Big Knives or Handaxes?

[stabman]

The only time I disagree with people is when reality is blurred and things are said like "A large knife can process wood like an axe. A large knife can fell trees like an axe".

Yes, it can:





I made it.
I chopped down the tree.

I've used axes.
I've chopped down trees with them.

This, well, sword, to be fair, works as well as a small to mid-size axe.
A huge, dedicated tree felling axe works better, but no one seems to be bringing those with them into the woods.

So yes, the huge knife/sword category can (and in this case does) work as well as an axe.

Sorry folks, but that's just the full, unvarnished truth.

 

[stabman]

By the way, this thread is building the desire in me to buy a new axe.

 

[Czechmate]

By the way, this thread is building the desire in me to buy a new axe.

Nah, you should build a big full tang chopping axe instead of buying one; I think the results would be interesting... :thumbup:

It could be the Stabman Felling Axe version 1.0.

 

[knife36]

Just to add to stabman's post , this tree was as hard as a stone been lying there for about 20 years but the big busse choppers got the job done . Circumference was 71.2" . If we had a big logging axe the job would have been done much faster , but then that is not what it was about , me and a buddy having a great time testing our choppers and a few beers
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[adc5]

By the way, this thread is building the desire in me to buy a new axe.

Seconded

 

[adc5]

Yes, it can:




A huge, dedicated tree felling axe works better, but no one seems to be bringing those with them into the woods.

I take a full size double-bit out with me every once in a while (particularly when packing in with a group). Makes bonfires a lot easier.

Nice knife, by the way!

 

[AddictedToGear]

Wetterlings makes great products and have good hatchets. Just plain chopping the hatchet is the best option, but if you plan on batoning wood then a large blade comes in handy. Hatchets have the capability of splitting wood but it sure takes a great deal of force compared to an axe or even better splitting axe/maul.

 

[Charlie_K]

Yes, it can:

Alright now you're just showing off.

 

[upnorth]

I have a bit of everything when it comes to wood processing tools. You will find a consensus for a few grouping though, like the hatchet\axe, folding saw, small fixed blade trio, etc. Some tools are definitely more practical in application to certain regions or flora. Unfortunately I am at times irrational with my tool choice because I enjoy using many variations in different environments. And I've hacked wood up with axes, hawks, big bladed choppers, small knives, machetes, whatever. If packing a big chopper tickles yer giblets, have at it. You may seek a more efficient tool later on such as a quality axe... or not. Sometimes a $15.00 Mora knife is all you need. If a tool makes you all shiny and happy like a pig in liquid fecal matter, go for it. It is ultimately your choice. Just have fun out there without getting hurt.

 

[plue]

I don't have experience with any huge choppers, they seem very bulky and heavy to me, so I've never tried yet. I have a G&B Wildlife Hatchet, it chops amazingly, the edge can be sharpened to shaving sharp, and since it's so light in the hand you can grab it near the head to use as a knife. You can go on for hours chopping with it too since it's so light. It's true you can't clear brush with it, but I doubt that a 1/4 to 1/3 inch thich knife would clear brush all that well either. I know a lot of people say that a large knife is useful because it can multi-task, but honestly I just can't see such a thick blade being very useful for anything aside from battoning/chopping. Also, there's no way it would out-chop a hatchet unless it's some ridiculous sword that no one would ever lug around.

 

[stabman]

Alright now you're just showing off.

Yep!

 

[stabman]

Also, there's no way it would out-chop a hatchet unless it's some ridiculous sword that no one would ever lug around.

You just need the proper sheath set-up.
I carry the sword in the previous pictures with a baldric type of carry.
I wear that in addition to a backpack, and it works just fine.
If people can carry an axe, why wouldn't someone be able to "lug around" another type of cutting implement with the same weight?

 

[muddog15]

An axe has its place but so does a big knife, people saying one is better than the other i wonder if they have any experience with one or the other. If you live in a cold enviroment then an axe would be the better choice for winter. But theres no way an axe can do what a big knife can do. A big knife is lighter than a axe so if your backpacking that should be a consideration, a saw would be the best choice IMO. But a saw won't do everything you need to do in the woods. So you still need a knife, and a couple of them of different blade sizes. And that is going to depend on what you decide to carry as your primary tool. I carry 3 or 4 knives, but that's because the enviroment I go out in, I need a big knife, a big knife will chop wood better than a machete, and depending on what kind of big knife, a big knife will chop as good as an axe. And still be able to double as a machete if you need one. Not all big knives will chop as good as an axe, some are big but not a lot of weight behind them, almost all saws will. There's also a right way & a wrong way to chop with a big knife.

 

[plue]

You just need the proper sheath set-up.
I carry the sword in the previous pictures with a baldric type of carry.
I wear that in addition to a backpack, and it works just fine.
If people can carry an axe, why wouldn't someone be able to "lug around" another type of cutting implement with the same weight?

Honestly, I could be wrong, and as I stated my experience with large knives is limited. I judge based on my experience, and the G&B Wildlife Hatchet weighs ~600g (21oz), and for that weight I can't find anything that compares (still waiting for Busse to bring out something longer and thinner, although I do enjoytheir smaller knives). I backpack in the mountains a lot, so weight does factor in quite a bit when you go out for 2-3 weeks straight, and the extra poundage does fatigue you (both walking and chopping) after a long stint.

 

[Balboa256]

Yes, it can:





I made it.
I chopped down the tree.

I've used axes.
I've chopped down trees with them.

This, well, sword, to be fair, works as well as a small to mid-size axe.
A huge, dedicated tree felling axe works better, but no one seems to be bringing those with them into the woods.

So yes, the huge knife/sword category can (and in this case does) work as well as an axe.

Sorry folks, but that's just the full, unvarnished truth.

That is great dude. Yes a huge knife can take down a tree. Looks like it took a lot of chops though. Next you've got to limb it, buck it and split it, and move on to the next. Look up pictures of lumberjacks and you will see many axes. There is a reason, because when play time is over and work needs to get done these men and woman use an axe. I have never said that a tree cant be chopped down with a knife. Of course it can. The truth is, that knife weighs much more than a GBSFA and that doesnt even include the sheath!!! Whats next??? A sword from Braveheart??? In that weight catagory I would use my double bit cruiser axe and smoke that tree down in a New York minute. I heat with wood and pride myself in mostly using hand tools to do it and you will never find me felling, limbing, bucking and splitting a 16" seasoned locust with a large knife. By the way brother that is a wicked knife and also I just ordered a BK9

BTW, that tree is green brother. Girdle it and wait a year, then fell that bad boy.

 

[Balboa256]

I don’t disagree with you. An axe is a wonderful tool when used well. An axe is also a wonderfully dangerous tool. The smaller the axe, the more dangerous it is. That’s why I pair a full size axe with a trail knife. It’s not that the trail knife is safe. The trail knife is only less dangerous than a hatchet.

Mors Kochanski says to become a competent axe man requires a training course lasting five to ten eight-hours days. How many armchair frontiersman will sign up for that? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aijEY9njOw

That’s why I flinch when a beginner asks for advice, and someone recommends a small axe. Nobody mentions safety training. That beginner risks making his toes too short or too long.

Mors Kochanski also says he can fell, limb and buck up a hug size - 50 ft tree in 15 minutes with an axe. The axe has a high learning curve so you tend not to see many real experienced users like Mors. But when you do you will suddenly see the light and realize its worth honing the skill.

 

[Shotgun]

If people can carry an axe, why wouldn't someone be able to "lug around" another type of cutting implement with the same weight?

For what I do a knife is actually the best tool for me. I don't chop other than limbing small branches so what I need the most is a splitter. A knife seems to work best. The problem is that I have not found any carry system that works. Baldric, belt, horizontal...I hate them all and I refuse to carry them in a pack as I believe that weight would be better spent on an extra jacket, tarp or even a sleeping bag. I just can't carry a big knife so if I need a chopper I carry a hawk because it seems to disappear on my belt. It's not as good for what I do but it's the one I'll have with me so it's the one that I've been grabbing lately. I think what doesn't come across over the interwebs is what a persons temperament is like. I think that is the primary factor in what people choose. I think it has less to do with which tool is the "best" and more to do with which tool the person likes best regardless of function. There are too many guys carrying what are essentially useless paperweights IMO for me to think otherwise. And of course I know everything.

 

[stabman]

Look up pictures of lumberjacks and you will see many axes. There is a reason, because when play time is over and work needs to get done these men and woman use an axe.

When "play time" is over, they use a chainsaw.

There was dried wood which got chopped as well, but the camera wasn't mine, and it wasn't of the same diameter anyway.
I wanted to test it with a good old fashioned tree chopping, so I did.
And though the wood be green, tis true, it did as well as any of the mid-size axes I've encountered, once the tool was learned.
The tree was the first object ever chopped with it since being built, but it was not the last that day.

And if I ever build one of the log cabins in the woods that no one ever seems to build, I will not be using this to do so.
Nor will I use an axe.
I will use a chainsaw...or the truly North American method of hiring some low-paid foreigners to do it for me.

 

[utah_fish]

I always hike in and usually stay overnight. I always bring a 3-4 inch blade, an axe and a pruning saw. I really enjoy my old vintage axes that I've restored and handled. I enjoy restoring them and using them, so I'm not a chopper guy, although I could see the fun in using them.

 

[utah_fish]

Yes, it can:





I made it.
I chopped down the tree.

I've used axes.
I've chopped down trees with them.

This, well, sword, to be fair, works as well as a small to mid-size axe.
A huge, dedicated tree felling axe works better, but no one seems to be bringing those with them into the woods.

So yes, the huge knife/sword category can (and in this case does) work as well as an axe.

Sorry folks, but that's just the full, unvarnished truth.

Wonder how many chops it took for you to get through that. Yes, it does work but I believe I could have cut down that tree in half the time as you with my axe. That said, I'm sure I'd enjoy using a big knife for some things as it looks like fun. And a BK9 wouldn't break the bank either. Hmmm......