little finger. Maybe it's the use of larger handled axes in the past; maybe its the design of the butt... Either way, it just feels like it needs a little more for taller people
-Increase the texture on the orange handle area. The rest of the handle feels good. The paint over the top of the existing texture has removed all but the slightest traces of the original feel
-Put a traditional curve in the handle or introduce an axe series that offers this option
-Grind the head perpendicular to the edge, NOT parallel. On more than one occasion the axe required the 'old foot leverage' technique to remove a deeply sunken swing
-Add a fold out corkscrew, solar flashlight, and hair dryer... just kidding!
But wait! You say... What about photos of kindling chopping, grand domiciles, majestic larches in falling motion, giant campfire flames licking the stars, hardcore rabbit preparation, and removing those pesky buttons from a willing squaws dress?
Well...
-Kindling splitting with the FPCA has replaced my hand hatchet and the batoning routine. With the weight balanced 6 cm below the head and the semi-hollow handle, this axe excels at low fatigue kindling creation. This thing will not work in the kitchen unless you've got a stockpile of freshly killed mammoth.
-Grand domiciles you say? A tarp and sleeping bag in everything but inclement weather. For those situations requiring a bit more protection (read: 1 m of snow expected in 24 hrs), simple 3 m lean-to's were constructed in 3-4 hours with the FPCA exclusively. Chairs and porch not included
-We do not have larch trees in the Rocky Mountains. We do have ponderosa pines which average 20 m. Any pine over 9-10 m is too large ( and would take hours straight to fell
-Fires are for cooking and warmth. Most of the fuel wood used is simply hacked from felled trees. The FPCA works great for limbing and pruning branches in the 10 cm range
-Quartering a hare with any SHARP axe/hatchet is simple. I actually used the butt on the head of the axe to render many coyotes terminal after running out of ammunition.
-Those deer antler buttons are next to impossible with teeth. So, if your puukko is inaccessible, reach for thy trusty FPCA to aid in attire removal from your loved one. No stropping required!
Some personal notations which crossed my mind while using the FPCA...
Q. Based on design, what type of person would most likely choose this axe over any other?
A. Rally race car drivers
- Is the nyglass handle UV stabilized? Will it fade and deteriorate over time?... it's dangling from an 8 hour, sun hammered tree as this is being written.
- What kind of steel is the head made of?
-After completing a nice custom Helle hunting knife with a laminated blade, I began to wonder why noone has introduced stainless lamination over high carbon axe heads. Any links? Ideas?
- this FPCA should be renamed to 'the haxxett.
- Plastic melts. Nylon melts. Perhaps there is a way to get a curve in this handle? Campfire catastrophe scene 1, take 1
Conclusion:
For $39 USD, this is one hell of a deal. Even if you have axes hanging in every room, this axe makes an excellent backup.
Being a strong, lightweight swinger, that packs a big punch, gives this axe kudos for future use.
On the downside, a questionable grind and poorly designed holster(both, of which, are easily... yet untimely, fixed) detract from the potentially perfect mass-produced axe.
Several good strong years of use will tell if the guarantee is applicable... or just insurance for a substandard product.
Overall, out of the box, the Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe has earned 86/100 for quality, value, materials, and design. With a more acute edge grind, head resurfacing/polishing, and a properly fitted holster, 92/100 could easily be achieved.
If anyone here is interested in further information regarding the how, what, and where this axe was used, please reply... And I'll answer when weather permits.
This entire review was written using a pocket pc!
...if I'm not in the hills chasing the squaws
