which Gransfor axe please

[Trackerman]

I just came back from a day canoeing trip, where I used my GB Wildlife Hatchet to get some wood for the fire. Great tool, very handy and effective. Bought in Sweden.
Soon I´m going to get GB Small Forest Axe.

 

[HillBill]

Billy. Mini hatchets are too small really for what you want, especially the splitting. They really are small and as such require more from you than a regular hatchet would. More swing needed by you means less accuracy and increased potential for injury. They are good for carving and more delicate work.

If you are looking for a general purpose axe for roughish work splitting and cutting then maybe gransfors isn't the way. Bahco may be a suitable alternative. They are cheap compared to gransfors and are well regarded as good tools. There are also different weights of head for each style of axe. Hatchet, hand axe etc. Something along these lines.

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=149661

 

[JDO330]

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=149661

Ive got this axe after being recommended it on here a while back and have to say for the money its excellent (I striped of the orange paint on the handle and gave it a nice coat of linseed oil). I look at it a bit like the Mora knives, excellent value, does what you want, not the prettiest but incredibly functional>

Give one a go I say.
ATB, Jon.

 

[HillBill]

I quite like that style of head, i prefer it over the SFA or wildlife.

 

[dwardo]

I have the hatchet and the scandi forest axe, a friend has the small forest axe.

I can use the Scandi one handed without issue and its longer handle makes it possible to do real work. I used to use the hatchet for finer work now i just use the scandi for everything. The longer handle of the scandi makes it a little safer as the sharp bit is further away.

The only point i see of the little hatchets is to save space and weight. When out i just strap the axe to the side of my bergan so its no bother either way.

As said above the finer blade shape on the scandi does make splitting green wood more difficult but not cetainly not impossible. Where it does come into its own is cutting, limbing and wood work.

My vote is for the scandi forest axe.

 

[rancid badger]

I have had a an SFA for about 6 years and it's been used heavily in that time and never been a bit of bother, though I have to agree on something a bit thicker for extended splitting tasks.

I have also had a GB wildlife hatchet for about 4 years now and this is the tool I would recommend for anyone wanting a handy and versatile hatchet.
It's a good little all rounder, perfectly capable of handling anything you would need to cut for shelter building, bark harvesting or general light chopping tasks. It can also be comfortably used for quite delicate carving jobs or at least; a bit beyond the roughing out stage anyway.

In my experience; the mini hatchet is too small and light, as well as overpriced. Then again; plenty of people use them and seem to do ok.

My brother uses one of those horrible looking fiskars hatchets, with frightening skill for chopping and splitting kindling. ( If I can figure out how to upload video onto photobucket, I have an interesting little bit of film of him prepping some sticks )

As I say; I'd go with a Wildlife Hatchet

all the best
R.B.