Which mini axe or hatchet ?

[Everything Mac]

Am I the only one not remotely interested in the tomahawk at all?

Xunil - I'd go with another GB mate.


Andy

 

[Wayland]

As already mentioned I have a Cold Steel Trail Hawk. Two of them, as it happens. The first thing I did with my main one was order a second handle for it and cut the first down to hatchet length, so one head and two handles makes for lots of options and they are a great tool. However, in this instance I am looking in a different direction.<Snip

Sorry if I've high jacked your thread, didn't mean to. I can see that it would be too light if the handle length was reduced to pocket size.

Snip> I liked the look of the trail hawk but the blade is too narrow for cutting wood I think.. it's a lethal weapon no doubt but for timber I cant help thinking it will make smallish cuts.

I used it this weekend gone for all my individual firewood needs, it was definitely up for the task and very effective. I only needed to use my bigger axe for dropping a big standing dead sycamore and chunking it up for the communal fire.

 

[Xunil]

I think the Cold Steel hawks offer a lot of scope for modification to fit the requirements of many (that's why I bought mine ) but when talking about mini axes they just don't really have enough material to easily coax a substitue for a Granfors Bruks mini from one, for example.

A mate of mine suggested the Wetterlings Wildlife Axe or Wetterlings Mini Axe. He has both and reports excellent results with them, but never having seen one in the flesh (so to speak) I am not sure whether it would be a close approximation to something like the GB mini.

Commercial products aside I'm just going to have to make my own. At least I'll know who to blame if I don't like it

As an aside I have an idea for a (relatively) easy to produce axe which came out of a discussion (heated debate) with another mate of mine who stated that axes could not be made without forging them or without serious machinery. I disagreed and have since been challenged to back up my claims that little more than an angle grinder and hand tools (mainly various abrasives) could be used to take the head to heat treatment stage, provided a local machine shop can be persuaded to mill the slot in for the eye. It could be done by drilling and filing but that holds no appeal whatsoever

Cromwell's are selling O1 in 1/2" x 2.1/2" x 18" for £23 and 3/4" x 2.1/2" x 18" for £29 which, I reckon, would give about four mini hatchets easily. The eye could be cold spread (carefully) and off you go.

I'm not suggesting that O1 is ideal for an axe, or that this method would be directly comparable to GB/Hults et al, but I dug my heels and may end up having to prove the concept at some point

 

[Wayland]

I have cut slots for sword hilts and pommels using a ceramic tile saw blade to good effect.

It's a bit easier than drilling and grinding but obviously not as easy as milling.

 

[ex member coconino]

...A mate of mine suggested the Wetterlings Wildlife Axe or Wetterlings Mini Axe. He has both and reports excellent results with them, but never having seen one in the flesh (so to speak) I am not sure whether it would be a close approximation to something like the GB mini. ...

The Wetterlings and the Husqvarna are pretty much the same axe, the Husqi looks like it was made by Wetterlings, just with different branding.
My Husqvarna is exactly like the Wetterlings in the picture, and more like this than the picture on the Husqvarna page. The biggest difference being the price, the Husqvarna being a good deal cheaper.