[Magnum88C]

What is your favorite axe?

The question that is always asked about guns: If you could only have one, which axe would it be (no, you don't have a saw, th only thing that's going to be used to fell/chop trees is the axe. Why? Cuz I wanna hear about your axes, not how you'd get around doing the work an axe requires).

Gransfors vs Snow & Neally vs Estwing. . .which will last longer/be more useful.

 

[andy]

why presume everyone is stupid, wants to risk injury, noise,"flashy" movement, breakage of the tool, etc,hmm? If I ever needed one, I'd take it off of their dead bodies. Bound to be some dumbass who has one.

 

[Aslan]

I was recently given a Gerber Back Paxe and so far think it is a great axe. Easy to pack, handle is unbreakable and is molded around the blade.

It'll probably get it's first heavy use at elk camp this year...and actual use in the field is the only way to evaluate anything.


:devil:

 

[mrostov]

why presume everyone is stupid, wants to risk injury, noise,"flashy" movement, breakage of the tool, etc,hmm? If I ever needed one, I'd take it off of their dead bodies. Bound to be some dumbass who has one.

Excuse me, but aren't you the one that always advocates the 'skatchet' as a primary survival tool? THAT is a style of hatchet.

To answer the original question, for personal use I like the Hudson Bay style Norlund hatchet.

 

[brass hammer]

i think the

eastwing 'mini'? axe, with the steel haft/handle would be a great addition, would be my prymary[s.p] if i had one!

i love their hammers, 28oz framing is ALL i ever use.


after reading your link on axes, i went out and pulled the double blade out from the 'chopping' block[it's got those wedges on the blade]


i think i LIKE the 2/blade probably just because i'd get my ass whipped
as a kid if i got caught playing with one!

go figure!


thanks.


[i really would prefer to use my canadian chainsaw[p-42] with a 55gal.steel CAN on the exhaust port it tames my FLINCHING to more workable levels]

 

[RIKA]

There is an axe in the garage that I've never used. My hatchet is an Estwing. I will listen to your comments with great interest.

RIKA

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Any axe will do in a pinch, but I would really prefer the saw for any wood gathering jobs. Sorry if you don't want to hear about it. It is a better overall tool for that sort of thing. Back to the axe, as I said, just about anyone is ok so long of course as it is honed nicely and has the heft to get the job done.

As for the resply from that other fellow well let me say I consider that reply rather comical and sad from someone who makes himself out to be the big macho man. I would risk the flashy movement and the breakage if someone were threatening me or another innocent person with death or serious bodily harm. So long as your head was the target of my aim and it was a legal situation for me to use deadly force against you I think it would be worth the risk if I had no other weapon. In such an instance an axe would be far superior to any hand held saw short of a power saw of some sort.

 

[Magnum88C]

Any axe will do in a pinch, but I would really prefer the saw for any wood gathering jobs. Sorry if you don't want to hear about it. It is a better overall tool for that sort of thing. Back to the axe, as I said, just about anyone is ok so long of course as it is honed nicely and has the heft to get the job done.

It's not that I don't want to hear about saws, it's just the subject of a different thread. Asking what kind of axe people like and getting "I want a saw" doesn't help me.

Yes, saws are easier, quieter, and in some cases safer. But saws, no matter how good will become unusable at some point. Blades can only be sharpened so far, and you can only carry so many. Eventually you may come to a point where an axe is your only choice.

Here's what I figure.

Estwing hatchets are great little tools, not quite up to axe standards though. Estwing DOES make a 36" axe (most people have never seen these, and I had to order it online, as none of the local hardware stores could even order it). It is made of a single piece of tool steel like their hatchets. They are fairly sharp out of the box, and cut well. They, however do not do well felling trees or chopping wood, as they simply don't have the weight or head profile necessary. You can, however choke up on the grip and use the back of the head as a makeshift hammer, like the hatchets.

From what I've seen the Gransfors Scandinavian felling axe and the Snow & Neilly Hudson bay style axes seem to be the most versatile. They are within an inch of the same length, and seem to have the heft for felling and splitting, although probably not as good as a splitter as a splitting maul. They are not light enough to choke up on to use in cutting small branches off, etc, and I don't know if the head could stand "hammer use", but for most traditional axes, this is considered a no-no. I suspect the head design and weight would make such use unsafe at any rate.

 

[Glenn Bartley]

It's not that I don't want to hear about saws, it's just the subject of a different thread. Asking what kind of axe people like and getting "I want a saw" doesn't help me.

Well then I did answer your question,

as I said, just about anyone is ok so long of course as it is honed nicely and has the heft to get the job done.

I am none to particular about axes, so long as they have the qualities I need in them. I just added I also like a saw for most wood cutting jobs because it is a much more versatile tool for survival type wood cutting in my opinion.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[Teufelhund]

Here is a pic of my favorite axes

Some you have seen before, but some not, I included all of them, so they could be compared in size.

The largest ax on the top is a Granfors Bruks, it's what is commonly known as a "3/4" or "trappers" ax and falls, in between, in size between a belt ax and a full size, felling ax. GB calls them a "Small Forest Ax". If I had but one ax this would be it, the longer handle and larger head allow you to do bigger jobs than a hatchet can with less effort. Yet it isn't all that much bigger or heavier than a hatchet. Many oldtime woodsman carried these axes lashed to thier packframes. Mine finds home in my horse/jeep camp box, I carry a hatchet on my person when dayhiking or backpacking. You would have no problem putting up a small cabin with this ax. Other companies make nice 3/4 axes including Norlund, Collins ect. I have a couple of the other brands, but nothing compares to the GB.

As far as the hatchets are concerned, the GB is the best IMO, the Norlund second and the Eastwing in third. They all get the job done though and any of them would work just fine. I have some other hatchets but these are the creame of the crop and have been used the most. The painted Eastwing has been all around the world with me and served just fine, the one in the pic has a Blue synthetic handle like thier hammers, the same ax also comes with a leather washer handle and is pretty classic like that. While the Eastwings aren't my favorites, they are still damm good hatchest and would work great in anyones bug-out gear. You can bet your Eastwing is never going to be rehelved

As far as ax design goes, I like the Norlund style head it's a good compromise between cutting edge legnth and head weight. The down size is that the cheek of the ax is narrower though the head and the handle doesn't get as much support as other head designs. The two GB axes are beefy in the cheek dept. with cheeks that come down to provide more handle support, they are heavier but definetly will give better handle support. I have come to like the euro style axes.

I have tried many handle types, straight, tommahwk style like on the Norlund deep durved with a does foot like the traditional hatchet/ax handle and the euro blend of both types. I don't think it matters alot, but I like the GB style handle as a useful compromise for different hatchet uses. I do like my handles longer than is generally found on factory hatchets and the GB will get a longer handle when it's time to rehelve.

I have a GB Mini and don't think much of it, maybe if it had a longer handle it would be better, but I find it no more usefull than a big knife like my EK, it's just too light IMO. I also have a couple 3lbs felling axes and splitting mauls ect but they really don't get much use.

Axes are some of my favorite woods tools, this country was opened up by folks with nothing more than a good ax, dutch oven and a rifle.

Teuf,

 

[tuna]

I got an Estwing hatchet as a Christmas gift 20 or 25 years ago. That puppy has seen some serious use and, I hate to admit, some severe abuse. I keep looking to replace it, but besides wanting something new, I have no need. I sharpen it after every outing and the thing just won't die, even the leather sheath survives with a yearly bath of Linseed Oil. I didn't know they made a full sized axe though, I may have to check into that, if it's anything like the hatchet, I'll live with the flaws and be happy with the indestructibity. As far as saws though, you can make a bough saw easy enough as long as you've got a blade (outdoor life magazine showed a piece on it, and I had to try it), and the blade is easy to store anywhere as long as you don't fold it (duh).

 

[Magnum88C]

The only place I found to just log on and buy the 26" Estwing Alaska Mining and Dive Supply Go through their whole site, they've got a lot of great stuff. I haven't ordered in a couple of years, but unless it's changed, the shipping wasn't any more than it would be from the lower 48.

Estwing 26" Camper's Axe The world famous Estwing Camper's Axe. Truly built to last a lifetime, this axe is forged from a single piece of steel. No wood handle to break! The handle is coated with a nylon/vinyl grip that resists slipping when wet. Overall length 26" with a 4" cutting edge. Weighs 3 lb. 3 oz. Genuine leather sheath included.

Part#ESE45A $49.95
Plus $3.00 Shipping if ordered on website


I have both it and the stacked leather handled hatchet. Both ahve seen some rough use, but they both are about indestructable if you care for them. Like you said, keep it sharp and keep the sheath treated.