Recommendation? Full Tang Hatchets/Axes

[Medici Works]

Hello all.

As a wood worker, I've tried to stay clear of the rabbit hole that is blacksmithing/knifemaking because of my wallet; however, I do like adding handles to knife blanks. It's a fun, easy hobby that allows me to mold something into a usable piece.

I'd like to do that now with an axe or hatchet. I've been looking around for some small, full-tang hatchets; maybe around 8in~14in, and have found barely anything out there. I know I've seen them before though, but I'm not sure where to get them. I do a bit of bush crafting, so a small axe would be perfect for me.

I'm not opposed to getting an axe head, and carving a handle from some hickory or osage orange, but I'd like to spend a little less for the time being, and add some cheap handles that I can make myself.

Can anyone suggest a company that sells axe blanks? Or am I wasting my time? Thanks!

 

[Moonw]

I'll focus on the alternative you mentioned.

Although a classic design, so not full tang, for such finer tasks I always wanted to try the Robin Wood Carving axe. I may eventually get one. I'm not sure how much shipping to US would add to the price. I feel what they are sold for is right, if not a steal nowadays, and designed by an experienced fellow in this very field. Made in Sheffield, not some Chinese province. You may get one without a handle, maybe worth trying?

Of course you may find a very nice old hatchet for even less in USA.

For anything more modern, I'll let others chime in.

 

[cityofthesouth]

One alternative is to buy a new axe, like from Council Tool and discard the supplied handle for your new custom made unit. The finish and the edge will need some work for sure - so it makes a pretty fun project. I just took a second to look around online and I am pretty sure I paid less, but something like the CT Hudson bay is under $40. If you dig around harder you can probably do better. Vaughan also makes a couple hatchets that are good and inexpensive. Once in awhile even where I live, I can find an old hatchet for under $20 to clean up and hang. So I think the money should be similar to a knife blank, although I know some can be had really cheap. You might be able to find an old Estwing with a disintegrated leather handle to fix up.

 

[Medici Works]

I'll focus on the alternative you mentioned.

Although a classic design, so not full tang, for such finer tasks I always wanted to try the Robin Wood Carving axe. I may eventually get one. I'm not sure how much shipping to US would add to the price. I feel what they are sold for is right, if not a steal nowadays, and designed by an experienced fellow in this very field. Made in Sheffield, not some Chinese province. You may get one without a handle, maybe worth trying?

Of course you may find a very nice old hatchet for even less in USA.

For anything more modern, I'll let others chime in.

Those Robin Carving Axes seem to be at a really good price point. I'm going to do some more research on them, I may end up going with one of them.

One alternative is to buy a new axe, like from Council Tool and discard the supplied handle for your new custom made unit. The finish and the edge will need some work for sure - so it makes a pretty fun project. I just took a second to look around online and I am pretty sure I paid less, but something like the CT Hudson bay is under $40. If you dig around harder you can probably do better. Vaughan also makes a couple hatchets that are good and inexpensive. Once in awhile even where I live, I can find an old hatchet for under $20 to clean up and hang. So I think the money should be similar to a knife blank, although I know some can be had really cheap. You might be able to find an old Estwing with a disintegrated leather handle to fix up.

Thanks for the info. The Coucil tool stuff looks really good, I'll check them out some more!

 

[Huntsman Knife Co.]

I make full tang hawk blanks.

 

[jblyttle]

Look for Bridgeport scout hatchets. They are one piece with wood pinned handle scales.

If you find them the wood is frequently loose or damaged and you can buy them cheap.

I may have a few of them. If you are interested, maybe we can work something out where I give them to you in exchange for one repaired sent back to me.

 

[Ugaldie]

Hello Medici Works, there is an option which fits you best, slip fit axes. The type of handles they need are the easiest to produce, easiest to hang, the safest, the strongest and they are real axes.

Those "full tang hatches/axes" are not real hatches nor axes. They are modern type billhooks, for some reason sellers want to rename them but they are different tool.

 

[Park Swan]

Those "full tang hatches/axes" are not real hatches nor axes. They are modern type billhooks, for some reason sellers want to rename them but they are different tool.

 

[Ugaldie]

This type of conversation uses to end in an angry fulltang fanatic attacking personally to the person who tries to explain his point of view. Anyways, I'll try it again.

Park we can talk about this subject in a civilized way if you want to know the reasons behind my affirmation.

 

[jblyttle]

This type of conversation uses to end in an angry fulltang fanatic attacking personally to the person who tries to explain his point of view. Anyways, I'll try it again.

Park we can talk about this subject in a civilized way if you want to know the reasons behind my affirmation.

There are those that might take this as SLIGHTLY passive aggressive. Maybe. Slightly. Just a little. Kind of...

 

[Park Swan]

This type of conversation uses to end in an angry fulltang fanatic attacking personally to the person who tries to explain his point of view. Anyways, I'll try it again.

Park we can talk about this subject in a civilized way if you want to know the reasons behind my affirmation.

I'm not angry, fanatic, or uncivil, so we're good there. The three assertions you made with which I disagree are:

1) Full tang axes/hatchets are "not real" axes/hatchets

Are they fake axes and hatchets?

2) Full tang axes/hatchets are modern billhooks

I don't think so, but I'm curious now...

3) Sellers "want" to rename them

I understand your grouping together of all sellers of full tang axes/hatchets, but I don't think it's valid. Is there some implication here that sellers are purposefully misnaming their tools?

 

[Beachlogger]

After a quick glance at your for sale stuff, you make some beautiful choppers. Out of my price range, but fun to window shop

I make full tang hawk blanks.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I would suggest getting a vintage hatchet head for cheap instead of a hatchet shaped knife, or take jb up on his offer ( he sold me something before and is a great guy ) for a Bridgeport hatchet.
Now if you want something really cheep you can get a harbor freight hatchet.
Mine happened to be pretty good steel and is well worth the 12$ I payed.
But since you'd be rehanging it in a new handle, I'd get the cheaper ( sometimes on sale for 7$ ) yellow synthetic handled version.

It sounds to me though that you're dead set on something with a knife construction, so I'd take jb up on his Bridgeport offer.

 

[Huntsman Knife Co.]

After a quick glance at your for sale stuff, you make some beautiful choppers. Out of my price range, but fun to window shop

Appreciate the kind words

 

[Ugaldie]

jblittle it was not an aggresion, I have explained what has been my experience in this type of conversations.

Glad to listen it Park, let's start. A big family of tools named as billhook (I'm assume it takes all the variety Spanish term "tajamata" takes) has existed through all the history.

The variety of billhooks is inmense, they have different constructions and shapes.

It was a very used homesteading tool, specially in bushy areas. Due to low demand their production came down and occidental world started to forget them in the first half of XX century. But somebody started to use modern production methods to produce a "new" tool which was produced like a billhook, was thought to make a part of the works a billhook could do but was renamed as an axe. That tool was the "fulltang hatchet/axe".

What was attractive in that tool is its low production cost, it's much simple and you need less knowledge to produce a "fulltang hatchet/axe" than an axe. It's senseless what we see today, some of these tools cost as much as racing axes. The new tool had another big flaw, it's worse than an axe AND a billhook. Taking in account two equal quality tools the new tool is a less efficient woodcutter if we compare it to an axe and it performs less tasks if we compare it to a billhook. Nowadays the"fulltang hatchet/axe" has not any advantage compared to previous tools, why does it sell so well? My opinion is the huge amount of lost knowledge of the actual society.

About the name of the tool, I don't know how much is intentional name change and how much is intentional, but I think some of the reason resides in our actual high regard to the axes. I see incomprensible the actual bushcrafters veneration to the axes taking in account the best homesteading tool and the tool for the bushes through all the world has been the billhook.

I could write what I think in a better way but I don't have time and I have written this message in a hurry, sorry for the writting mistakes.

 

[Hickory n steel]

jblittle it was not an aggresion, I have explained what has been my experience in this type of conversations.

Glad to listen it Park, let's start. A big family of tools named as billhook (I'm assume it takes all the variety Spanish term "tajamata" takes) has existed through all the history.

The variety of billhooks is inmense, they have different constructions and shapes.

It was a very used homesteading tool, specially in bushy areas. Due to low demand their production came down and occidental world started to forget them in the first half of XX century. But somebody started to use modern production methods to produce a "new" tool which was produced like a billhook, was thought to make a part of the works a billhook could do but was renamed as an axe. That tool was the "fulltang hatchet/axe".

What was attractive in that tool is its low production cost, it's much simple and you need less knowledge to produce a "fulltang hatchet/axe" than an axe. It's senseless what we see today, some of these tools cost as much as racing axes. The new tool had another big flaw, it's worse than an axe AND a billhook. Taking in account two equal quality tools the new tool is a less efficient woodcutter if we compare it to an axe and it performs less tasks if we compare it to a billhook. Nowadays the"fulltang hatchet/axe" has not any advantage compared to previous tools, why does it sell so well? My opinion is the huge amount of lost knowledge of the actual society.

About the name of the tool, I don't know how much is intentional name change and how much is intentional, but I think some of the reason resides in our actual high regard to the axes. I see incomprensible the actual bushcrafters veneration to the axes taking in account the best homesteading tool and the tool for the bushes through all the world has been the billhook.

I could write what I think in a better way but I don't have time and I have written this message in a hurry, sorry for the writting mistakes.

Are you sure you're thinking of the same tool ?
The tool were talking about has nothing to do with a brush hook and did not derive from them.
The tool were talking about is literally an all steel construction hatchet which basically came about due to the need for a hatchet that a boy scout could abuse ( as kids often do everything ) without its handle breaking.
They can have some actual thickness and an actual hatchets head profile like and estwing or an old Bridgeport, or can be flat and made of knife stock ( hence me calling them a hatchet shaped knife ) like the old imperials...ect.

Again all you gave shown are pictures of bill hooks and in no way do I see these full tang hatchets having been derived from them.

 

[Park Swan]

I agree with Hickory n steel , while I appreciate the effort you put into constructing the post, I'm not sure I see anything at all explaining why one of these:

is a billhook.

 

[Student762]

This whole thread seems like a derailment of monumental proportions from what the OP wanted.
Having said that, here's my two cents.
Full tang axes and hatchets are real axes and hatchets. To assert otherwise flirts with the preposterous in ways even I feel uncomfortable with. Bill hooks are thus named due to the fact that they "hook" around at the end. Not every billhook is a through tang either. They are similar to hatchets and axes in the same way a large chopping knife is: they perform similar tasks and can achieve similar results, however they are fundamentally different.
Once again this is my opinion and as such is meaningless. I am but another anonymous keyboard junky interjecting my opinion into the vast, swirling maelstrom of the inter webs.
Back to the OP.
Full tang axes and hatchets are fun to handle and use. They're not my personal cup of tea anymore, I have moved in a more traditional direction lately. However there are many talented custom makers who would be more than happy to deliver first class results for you to handle and make your own. Park Swan is one of these fine gentlemen.
On flea bay you would be able to find many second hand full tangs as well which, if you score a good deal, might be worth rehandling and playing around with.
I also love putting handles and such on knives as well. One of the new joys I have had is crafting axe handles for traditional style heads and tomahawks. I find this very rewarding as well. Might be worth a look.

 

[Ugaldie]

No Hickory n steel I'm not thinking about the same tool, as I said there is a huge variety of billhooks and each type is different to the others. As I said "fulltang hatchet/axe"s are in my opinion "modern type billhooks", inferior to older ones.

I consider Estwing axes with no proper weight distribution, whith bad handle election which makes the producer to use vibration absorption materials in the handle and axes which new production methods (not user needs) made them to appear. They are axes in my opinion, clearly different to "fulltang hatchet/axe"s I'm talking about here.

A "fulltang hatchet/axe" is a bad election to abuse, their vibration transference is higher than real axes and they are prone to bending (unless you make them heavier, which will make them a worse tool for this reason) which makes them dangerous tools to use due to unfit or broken scales and edge missalignment.

I respect your opinion Park Swan but I dissagree. Taking in account each tool family and the fact we take in account more than only visual appearance, there is more in common between these tools,

Than these tools,

S Student762 this is just my opinion about "fulltang hatchet/axe"s,

They are similar to hatchets and axes in the same way a large chopping knife is: they perform similar tasks and can achieve similar results, however they are fundamentally different.

There is a reason why I have commented "I assume it takes all the variety Spanish term "tajamata" takes", if we take out the hook and the blade from the hook side of the next billhook, here homesteaders (the people who works with this type of tools) will continue calling it a billhook. Even if we make it with longer scales.

It will be a worse billhook but a billhook.

In regards to "fulltang hatchet/axe"s being worse than real axes let's make a little question for all. Anybody can produce a 5 lbs "fulltang felling axe", it will be easier and cheaper to produce than a real axe, why do you think nobody produces them?

 

[Hickory n steel]

No Hickory n steel I'm not thinking about the same tool, as I said there is a huge variety of billhooks and each type is different to the others. As I said "fulltang hatchet/axe"s are in my opinion "modern type billhooks", inferior to older ones.

I consider Estwing axes with no proper weight distribution, whith bad handle election which makes the producer to use vibration absorption materials in the handle and axes which new production methods (not user needs) made them to appear. They are axes in my opinion, clearly different to "fulltang hatchet/axe"s I'm talking about here.

A "fulltang hatchet/axe" is a bad election to abuse, their vibration transference is higher than real axes and they are prone to bending (unless you make them heavier, which will make them a worse tool for this reason) which makes them dangerous tools to use due to unfit or broken scales and edge missalignment.

I respect your opinion Park Swan but I dissagree. Taking in account each tool family and the fact we take in account more than only visual appearance, there is more in common between these tools,

Than these tools,

S Student762 this is just my opinion about "fulltang hatchet/axe"s,



There is a reason why I have commented "I assume it takes all the variety Spanish term "tajamata" takes", if we take out the hook and the blade from the hook side of the next billhook, here homesteaders (the people who works with this type of tools) will continue calling it a billhook. Even if we make it with longer scales.

It will be a worse billhook but a billhook.

In regards to "fulltang hatchet/axe"s being worse than real axes let's make a little question for all. Anybody can produce a 5 lbs "fulltang felling axe", it will be easier and cheaper to produce than a real axe, why do you think nobody produces them?

So why did you bring up a completely different tool than the one you know that the op is clearly looking for ?
Furthermore I don't even know what your whole point is because I really can't understand you.

It sounds like you simply brought up some completely unrelated point about people in your country falsely calling bill hooks hatchets.
Had you not done this, the op probably would've checked back in and already taken jb up on his offer.