Help, I need a good wee axe

[Jiffy]

Dear axe gods,

I'm new to this site but not to the outdoors.I do a fair bit of hillwalking, backpacking, climbing and am now in need of a small axe as my current axes are no good with wood:

I need something for chopping and splitting firewood when I'm in climbing huts. Many of these huts are many miles from roads so I need a light axe as I may be carrying it (and everything else) for 12 miles a day. Sometimes, there's some pretty fresh wood supplied or we're able to collect some dead wood (we never cut live trees). Othertimes, there's nothing but bogwood for miles:

Usually, if that's the case, I just carry coal in but it'd be great if I could have something that could tackle the bogwood. I've been inspired by those pictures of Old Jimbo splitting a big log with a wee axe so I'd like an axe that has a proper poll.

I had a play with the axes in B&Q and Homebase and they all felt too heavy for me. A friend of mine bought a really cheap axe out of Lidl or Aldi. The weight of his axe felt much better in my hand and I was comfortable using it (until the crude blade stuck in the wood and the handle started wobbling!). I reckon it weighed around 1lb so I'd like something of that order.

Cost is a big issue so the Gransfor Bruks are out of the question. The Wetterlings Mini Axe looks pretty good. I can get one for £19.50 from Casstroms but £7.95 p&p from Sweden makes it more than I'd like to pay. A couple of second hand ones sold recently on Song Of The Paddle for £10-£15 so that might be an option.

The Wetterlings Scout axe has caught my eye. At 500g it seems a good compromise between being big enough to earn it's keep and not being too heavy for carrying. It's also a weight I'm happy working with. I've put a photo of it against the Mini Axe at the bottom. Tamarack Outdoors are selling it for £22+£2.50 which seems pretty good. Casstroms used to sell them on Ebay and have a little bit more info on the axe here. There are some more pictures of the axe here.

Now, finally, my questions!

1) Are there any good places to look at axes in Edinburgh?
2) What do you think of the Scout axe for my needs?
3) Are there other axes worth considering (bearing in mind my weight and budget constrictions)?

Thanks in advance for all the wisdom you're about to impart!

Cheers, Jiffy

 

[littlebiglane]

Vaughan Hatchet? 11" long 255g head.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Vaughan-Hatchet-20445.htm

 

[rancid badger]

Talk to Casper at Nordic Outdoor which just happens to be based in Edinburgh!
He's been selling Gransfors for years and a wildlife hatchet is the tool I would strongly recommend.
I have no idea what it weighs but it's nothing like a bag of coal!
If you intend to use "bogwood" a laplander or silky folding saw might also be very useful

My wildlife hatchet sits quietly in my daysack, tucked well out of the way, along with my Laplander, at least when I'm out "doing stuff". I don't take them hillwalking with me but if I expected to have to gather fuel,which needed medium to heavy weight cutting, then these are the tools I would use.


R.B.

 

[sandbender]

Gransfors have a smaller axe than the wildlife hatchet, the 'Mini Hatchet', I have one and primarily use it for carving, however it can be used for preparing kindling and light work.

I paid £40 for mine (only £10 more than the Wetterlings) but then that was a few years ago, speak to Casper at Nordic Outdoor for current prices.

Mirage has an excellent review over on BB...

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16274

 

[Jiffy]

littlebiglane - I've looked at the Vaughans and it's the lightest I've found. It's seems, however, that it's no longer the axe it used to be and I'm hesitant about buying it blind. For an extra 18p, the Wetterlings Scout Axe seems a better choice.

rancid badger - Thanks, I didn't know about Nordic Outdoors. Caspar's advice was to stick to the Wetterlings or Gransfors. The Gransfors Wildlife is 600g but twice the price at £45. I've got a Frost Mora and a Laplander already so just need an axe now.

sandbender - The Minis are now £65!!! Waaaaaay too much money for me.

I'm itching to buy the Scout axe but am going to see what further advice may be forthcoming. I'll also post a few wanted ads and see if anything appears.

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

Just the thought made my eyes water! A wee axe? ouch

 

[Squidders]

I'd be inclined to save up for longer and invest in a gransfors wildlife hatchet personally.

Wetterlings are ok but having tried both, I'd go with the GB and just accept that my preferred axe cost more.

Of course if you like the wetterling one - just do it.

 

[Aaron]

Wetterlings arent bad axes - there is nothing wrong with the ones you are already considering. Although the quality of manufacture you will receive usually will not be quite as good as a Gransfors, they are cheaper for a slightly less quality of manufacture. The uneven grind on the edge is usually the biggest defect with them although that does not matter so much if you are just intending to split with it, and can be rectified with a bit of work with a file and sharpening stone. I have had a Wetterlings Hunters axe for nearly five years now and take it with me every time I go 'shrafting - I had to regrind the edge but the quality of the steel is good and it takes a very sharp edge The shaft is good quality hickory and has not worked loose despite lots of use for felling and splitting both larger logs and kindling. Joe (Squidders) is right though you cant go far wrong with a GB wildlife hatchet for a bit more money, just depends what your priorities are. Thats my ten penny worth anyway.

:Thinkingo

 

[JonnyP]

If your going to be out in the hills and mountains then maybe an axe would not be the best tool to use..Its very easy to have an accident with an axe or hatchet and if your miles from anywhere you could get into problems...So as RB suggests, maybe a folding saw might suit you better...
If it has to be an axe, and a very light one, then the GB mini is hard to beat, and those vaughan hatches are very good and good value too, and a lot of folk like the wetterlings axes too...

 

[sandbender]

sandbender - The Minis are now £65!!! Waaaaaay too much money for me.

No, £59

http://www.gransfors.co.uk/gransfors%20standard axes.html

But a Wildlife Hatchet at £45 from Casper sounds like a bargain, granted thats £20 more than the Wetterlings you've mentioned, but IMO you would end up with a superior tool.

The site above also features the Gransfors trade axes/tomahawks which would probably be ideal for the lightweight traveler, however these are outrageously expensive at £135!

 

[Jiffy]

Squidders & sandbender - The Wetterlings at £24.50 is already more than I'd like to pay so the Gransfors are sadly not an option for me unless someplace is doing a large discount on them or one comes up at a good price S/H.

Aaron - Thanks, if the grind is not so good then I'm prepared to have a go at it.

JonnyP - Thanks but my self preservation mentality has been well honed!

I've posted a couple of wanted ads on SOTP and BB but nothing yet. I did find the Gransfors Wildlife axe for £43 delivered. Does anyone know of a cheaper deal?

 

[Native Justice]

How about a Bahco camp axe/hatchet? Relatively light, well made, good swedish steel, ash handle, very inexpensive and should be very easy to locate.

Another good one thats very inexpensive, lightweight and extremely well made (S7 steel) is the Knives of Alaska Hunter's Hatchet.

http://www.jhwilliamstoolgroup.com/Prod-22-1-4869/HGPS-06-360-Pruning-Axes.htm

http://www.knivesofalaska.com/catalog/prod_display.aspx?from=Hatchets%20and Saws&cat=Hatchet

Good luck.

NJ

 

[philaw]

I bought this on ebay for £11 including postage:

And after I sanded the handle and someone in a key cutting place sharpened it for me (for free) it looked like the pic below. The handle broke during pretty vigorous (ab)use, but a new one cost £4 and was easily fitted by simply sliding the handle into place and hammering in a steel wedge (50p), bought at the same place. Ebay and car boot sales are an option for people like us on a budget that no one has mentioned yet.

 

[Jiffy]

Native Justice - I'd seen the Bahco's online but I see that woof wasn't impressed with them. I'd probably go for the Fiskars (aka Wilkinson and Sword) over them. That's the first time I've seen the Alaskan one you linked to but it'd probably work out as much as a Gransfors with all the cost of importing one.

philaw - I've been looking on Ebay but I haven't seen any I fancy taking a chance on. I'll keep looking though!

 

[Ratbag]

For lightness I'd go with a Bahco Laplander saw, but cheaper versions are available too. I got a japanese-brand pruning saw (cuts on the pull-stroke only) at a good toolshop for around £8, and it's taken some proper abuse with no ill-effects.

Put that together with a fixed blade, such as a mora, for splitting wood and you've covered all the bases re collecting firewood. I'd forget about the axe altogether - I only take mine along if having a bit of fun is a higher priority than saving weight.

Whichever, do remember your first aid kit (and know how to use it) if you're playing with sharps in the back of beyond.

HTH

Rat

 

[Jiffy]

Ratbag - Thanks, I already have a Laplander and a Mora! I've already used my Mora to produce some kindling when the tenderfoot I took with me on one trip decided to make the fire. He promptly incinerated all the kindling (and almost his eyebrows!) in a meths fuelled explosion. I left him to it as I thought experience would be a better teacher for him. Once he was done, I managed to produce some kindling with the Mora and built a proper fire. If he comes again I won't be letting him near my axe!

I'm hoping the axe will save it's weight as I usually carry some kindling to help get a fire going quickly. The axe should be much quicker than using the Mora so I won't be taking kindling.

 

[British Red]

Personally I'd avoid Fiskars axes like the plague - the overmoulded handle is a thing of horror and the balance is all to bits. Truly a godawful design. Really the trouble with a light, short axe is that it cannot generate the rotational enegy (torque) required for impact cutting. This brings you back to batoning. The vaughan mini (as used by Jim Aston in that photo) is capable when batoned, but I remember talking to Jim about that particular splitting exercise (and how many hours it took). That mini was re-ground by Mike Stewart at BRKT and he wont do them anymore as the blade quality has gone right off.

If you want a good, light, hyper efficient axe, buy a great one (and it costs) or make a good one great (re-grind a hand forged light head and re-helve it on a longer helve).

Red

 

[sargey]

i really like the fiskars axes. apart from the "backpax" which is far too short. no they're not attractive but they do work straight out of the box, which nearly no wooden handled axe ever does apart from the odd gransfors. the plastic makes them perfectly weather proof too.

the fiskars axes also make a better "splitting wedge with a long handle" because you can welly on them without worrying about damaging the eye.

the objectionable balance is less critical with a hatchet because of the relatively straight up and down trajectory. as opposed to bigger axes where you're swinging them around and the poor balance induces extra head wobble. jimbo would probably disagree. it's a thing that can be demonstrated in person in seconds. or takes a half hour of typing.

the light ones were going for 17 quid in homebase, but they seem to have disappeared recently. i did see the next size up in a local B&Q, for 19. too heavy for the requirements stated at the beginning of the thread though.

perhaps what our jiffy really needs is a leuko!

cheers, and.

 

[British Red]

IIRC Jim didn't mind the fiskars (once re-ground of course). Me I can't stand 'em nast plastic things - at best they are a wedge on a plastic stick as you said sargey. If weight is that critical saw and knife are better

Red

 

[Jiffy]

Homebase were selling Fiskar with wooden handles but the were heaving than I'd like and not that cheap at £15.

I'm not away until the end of August now so I'm going to be patient and not make any impulse purchases!