20" or 26" hatchet/axe, what do you prefer?

What size hatchet/axe do you prefer between the two and why?

  • 26"

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 20"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
hoopster

hoopster

Joined
Jan 12, 2007
Messages
4,186
I could use some advice. I'm looking to get something that will accompany me on backpacking/camping trips and the occasional canoe camping trip. Usually 1-3 nights. I may also want to throw it in the car trunk from time to time.

I already have a 36" axe for use at home and my wife has a cheap 14" hatchet that I can't stand. I've been looking at the Wetterlings 26 and 20 inchers but am not dead set on the maker, still debating on size.

I'm 6'1" tall, what would you choose? Thanks!
 
Your taller which typically means longer arms. That to me says the 26" but then again its all a comfort thing as well.
 
I'm 6'1" with "long arms" for my height - I like my 24" Hudson Bay pattern axe.
It's got the same 1.75 lb (28 oz) head on it as the Snow and Neally hatchet, but with a longer handle. It also cost 1/3 as much as the S&N at the time, which didn't hurt my feelings.
 
I JUST bought BOTH because I couldn't decide. Both are awesome. I suggest both :D
 
I like the 20 because it fits in many of my packs, and is still doable with one hand.
 
I will say the 20" feels more like a hatchet and the 26" feels like a real axe. Both are totally packable and awesome. I really suggest BOTH! lol
 
20 inches is a little short for my tastes.

my Mk V BUG hawks are sweetest in the 22 - 23" range, so i couldn't imagine less than 24 inches for a good lightweight Forest Axe, for its respective uses.

i'm about 6' tall, 205 lbs, fit.

i'd go long.

vec
 
Hey Guys
Im not an axe guy, so if I'm outa line let me know, but shouldn't his intended use be taken into account?
And based on the use wouldn't there be some safety conciderations, such as a tall guy trying to cut a downed log having a better chance of missing his target and hitting himself with a short axe and bad technique?
 
Well, despite whatever your intended use is, once you start chopping/splitting you'll want to try the other one out once you get going. If the intended use is chopping wood, those sizes will do it, thought the larger will chop better. Backpacking/bushcraft the smaller will be more portable but chop with less conviction, although might split better. Whether you're tall or short, you can use any axe or hatchet with proper skill and taking precaution. So, insomuch as axes are relatively cheap compared to what some of us throw down on knives, I stand behind my original statement :D
 
18-20" is perfect for me, YMMV of course. I'm 6'3", but I don't think user height is really that relevant here. The smaller one is going to be easier to pack and allow better one hand use, which for me is very important. I find that if I can't safely and controllably use an axe one handed I'm slowed down a considerable amount.

Mears's favorite axe for Bushcraft is the 19" Gransfors Small Forest axe, rather than its 25" father the Forest Axe. Meanwhile, I believe that Kochanski suggests something in the 25" range. This is just something on my mind.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. It's a pretty even poll so far, no wonder I've had a hard time making a decision. If I can't decide in the end, I may just go with 1066vik's advice and look for something in the 23-24" range.
 
If possible attach a 26 inch wooden dowel to your pack and test it for impediment when sitting down, moving through brush and the like. If you find the length will not be a real problem, go long. Good Luck.
 
My standpoint has always been, most times I don't really need an axe. When I do NEED an axe, I want a real one and not a toy. If I'm going to lug one, you can bet it won't be of the 20" or shorter variety. I have the S&N, 24" axe. Its lighter than my fiskars 17" toy and out chops the heck out of it so I find packing it more convenient. I'd still like a bigger axe though. The 24" S&N is good for limbing and splitting pre-cut rounds but it is too small for felling.
 
The safety issue is a technique issue. There is some pretty good info on youtube (Ray Mears I think is one) but there are also some examples of HORRIBLE technique. You just have to be careful and not put yourself in the arc of the axe. (Or the glancing arc so to speak).

Doc
 
I like to take the biggest axe that I can handle one handed comfortably, with around 24" or a tad shorter being the sweet spot in my experience. With the 20", it'll pack easier, travel easier, and IMO still be plenty of axe for camping with
 
For the OP's intended uses I vote for the 20" because of the easy packability, and the convenience of one or two hand use. I have a 19" SFA for the same usages and reasons and find it a very versatile tool, admittedly, I'm not felling large timber either.
 
I picked up the Gransfors Bruks Scandi Forest Axe. It's 25" and so far it has been wonderful. I'm 6'3" and it's very packable on the back of my pack. It's long enough to get some good chopping and splitting action and still small enough to work as a large hatchet when I choke up on it. It's only marginally longer than the hunter's axe or small forest axe. And it's cheaper than the hunter's for some reason. It also has a heavier head and larger cutting edge than the other two above mentioned and so it's able to do more heavy work. But it's not so heavy that it can't be used one handed by an able bodied man. It splits well and slices great. It's an all in one tool for me. I'd like to get their wildlife hatchet and large american felling axe. But that Scandi Forest Axe has been one of the best investments I ever made in a cutting tool. It came very sharp and after about 2 minutes on a 600 grit belt and leather belt... it's crazy sharp.
 
Infi-del is right.
First and foremost in his promoting the Gransfors Bruks ax.
I do not however understand his need to further sharpen the edge.
My forest ax has suffered abuse at the hands of my family to the point I have entertained the idea of writing to the people who forged and created my ax to a apologize.
They are pictured in "the Axe Book" that arrived with their baby.
Anyhow, a couple of days after its arrival I was showing off the ax to a friend who collects old and unique axes by shaving the hairs off my forearm.
Get one that fits, but get a Gransfors Bruks. You'll be looking for things to chop...with a big smile on your face!

CP
 
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