I must admit to feeling frightened every time I use an axe. Scary buggers they are.
Tiny little hatchet or tomahawk….suggestions?
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Seriously @HorseGuy , if this it’s so then you need to find a mentor/tutor with whom you can practice and gain confidence. Fear begets fear and means that you are pulling your strokes. You are more likely to have an accident if that is how you are feeling.
We used to see student foresters who were scared of their chain saws . They were not signed off until they demonstrated complete trust in the tool. Respect for the tool and the conditions in which its used is very different from fear.
I and a mate were taken aside while we were training because our instructors was concerned that we didn’t swear! That changed dramatically when I went onto piecework.
Hope you find what you are looking for.
We used to see student foresters who were scared of their chain saws . They were not signed off until they demonstrated complete trust in the tool. Respect for the tool and the conditions in which its used is very different from fear.
I and a mate were taken aside while we were training because our instructors was concerned that we didn’t swear! That changed dramatically when I went onto piecework.
Hope you find what you are looking for.
I don't do any splitting with an axe. For cutting I tend to use a saw for the big stuff and a knife for the small stuff. When I get round to it I'm going to buy a small billhook for the intermediate sized stuff. That will have to wait though as I've overspent lately and need to wait a few weeks for new funds to appear.
A billhook looks like it will be much better balanced and easier to handle than a hatchet. It also has a longer cutting edge so I assume it would be much harder to accidentally miss the target and over-swing.
A billhook looks like it will be much better balanced and easier to handle than a hatchet. It also has a longer cutting edge so I assume it would be much harder to accidentally miss the target and over-swing.
Splitting big rounds with a suitable axe or maul is vastly quicker than using a saw.
It would take hours/days to do a reasonable amount with a saw
Sorry I should have been clearer. What I ment to say is that I've never needed to split logs of wood.
But if I ever did want to do that I would buy a proper wood splitting axe which is specifically designed for that purpose.
Oh. It is a tremendously satisfying woodland task. Not that we did it on a big scale. We sold fuel logs round in the assumption that the customer owned an axe. I wonder what’s happened to the thousands of Elwell axes stored at Mortimer Forest.
Log splitting is only surpassed for satisfaction by wedging oak, chestnut and beech.
Log splitting is only surpassed for satisfaction by wedging oak, chestnut and beech.
sorry for going somewhat off-topic, but how good is their quality?(currently i don't lack the funds but maybe one day in the future... iirc one of my workmates bought one when i worked in Japan 10years ago (for forestry work)...)[*] Suggestions:
Home page for Rinaldi tools. (You don't need to read this... it's very much for reference at your leisure.)
https://www.br-rinaldi.it/en/index.html
The wonderful catalogue. With all sizes and weight variations(Read this.)
https://www.br-rinaldi.it/en/download/CATALOGO2025.pdf
N.B: Is that review really showing the exact weight you are interested in?
Yup 350 gram head. (micro bonus)
UK supplier… A guide to what you might easily get. (A little starter for you.)
https://www.lamnia.com/en/search?mid=833&sgid=134
https://byxco.com/search?q=Rinaldi&options[prefix]=last
Starter part 2. (homework)
Option 1. "America" the most extreme thin limbing axe. 400g option.
Option 2. "Trento" still thin but a wider bit.
Option 3. "Calebria" flat wedge, the bits are a narrow. 350 g option.
Option 4 / Bonus. "Sicilia" (Tomahawk) Very narrow, flat wedge. 250 g alternative.
I have the trail hawk for very occasional kindling splitting. It's not very good as the blade cheeks are too narrow. It is handy to carry though as it splits into handle (which I trimmed down) and head for a nice compact safe package.
Where it wins is the proper poll hammer for tent pegs and camp jobs.
Where it wins is the proper poll hammer for tent pegs and camp jobs.
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I have a Rindaldi hook (number 4 I think) that I’ve had 10 years or so. Quality is great. Thinned out a wind blown willow tree bough in no time with it.
My only regret is not buying the hanging holster/hook
After reading the first two pages of this thread I found myself transported to a well known web merchant who will, tomorrow, be sending me a Cold Steel "frontier hawk" and a BeaverCraft "AX6 Compact Bearded Hatchet".
These will be my second ever purchase of any kind of axe; I bought an Estwing Sportsman's axe model E24A with leather handle and mask in about 2007 when I saw it on sale in Lowe's or Home Depot for less than $20.
And I have a big, heavy axe that my late mother in law gave me... But that hardly gets any use.
These will be my second ever purchase of any kind of axe; I bought an Estwing Sportsman's axe model E24A with leather handle and mask in about 2007 when I saw it on sale in Lowe's or Home Depot for less than $20.
And I have a big, heavy axe that my late mother in law gave me... But that hardly gets any use.
I went and picked them up on Tuesday.
First impressions...
The frontier hawk is very light, the haft is a little short to use it as an alpenstock, the head seems to be attached to the haft by a 1/8" grub screw and it rattles! Oh, and it's about as sharp as my thumb nail.
The beavercraft hatchet is a nice weight, well balanced and it's sharp.
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