Fiskars Hatchet

Everything can be broken.
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While basically quite correct, the example from army is not a good one, a clueless soldier can and will break anything regardless of the design. :D

TLM
 
Wotan said:
I almost was brained by an axehead on the loose from a fiskars axe. The handle can break, no matter what the produser claims.
It reminds me of those bacelite stock on the AG3 (assault rifle) we have in the army. They were also indestructible.
Why did so many of them brake off when it was cold (-25 degrees celsius). No force were used to break them either, just snapped right off.

Everything can be broken.
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Perhaps.

But here's one reviewers comments, who decided to test Fiskars 'nearly indestructable' handle claim by whacking an anvil as hard as he could 50 times with the hammer poll. He ended up denting the anvil. I understand he still uses the axe.

"To check the nearly indestructible handle claim, I whanged away at my anvil with the hammer poll of the Sport Axe. Fifty times I hit it just as hard as I could manage, expecting it to crack or break. Nope. I did dent the anvil though. These are tough tools."

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_12_50/ai_n6275750#continue
 
IntheWoods said:
But here's one reviewers comments, who decided to test Fiskars 'nearly indestructable' handle claim by whacking an anvil as hard as he could 50 times with the hammer poll.
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They are quite strong, the main problem is resistance to direct impacts, and some synthetics get exceptionally brittle when cold. Kydex for example get that brittle if you drop it, it can shatter, and this is just from freezer temps.

I have been meaning to try out several of the "sport" axes against the GB products, the main reason I have not is price. They are jacked up massively locally, a small Gerber for example was over $70.

That is just silly, I can buy a Wetterling and a bunch of knives from Rangar for the same price.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
They are quite strong, the main problem is resistance to direct impacts, and some synthetics get exceptionally brittle when cold. Kydex for example get that brittle if you drop it, it can shatter, and this is just from freezer temps.

I have been meaning to try out several of the "sport" axes against the GB products, the main reason I have not is price. They are jacked up massively locally, a small Gerber for example was over $70.

That is just silly, I can buy a Wetterling and a bunch of knives from Rangar for the same price.

-Cliff
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Yeah. Kydex is acrylic-polyvinyl chloride. Reinforced Polyamide - Nylon 6 has much better performance.

If your interested, I've got a 14" fiskars hatchet in good condition I'll donate for testing. Just took down a couple of nuisance 6" poplars (grow like weeds in these parts) out back with it today. I can get 'em for less than 20 bucks around here.

It's almost identical to the Gerber sport axe. Except that it has the polymer simple sheath, and is shorter by a 1/4".
 
InTheWoods: I am interested in building a log cabin some day. Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
IntheWoods said:
I've got a 14" fiskars hatchet in good condition ...
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Drop me an email when you get a chance, I'd like to see a couple of wood chips if possible as well.

-Cliff
 
Jagged said:
InTheWoods: I am interested in building a log cabin some day. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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Yeah a thousand.

It's definately a process and a whole lotta work. But worth it in the end, if you've got the time and the patience.

We built what's known as a kit home. Computer designed with pre-cut white cedar logs. Conventional truss roof. Requires some fitting and woodworking skills, but since it's pre-cut most of it goes together like a puzzle.

To make a long story short, I drew the plan on draft paper, then sent it to the sawmill/log home company. Cleared my land (5.1 acres out in the woods), got the delivery and started building. Had corresponding troubles with help as well.

Got a 360 ft. well, septic, etc.

A pure T year of hell, no doubt and a whole lot of money. But it's a great place to live.
 
I have the 18" Hatchet. Its a wonderfull tool. Iv used it to chop some firewood, and its works very well.
 
I picked up a few of these fiskars on a clearance sale with the intention of using the extras as throwers, any thoughts on that?
 
firstly, RTFM! the "poll" is not meant to be used for hammering. in the manual it says that it's only there to give better balance for the blade.

secondly, I don't think they make nice throwers. the handle has a pretty high air resistance and will most likely wobble and frustrate attempts to make the hatchet spin properly. furthermore, the flared butt end makes it really hard to release. my recommendation for an inexpensive throwing hatchet/hawk would be the ones from cold steel or modified hatchets with a wooden handle.

Ookami
 
All that means is that the guy who wrote the manual doesn't understand much about axe use. There is a reason they are called hammer polls. Read "The axe book" by Cook. The common warning about hammering on axe polls comes from the ability to deform the eyes with maul impacts. It is an issue with splitting axes.

-Cliff
 
it is obviously not intended to be used as such on that particular axe, otherwise it'd be ground plane and hardened.

Ookami
 
That means they don't know how to make an axe. There is no reason not to have a hammer poll (unless you are going to go with no poll as on tomahawks or a spike or flay poll). Leaving it unsuitable for hammering takes away a large part of the utility of an axe.

-Cliff
 
I'll go back to my initial contention that it is a design flaw and second Cliff. Either it is a design flaw in that they didn't leave it flat or it is a design flaw in that they neglected a major use of hatchets in designing it without providing for it to be used for hammering. Either way, it is a design flaw that should be corrected.

I do agree with Ookami in that I don't think they would make good throwers for the same reasons Ookami provides and also that I'm just not sure how well that handle would hold up. It might do fine, but I don't know.
 
To be fair, many other manufacturers don't recommend using their axes as hammers, including some very reputable ones like Gränfors Bruks and Hultafors. Though they have specific splitting mauls and carpenter's axes with straight handles and polls made to take impacts. Surely this is not to say that "they don't know how to make an axe".

That said I have used Fiskars axes driving stakes and hammering, with no problems. You could probably file the poll flatter, if the forge line bothers. I've not seen a loosened head in these. I've seen the medium size models take very hard daily use in the army, with temperature as low as -22C. Personally I also like them for being able swing them very fast.

The shortcomings of these axes are not in quality or the head attachment. The head is not especially good for felling, more of a general use and splitting profile. It will cut down anything you need while trekking or in the garden, I'm sure, it's not overly obtuse. The sheaths are crap, mainly meant for storage obviously. The hatchets have pretty decent nylon carry sheaths. Tiny splinters might lodge into the front part part of the head-handle moulding, which is annoying.

I also think that the not approving the use as a hammer is a safety concern. All kinds of people use axes, and it doesn't make it safer when the edge is pointing at their faces.
 
ok, to make my point as precise as possible:

an axe/hatchet is a cutting tool.

a hammer is for hammering.

if you want something cut use a hatchet, if you want something hammered in, use a hammer.

Ookami

P.S.: I don't think that fiskars made these axes as survival tools, so there is no need for too much versatility. all they have to do is cutting and they are very good at that.
 
An axe is not simply a cutting tool, the poll is designed to be used as a hammer, mainly used by tree fallers to hammer in wedges. These guys didn't carry a maul with them for that, they used the axe and it was intended to be used that way, aside from the double sided ones and this is one of the known drawbacks which Cook discusses in what is commonly refered to as the axe bible.

There is little use for this aspect any more because few people actually cut trees that large that you need to use wedges, however watch one of Mear's bushcraft episodes and you will see him hammering with it as much as he cuts with it, using it on wedges to split lots, drive in tent pegs and so on.

The warnings about hammering are due to the ability to deform the eye if you hit it with a maul, or try to use it like a maul, impacting the head of a large axe severely on a hard target like the poll of another axe or a metal splitting wedge. Felling axes don't have the reinforced eyes to take these loads and the head will distort, most splitting axes don't either but some do.

-Cliff
 
From the Fiskars site: http://www.fiskars.com/US/Garden/Product+Detail?contentId=85474

"Hatchet, 14" Handle, 7/8# head
Features

* Virtually unbreakable handle made of Nyglass®, fiberglass reinforced composite
* Head will not loosen due to insert molded design
* Sharp & durable fully hardened blade (HRC of 41-45) and edge (HRC 50-56)
* Includes sheath for storage and transportation
* Non-stick coated, forged carbon steel blade cuts with less effort

Item: 78506984"


40+ HRC is plenty hard to use occasionaly as a hammer, but as our finnish friends point out, liability may be a concern.

It may just be a COST SAVING measure. No machining, less cost, less liability...

Instead of a design flaw, we could say it is a unFINNISHed product.:p

(Odan, I believe you buddy, and I have stranger army tales that folks laughed at! )
 
Tzvi said:
40+ HRC is plenty hard to use occasionaly as a hammer, but as our finnish friends point out, liability may be a concern.

It may just be a COST SAVING measure. No machining, less cost, less liability...
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Most certainly. Manufacturing costs are probably the major reason.
Typical use for the hammer poll, such as driving tent stakes, is not really high stress and certainly not too much for these axes. The unformed poll is not a really even a problem in such relatively crude work.

The eye deformation problem Cliff mentioned is probably reduced too, as there is no actual eye to deform. It pretty much depends how the head tapers beneath the handle at the joint.

I don't think that these are the best axes in the world, and there are some very competitive choices in the same price range. You have to remember that these are not felling/art carpenter's/throwing axes and are not marketed as such. They are very decent axes for the worksite, backyard or camping - especially for the average consumer. I'd also note that from all the axes I've handled, these are the only ones that have clean enough edge grinds for me not to go through the trouble of filing them more uniform/thinner. The kind the overall geometry is, I don't think it would benefit from a thinner edge bevel (i.e. increased binding).
 
I think a point has to be made that not every axe needs to be ground the same way, though this often comes across far too often, usually indicating simply personal preference without considering other viewpoints. In general for most wood working locally I would pick the Wildlife over the Fiskars, however the much more durable bit on the Fiskars has its advantages :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/fiskars/hatchet/fiskars_shovel.jpg

That is a shovel/scoop I hacked out of a length of 2x4 with the Fiskars and if you look at the sides of the woods there are a couple of places where there are really thick knots. These were so hard that it took multiple swings to remove them, I would not bet on the Bruks edge reacting well to similar encounters, and generally chisel cutting knots like that is avoided, but the Fiskars was uneffected.

Often when issues like these are brought up some people will comment that they don't cut knots in general, especially not of that type, and that has a following for a lot of work. In general dedicated felling axes were profiled so slim they would get damaged by knots, you did this so as to get the maximum cutting peformance and had the skill and time necessary to deal with them.

For the above piece of wood the knots had to be removed, now I could have done it with an axe with a much thinner bit, I just would have chopping off all the surrounding wood and then cracked the knot off with the poll, but if you claim that the Wildlife has an advantage because it chops faster with less effort you also have to realize the same is true for the Fiskars and more demanding work.

-Cliff
 
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