Axe-noob here. Hatchet for backpacking?

Fiskars X7.

The GB is the winner aesthetically, but ... having said that ... I think that the X7 would not look "out of place" on permanent display at the MOMA in NYC.

Retailers/manufacturers will "stand by" these products ... no questions asked. The X7 costs about $35 and the GB is a bit north of $100.

Here's an interesting comparison between an X7 and a Wetterlings hatchet which is slightly larger than the GB you're considering

http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.ca/2011/12/review-new-fiskars-x7-hatchetbudget.html

But ... since you began this thread with the idea of that GB in your mind, I am reminded of that great movie scene in "Miss Congeniality" when a certain (hotter than she's ever looked) Sandra Bulloch (post make-over, and poured into a baby-blue mini-dress) keeps slyly/mischievously teasing her "Regular Duty" FBI colleague by taunting/repeating, "You KNOW you wanna."

MAJOR EDIT! - Oops ... I started doubting my memory, and Googled the scene ... and what she said to an apparently-rattled Benjamin Bratt was "You think I'm gorgeous...you want to kiss me... <sing-songing> you want to hug me...you want to love me...you want to smooch me...you want to..."

Which I think may be a little "over the top" for even the Axe, Tomahawk & Hatchet Forum :)
 
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Depends entirely upon what kind of backpacking you do, and what you are expecting out of your axe.

If you are looking for something very packable, but will do a good job at splitting as well as limbing fallen trees - then you cannot go wrong with the wildlife hatchet from Gransfors nor the similarly sized from Wetterling. The real question is whether or not you will need to take down any trees where you are or what kind of wilderness you will be among.
You Can use it to fell if you have to - but note that I say Have to. It won't be an ideal tool for that. For the kind of tasks you would expect to do in a weekend of backpacking within a short distance of cities then the wildlife will be more than sufficient in most environments.

The trade off with either longer or heavier axes is the ease of use and versatility in the form of what you can cut. But if you go for long excursions then you deal with the rapid compounding effect of grams into ounces over hours, and ounces into pounds over the course of a day.

If you supply more info, then we can give a better answer. How much axe use are you expecting? Because if it's not intensive then the fiskars would likely be more than sufficient.
 
been looking at some gb"s and wetterlings and I am convinced to save some money Husqvarna is the route I am goin..
 
Damn, you guys are ... unflappable. Sandra Bulloch is ... America's sweetheart. Canada does not (will not ever) have an equivalent. Shania Twain was sweet, but did not have Ms Bulloch's chops for being an actor.

And the baby-blue minidress was some kind of super-fine elasticized jersey knit.
 
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I'll throw in another thumbs-up for the Fiskars. Had mine out on the last trip - was throwing impressive chips from seasoned American beech with very little effort. Is a great tool, especially for the money.
 
HeavyHanded said:
I'll throw in another thumbs-up for the Fiskars. Had mine out on the last trip - was throwing impressive chips from seasoned American beech with very little effort. Is a great tool, especially for the money.
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And I just got word that Fiskars axes are now on sale for 20% off at Canadian Tire here in The Great White North! I'm about to check right now.
 
Fiskars are excellent little hatchets- I have one that has served hard duty.

I am also fond of both GB and old vintage hatchets. I would be happy with any of the ones that I have. If you like the GB Wildlife, grab it, it is next on my list of NEW production hatchets/axes. For camping use, I think it will be excellent and JV3 just did a nice review on one in Outdoor Gear forum.

Bill
 
I went and looked at a Fiskers X7 today after reading this thread. I didn't realize they have a hollow handle. I don't know why, this just kind of bothers me. Are there any torture test videos out there? Do any of you guys know more about the plastic used to make the handle? Would if benefit strength to fill it with some kind of hardening foam(stupid idea probably)? That would take away the ability to fill it with cotton balls for fire starting I suppose.

I'm in the market for a backpacking hatchet too. One reason I was drawn to a wood handled hatchet was the ability to make a handle should the original break.

I did pick up a Fiskers buck saw for $8. Score!
 
Fiskars hatchets are pretty bomb proof. I have seen the heads come off many axes over the years but never off a fiskars. It is probably possible but I have never seen it and I have been around more fiskars axes than all others combined.

As for would I carry an axe when backpacking that depends. Any axe is heavy and a saw gets most of what I need to do done for less weight. If I am hiking long distance I will probably not carry one. For more in depth discussion along those lines check out this thread.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Winter-backpacking-wood-processing-saws-axes

Anyways fiskars is hard to beat for the money.
 
creature7 said:
I went and looked at a Fiskers X7 today after reading this thread. I didn't realize they have a hollow handle. I don't know why, this just kind of bothers me. Are there any torture test videos out there? Do any of you guys know more about the plastic used to make the handle? Would if benefit strength to fill it with some kind of hardening foam(stupid idea probably)? That would take away the ability to fill it with cotton balls for fire starting I suppose.

I'm in the market for a backpacking hatchet too. One reason I was drawn to a wood handled hatchet was the ability to make a handle should the original break.

I did pick up a Fiskers buck saw for $8. Score!
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Supposedly you can drive over them with a car - while leaning them against a curb. I don't know how far they can fold before breaking, but well outside any "normal" wear and tear. I did fill mine with epoxy, but only to balance it a bit better - have had my wrists worked on a couple of times, am not fond of one-handed tools with light handles and balance points too far from my grip, even if it improves the amount of energy they generate by weight. Only added a couple ounces overall but helped me out quite a bit. I used to keep some cord in mine for bundling firewood, just as easy to wrap it around the handle.
 
Fiskars are pretty nice axes, and will suffice for 90% of users.
Gransfors Burks produces some stunning looking axes, i have never used one, but i do feel they are more custom tailored towards specific jobs, and for users whith excellent skills with the tools.
They certainly provide more pride of ownership
, they really are stunning axes, and i hope to own one eventually, but till then i will continue with my X15 and older hatchet (similar to the X7)
For my use though (dropping dead trees in the yard, removing tree roots, and sitting in the back of the 4x4) the fiskars is probably a better choice anyway
 
I've found anything Fiskars is good. I use alot of their scissors, pruners and folding saw [not hatchet... yet]. Hold an edge well, last for years. Good prices. Would buy again.

Just remembered I have a 'Normark' carbon blade from the 60s rehandled with an antler spike, and reshaped, still in my oldest BP loading bag. WOW, that was a long time ago.
 
bargs said:
been looking at some gb"s and wetterlings and I am convinced to save some money Husqvarna is the route I am goin..
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I got the Husqvarna hatchet and axe and compared to my Wetterlings, the Husqvarnas are better built and seem to hold an edge better. Both Swedish made but the Husqvarnas were much cheaper. Also the axe fits me perfectly (6'2" tall).
 
chemistguy said:
is the gransfors bruks wildlife hatchet what I want?
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A Rolls-Royce of hatchets may be what you want but I personally think that a light belt knife and small Swede saw is what you need. Hatchets generate more wood chips than they do firewood. Fur trappers use them for making holes in the ice, sharpening poles, cutting branch sets and for making teapot fires. Likely as not you could equip an entire Scout troop with fleamarket finds of good used hatchets for the price of one G-B that is also prone to 'disappear' almost immediately if left unattended in a not-so-secluded location.
On the topic of G-Bs though they are top of the line implements and do look cool. If money is no object why not order a selection of them.

I have to be cynical once in awhile, don't ya know!
Happy New Year everyone.
 
Google Oldjimbo, he has some ideas about taking a common hatchet and turning it into a backpacking joy.

For oldmanron, Kinda like Richard Gere did with Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
 
I also carry a Fiskars hatchet. My buddy bought the short handled Gerber version and I was impressed with how well such a little blade could chop. I bought my own and then got tired of barking my knuckles due to the very short handle and I got a 14" Fiskars. As I mentioned in another thread I sometimes bring along a folding Sven saw if I anticipate needing to produce a lot of firewood. The saw also comes in handy for backwoods "construction" and when used with the hatchet you can turn out respectable tent pegs and notched posts in short order.

edit: a note on the durability; I also use the same hatchet for some of the chores on my lot (5 acre, wooded). There is some slight wear on the blade side of the polymer that "wraps" the head but no cracks and nothing's loose. I've had to resharpen it two or three times but I'm also careful not to chop where I'll hit a rock. I think I've had it about eight years.
 
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getting a Husqvarna hatchet. about the same quality as g-b or wetterlings at half the price. -op
edit: cancelled order after seeing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk6wI4blsxs
cliffs: no ears, thick profile, twice the advertised weight. screw that. gonna get the gb wildlife hatchet eventually.
 
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I just got the 17inch gerber camp axe 2 aka fiskars carpenter and it is the perfeft size and light weight
 
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