What is the point of taking an axe bushcrafting?
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CRKT Persevere Axe Head and Milwaukee Folding Jabsaw
There is a good quality wire saw as well that I use with a bent stick to make a emergency bowsaw
I think Mme Toddy had it bracketed, some times a hatchet makes life easier, some times. though not very often, it can be life saving. Often not needed at all. When trekking I look at the area, season and phase of the moon to decide weather to take one with me.
Belt bushcraft knifes are for fine work, carving, slicing, detail work.
Saws are good for large diameter processing, cross cutting and boarding.
Axes are good for felling, rough work, hollowing out and snedding and as a light mallet.
Whilst all three tools can be used non-optimally (often taking longer) for work the other tools are better at, they each have their own advantages.
Given the choice of having to choose two of the three or taking all three, I would always prefer all three.
Saws are good for large diameter processing, cross cutting and boarding.
Axes are good for felling, rough work, hollowing out and snedding and as a light mallet.
Whilst all three tools can be used non-optimally (often taking longer) for work the other tools are better at, they each have their own advantages.
Given the choice of having to choose two of the three or taking all three, I would always prefer all three.
Don't get me wrong but I do have an axe which I've taken out a few times but have never used. From great comments here I suppose it's the locality you live in or travel to that necessities an axe
Were you not tempted to just give it a try when you've taken it with you? Or is there a reluctance to use it due to safety, or lack of experience, or even just not wanting to have to then spend time after using it on maintenance?
If I take gear, I tend to make a point of trying to use it, primarily for the increased experience with the tool. Of course unless conditions aren't favourable e.g. if it's getting dark or I'm feeling rushed, I'm going to totally avoid the axe.
It's all about being efficient in your environment. If you know you will need to split hefty wood for the fire then an axe is what you want to take. The saw, either folding or fixed Silky type, will be far more efficient when cutting dead firewood to length. The axe is a great tool for cutting green wood, if used correctly, but not so useful for hard dead wood. I tend to not use firewood greater than about 4" diameter so I simply cut it and burn it. If I do need to split a log of that 4" stuff to get to the dry inner wood my knife is perfectly capable of doing so.
I find I rarely have use for axe when out-n-about these days. A small saw will cut all the firewood I need and cutting bigger logs I leave to those with the energy (or the Stihl
) I don't find I cut much greenwood, certainly not big enough greenwood to justify lugging the axe about.
If I am clearing a wind-blown 'green' tree then it's a job for chainsaw, axe, and a machete of some sort. Even then the machete and the saw seem to far more work than the axe.
I find I rarely have use for axe when out-n-about these days. A small saw will cut all the firewood I need and cutting bigger logs I leave to those with the energy (or the Stihl
) I don't find I cut much greenwood, certainly not big enough greenwood to justify lugging the axe about.If I am clearing a wind-blown 'green' tree then it's a job for chainsaw, axe, and a machete of some sort. Even then the machete and the saw seem to far more work than the axe.
Ah - but not all wood is for burning .... our little gang have a shaving horse and (soon to be finished
) pole lathe on one of the sites we use ... try feeding them without an ax!
) pole lathe on one of the sites we use ... try feeding them without an ax!
I think its just a weight vs efficiency calculation.
If the car is within strolling distance then why not as its an ace force multiplier when used well. Plus a big saw if needed. Bring all your tools if you are going to use/play with them.
When away in the canoe for multiple days then we don't "each" need an axe and a saw so one between us all is just fine. Now if I have to carry it on my back for days, just to process firewood? why would I bother When a decent size Silky type saw weighs nothing and eats wood.
If the car is within strolling distance then why not as its an ace force multiplier when used well. Plus a big saw if needed. Bring all your tools if you are going to use/play with them.
When away in the canoe for multiple days then we don't "each" need an axe and a saw so one between us all is just fine. Now if I have to carry it on my back for days, just to process firewood? why would I bother When a decent size Silky type saw weighs nothing and eats wood.
I guess that really depends on how big a fire you are having, very easy to split logs without an axe btw
Spent the best part of 6yrs without them though John ;-D andwe have split plenty of logs with wooden wedges and mallets in that time. One of the group did try, unsuccessfully I might add, to chop his own hand off though
Even the very experienced get bitten ... a wooden mallet & wedges can split large wood efficiently without the need for an axe.
I can understand use of an axe for big projects, but in general day to day bushcraft, wedges & a mallet can be used very effectively to process large wood, such as your example of a thick section of trunk.
In certain areas of the world an axe is certainly an essential cutting tool, but alas, the UK isn't one of those areas.
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