Am I wasting my money on a small hatchet

T

tigercasual

Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Messages
76
Hello everyone,

Here's my dilemma, I am very interested in the Tops Wolf Pax 2.

I love the idea of having a small hatchet/hand axe to do my chopping. However, I have very little experience with small hatchets. So does a small hatchet out chop a big knife or are they pretty equal. In other words, is it really worth bothering with or should I just use a big knife and call it a day.

Thanks,
TC
 
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I can say that I wouldn't buy one* but if you want it, then I say do it. I think both large camp knives and hatchets have their place. I've used both in various situations. Yet, even though I have an RTAK II, I still carry my hatchet with me!






*I already have an Estwing hatchet which takes good care of me.
 
Seems like generally speaking, hatchets & knives of the same approximate length and weight will chop roughly the same. It will ultimately come down to preference and skill levels with each tool.

My BK9 out-chops my 14in 1.25lb (admittedly crappy) hatchet if that means anything to you.

And furthermore, get a folding saw, its way easier than chopping :P.
 
I am having the same problem. I want a Winkler Hawk but I just cant pull the trigger. I have a 7" knife that chops great as good as any small hatchet. I think it could have some uses but I think a pack saw and a bigger blade will out preform a small hatchet. I'm not breaching walls so the Winkler is a bit overkill. But ask me later and i'll tell you I must have the small hatchet it will answer all my problems. LOL If you can afford it and will enjoy using it why the hell not. The wolf pack looks pretty cool but it is small so its chopping power will be limited but it looks like it would do well in your average hunting and camping.
 
I prefer a hatchet to a large knife. However, I carry both in my pack. Different tools for different jobs.
 
I tried a small hatchet and found it to be dangerous, for me at least. I had a couple of close calls where the blade bounced off of what I was chopping and, because of the short length, came very close to my leg. I understand that it was user error, but it seemed very easy for an accident to happen.

If I need to split wood, I'll either use a real axe, or a stout 4.5" fixed blade and a baton.
 
I'd rather have a hawk with a long handle than a hatchet. Roughly same size head and weight, but strikes with more force. Very easy to pair that with a knife of any size and a folding saw.
 
In my hands in the New England woods a small hatchet/hawk performs better than a large knife.

I carry a CRKT Kangee hawk on all my hikes or camping trips. I also have a 10" Wetterlings hatchet I used before I got the Kangee.

I'd say try a hawk/hatchet and a larger knife to see what works best for you. It really does boil down to personal preferance..
 
I like a 2 handed grip when chopping.
Long handle on a smallish head works well, much like Remy is saying. It works much better than a big knife.
I suspect the wolf pax would be equivalent to a big knife, but I haven't used one.
 
I have to agree about small axes and tomahawks being dangerous. A good pack saw will process a lot of wood and good size timber. It takes less effort it is safer they generally weigh less. But they don't last forever like a good axe. There not as much fun but you also can make exact cuts with a saw and notches.I still want the Winkler.
 
Mic77 said:
I have to agree about small axes and tomahawks being dangerous. A good pack saw will process a lot of wood and good size timber. It takes less effort it is safer they generally weigh less. But they don't last forever like a good axe. There not as much fun but you also can make exact cuts with a saw and notches.I still want the Winkler.
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I don't bother with a hatchet, but I find a saw is safer, faster, and easier. You can even split wood with a saw. As I got older and got some arthritis issues with my hands, the saw was a great thing. Plus I don't have to worry if the grandkids or my better half are suing it.
 
All things being equal (weight, length, geometry, etc.) a hatchet will always out chop a knife. That said, all things are rarely equal.
 
I don't do any serious camping anymore, but when I did my buddies and I preferred a small hatchet over a large knife. Let me add that our camping was not minimalist / backpack in and out type camping. We carried what we needed in a pickup or SUV to the campsite so packing it over a long distance didn't figure into the equation for us.

We all had smaller (3" - 4" blade and lightweight) useful knives that were handy around a campsite and just didn't want to haul another knife just for chopping. The hatchet was handy for chopping with one side of the head and crushing something or driving tent stakes with the other side.
 
Different loadouts for different expectations:

moderate wood processing: Bahco Laplander for sectioning, Fiskars X7 for splitting, Mora for finer work (carving, food prep) and general use
high-volume wood processing: Fiskars X15, Condor Varan, Mora, and multitool (mostly for the file, makes maintenance of the axe a bit handier)
minimal wood processing: Ontario 12" Cutlass machete, Vic Farmer

Typically, I don't do much camping/hiking where I have to process a lot of wood, so the moderate wood processing tools are the most I typically carry on my back. So I'll carry a hatchet over a big knife, as it seems to be just as versatile ( I can carve and do finer tasks with it relatively easily) and outperforms a big knife in a few tasks (splitting and chopping). It depends a lot on how skilled you are with your various tools. I've used axes/hatchets quite a bit, so I can wring some serious performance out of them when I need to. I don't feel quite as capable with a large knife, mostly because I've not put in the time to get good with one. I'm still learning with the machete, but it seems like a good tool, and may turn in to my all-arounder soon (I'm from the north woods, but now live in the desert, so machetes work really well in this environment).
 
MatthewSB said:
I tried a small hatchet and found it to be dangerous, for me at least. I had a couple of close calls where the blade bounced off of what I was chopping and, because of the short length, came very close to my leg. I understand that it was user error, but it seemed very easy for an accident to happen.

If I need to split wood, I'll either use a real axe, or a stout 4.5" fixed blade and a baton.
Click to expand...

This.

If you want to chop, a long knife is less dangerous and more versatile than a hatchet.

OTOH, not many people have taken their thumb off with a hand saw.
 
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