Cheap Hatchet

Man, go for the Cold Steel Trail Hawk. Under $20 and sturdy as heck.

Here's mine with a couple of personal modifications.........
Mike

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thanks do they come really really really sharp cause i dont have experiance sharpening hatchets
 
Don't go too cheap as in those thick cast metal jobs with the rubber handle covers. The blades are too thick to chop anything. I'd spend at least 30 bucks and get a Vaughn or the like.

Mike A. mentioned the Cold Steel hawks. Those might work for you too. The Frontier Hawk has a broader blade and is a decent chopper. I spent about 20 bucks each on mine and then made some personal mods too.

Maybe a 12" machete might be more versatile depending on the kit you are building.
 
Fiskars is the only inexpensive hatchet I've ever seen that came with a decent edge out of the box. Every other needed sometimes significant work to get cutting sharp.
 
Actually, mine was sharp enough to cut me when I was taking it out of the box. Razor sharp.......not by any means, but you wouldn't want it that way for a survival hawk.
 
You need a 'cheap' hatchet for a 'survival' kit? I hope you dont truly depend on this kit then. Im not sure you would want anything 'cheap' in a survival kit lol. If youre lookin for a hatchet, id just go straight to gerbers synthetic handled 17" camp axe, or the nylon-vinyl gripped, 16 inch estwing campers axe. Both are indesctructable, and will get the job done no matter what.
If youre wanting a true 'hawk, I too, would opt for cold steels trail hawk.
Theyre dirt cheap, and a good value. I took one (of two) to iraq with me, and it performed great. For the money it cant be beat. But honestly, if this were a real deal survival kit, id use the gerber. Straight away.
 
Fiskars 14" Hatchet is only $20 at Home Depot or Lowes, and it only weighs 17 oz. It comes sharp. See "cutleryscience.com/reviews/fiskars_hatchet.html" for an in-depth review, including a favorable comparison to the Gransfor Bruk Wildlife hatchet. The Fiskars and Gerber hatchets are identical except that the Gerber has some tacky grip treatment, a belt carry sheath, and costs $35. The Fiskars has a hand carry safety sheath.
 
Buddiiee said:
You need a 'cheap' hatchet for a 'survival' kit? I hope you dont truly depend on this kit then. Im not sure you would want anything 'cheap' in a survival kit lol. If youre lookin for a hatchet, id just go straight to gerbers synthetic handled 17" camp axe, or the nylon-vinyl gripped, 16 inch estwing campers axe. Both are indesctructable, and will get the job done no matter what.
If youre wanting a true 'hawk, I too, would opt for cold steels trail hawk.
Theyre dirt cheap, and a good value. I took one (of two) to iraq with me, and it performed great. For the money it cant be beat. But honestly, if this were a real deal survival kit, id use the gerber. Straight away.
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Sometimes I wonder if anyone has actually used that Gerber hatchet in an actual trip. The blade is too narrow to get sufficient splitting power, it doesn't have enough heft to it to give it splitting power, and the hammer on the back is to small for anything. I literally could not use this the last time I went camping, and my 50 year old boy scout hatchet my grandpa used did a better job than that.
 
would the coldsteel hawk be ok for lightish wood cutting?as in taking branches off fallen trees maybe cutting stuff up to 5 inches or so?
 
hatchetjack said:
Don't go too cheap as in those thick cast metal jobs with the rubber handle covers. The blades are too thick to chop anything. I'd spend at least 30 bucks and get a Vaughn or the like.

Mike A. mentioned the Cold Steel hawks. Those might work for you too. The Frontier Hawk has a broader blade and is a decent chopper. I spent about 20 bucks each on mine and then made some personal mods too.

Maybe a 12" machete might be more versatile depending on the kit you are building.
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take this man's advice. :thumbup:
 
I have the CS - Trailhawk, it has been a neat and fun project. However, in my truckbox with my survival kit is an Ontario 12" Cutlass machete. It has been great once I worked on the handle and edge. The make and economy model and the heavy duty one, called the cutlass which has a thicker, sturdier blade.


tjg
 
GroovyMr1337 said:
Sometimes I wonder if anyone has actually used that Gerber hatchet in an actual trip. The blade is too narrow to get sufficient splitting power, it doesn't have enough heft to it to give it splitting power, and the hammer on the back is to small for anything. I literally could not use this the last time I went camping, and my 50 year old boy scout hatchet my grandpa used did a better job than that.
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I use one of those little gator ones all the time in the yard, It cuts extremely well, I dont know about the larger ones though.
 
For under $15. you can find a camp axe at Lowe's. Make sure you get the ones made by Ames True Temper as they have a hefty wood handle and are well balanced. Sort through them and find one that has straight grain, a completely filled eye (curled wood the whole way around the bottom), a head aligned with the handle, and then your in business.

I used a belt sander to thin the blade on mine (don't overheat it) and refinished the wood handle. This is not that hard to do and does not take that long (if you have belt sander). It takes a good edge after it is thinned, and cuts very well. I much prefer working with a thick wood handle over steel or fiberglass, as it is warmer and you can choke up on it to shave or carve with it. The curved wood handle I much prefer over a straight handle for full swing cutting.

A properly fitted wood handle that is well sealed will last a long time with little worries of coming loose. I epoxy seal the top of the head and use oil finish on the handle and then apply a couple coats of wax over all the wood and steel. Most of the wood handles which have problems were never properly fitted, or do not have good clear straight grain, or are not well sealed.
 
MikeA said:
Razor sharp.......not by any means, but you wouldn't want it that way for a survival hawk.
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Why wouldn't I?

Magee73 said:
The Fiskars and Gerber hatchets are identical except that the Gerber has some tacky grip treatment, a belt carry sheath, and costs $35. The Fiskars has a hand carry safety sheath.
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I was under the impression that the Gator axes with the rubber grips have different edge bevels and they are not made in Finland like the Fiskars ones, but overseas in Asia (China IIRC). The two smallest Fiskars axes are available with a nylon belt sheath.
 
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