Gransfors mini or wildlife

[salad]

Which axe would you guys go for as a light backpacking axe ? The gransfors mini belt axe or the wildlife hatchet ?
Does any one have experience of both ? Is the mini a good tool or more of a small play axe ?

I like the weight saving the mini offers but wonder if it will have any benefit over carrying my bushcraft knife

Thanks for ant advise

 

[Mesquite]

I'll throw an extra axe in for you to consider... the GB Outdoor Axe


It's a great little axe, punches well above it's weight and I love using it for a variety of jobs

You ought to be able to pick one up in Europe without much difficulty as it's available from a variety of suppliers there as opposed to only being available over here from Woodlore

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Salad

I have both the Wildlife and the Mini and they are both very good axes, the Mini however is more for a specific type of use ie spoon carving, trimming when hurdle making.
It is very good at these tasks that do not require much weight in the axe head, I used mine to make a flatbow for most the finishing and shaping as choked right up in the hand you can use it for planing cuts.

The Wildlife is for more suitable for general camp use kindling,carving, light felling etc as the handle is longer, with a heavier head allows more energy into the cutting stroke.
To achieve the same results with the mini you would need to baton the axe same as when splitting with a knife
Picture gives a more realistic size comparison they are left to right SFA,Wildlife, Mini and a Wetterlings Hand Hatchet

[/URL] DSC00898 by chas brookes, on Flickr[/IMG]

hope this helps
Chas

 

[salad]

I'll throw an extra axe in for you to consider... the GB Outdoor Axe


It's a great little axe, punches well above it's weight and I love using it for a variety of jobs

You ought to be able to pick one up in Europe without much difficulty as it's available from a variety of suppliers there as opposed to only being available over here from Woodlore

Thanks mate,

I regret selling you my one

 

[salad]

Hi Salad

I have both the Wildlife and the Mini and they are both very good axes, the Mini however is more for a specific type of use ie spoon carving, trimming when hurdle making.
It is very good at these tasks that do not require much weight in the axe head, I used mine to make a flatbow for most the finishing and shaping as choked right up in the hand you can use it for planing cuts.

The Wildlife is for more suitable for general camp use kindling,carving, light felling etc as the handle is longer, with a heavier head allows more energy into the cutting stroke.
To achieve the same results with the mini you would need to baton the axe same as when splitting with a knife
Picture gives a more realistic size comparison they are left to right SFA,Wildlife, Mini and a Wetterlings Hand Hatchet

[/URL] DSC00898 by chas brookes, on Flickr[/IMG]

hope this helps
Chas

Thanks for that, I am leaning towards the wildlife hatchet

 

[Hoodoo]

Which axe would you guys go for as a light backpacking axe ? The gransfors mini belt axe or the wildlife hatchet ?
Does any one have experience of both ? Is the mini a good tool or more of a small play axe ?

I like the weight saving the mini offers but wonder if it will have any benefit over carrying my bushcraft knife

Thanks for ant advise

What kind of backpacking are you talking about? Long distance or hike in and camp? For long distance, I would choose the mini or no axe. For hike in and camp, the Wildlife.

 

[Steffen]

I like the weight saving the mini offers but wonder if it will have any benefit over carrying my bushcraft knife

that depends on how big your bushcraft knife is , doesn't it?

compared to a scandi or a fällkniven f1, i think the mini hatchet gives a huge advantage.
i did a side by side comparison of it and a ontario rat-5, and the mini was clearly the better chopper.
but it does have its limitations, for cross cutting branches bigger than 2-2,5" and splitting, i'll be reaching for the wildlife.

bottom line, when you need a hatchet the wildlife is worth those extra 325g.
and if its going to be your only chopping tool, i wouldn't consider the mini, it just isn't as versatile as the wildlife.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Having had all three the mini the wildlife and the outdoor axe at the same time i sold the mini and the wildlife as they werent getting any use.
for backpacking i tihnk you would benefit from the wildlife the mini is a bit too mini for more things you would need an axe for in my humble opinion

 

[salad]

cheers guys, But now I have a whole new silly wild card to temp the cash I have not got !!!!

I have been lusting after one of these for a while and it looks like the price has been reduced this week http://www.globetrotter.de/de/shop/detail.php?mod_nr=123543&k_id=1009&hot=0

Now this is probably a not very practical axe and it is still double the price of a wildlife hatchet (cash I dont have ) . So please help me and talk me out of making a silly choice I will come to regret just because I think it looks cool .

On the other hand the vikings used them !!!!! emmmm

 

[woof]

I recently got the hultafors trekking axe, its almost a cross between the wildlife & the sfa coming in at 17 & 1/2 inches long, i like it that much, i'm now using it in preference to my cegga, and at only £28.55..you know you want one..

Rob

 

[Hoodoo]

cheers guys, But now I have a whole new silly wild card to temp the cash I have not got !!!!

I have been lusting after one of these for a while and it looks like the price has been reduced this week http://www.globetrotter.de/de/shop/detail.php?mod_nr=123543&k_id=1009&hot=0

Now this is probably a not very practical axe and it is still double the price of a wildlife hatchet (cash I dont have ) . So please help me and talk me out of making a silly choice I will come to regret just because I think it looks cool .

On the other hand the vikings used them !!!!! emmmm

I say go for it!

 

[salad]

I say go for it!

Ahhhh ahhhh you are supposed to be talking me out of it

Oh OK then you win

 

[robevs73]

wildlife is my choice althoe I sold mine as I hardly ever used it, I prefere the small forest axe. the mini axe is a toy.

 

[sargey]

you could go back and look at all those threads on modding cold steel hawks, viking styling at a fraction of the price!

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65970&highlight=cold+steel

i liked the mini, a little too mini for me though, sold it, kept the wildlife, the old style wildlife. it's superb.

cheers, and.

eta: oh yeah, plus one on the outdoor axe. that's a brilliant tool too. i'm astounded at the amount of people who pick it up and assume that it's a splitting maul in miniature, simply because it comes with the metal collar.