I have a shed full of axes, Council, Wetterlings, Gränsfors, Kelly, and some older ones.
I can’t speak for anyone else. But I can testify as to my own experiences.
My little Fiskars Hatchet has been around for roughly 2 years. It continues to impress me. I heard the horror stories about the head coming apart, exploding, cracking and others.
My Fiskars has seen almost weekly use since its arrival. And even more importantly, it has been severely mistreated. It hangs in a tree in various locations near my semi-portable camps. Moving from place to place occasionally. But never seeing any shelter or care. The way I have treated this tool is almost criminal.
I have batoned it through countless pieces of firewood. Chopped small trees, Trimmed branches, shaved kindling, you name it. But it never makes it back to the shed.
Much of the above abuse has occurred during Adirondack winters. Often with temps at or below zero.
I have hammered in wooden tent pegs with it, even broken off a few rock points that protrude out of the ground. You know the ones you inevitably trip over in the middle of the night.
It isn’t going to win any beauty contests. But I have come to depend on its durability and unfailing ease of maintenance.
I have noticed, I should touch up the edge a bit. And there is a bit of rust/discoloration at the Scandi edge.
But I shutter to think what some of my Premium Axes would look like after two continuous years out in the bush.
I will seriously look at one of these Norden Axes when they hit our shores. My two Fiskars pieces, one axe and one hatchet have more than proven their worth to me.
I have seen several reviews and videos of the handles “Just Breaking”.
After beating the living bodily fluid out of mine. The conclusion I have arrived at is as follows. The only real weak spot I see in the Basic Fiskars Axe is the hollow handle.
Mine hangs in a tree, head facing up. Tied there with a loop of twine by the handle. When I need the hatchet, I just take it out of the handle/guard which remains attached to the tree. I keep it at head height. That keeps it out of the snow and also discourages critters that may like the taste of my sweaty, salty hands from chewing on it.
I do however see the very real possibility of it getting destroyed, if the following were allowed to happen. If the axe/hatchet were to be left handle up, and allowed to fill with water or snow. I can see where the resulting expansion of the ice would be consistent with the breakage I have seen. I’m guessing the expanding ice in that tubular handle would blow one apart quite easily.
I am a traditionalist. Heck I still use wooden Ojibway Snowshoes. But I’m not a snob about it. And I have to say. My purchase some years back of the Fiskars Axe and Hatchet, along with a More Bushcraft Black have truly opened my eyes as to how well these tools perform.
For less than $100.00 you can have a pair of solid, working, low maintenance, tools.
Are they pretty, no, not really. But in knee deep snow and 0 degree temps. Making a camp fire with them brings out their form follows function beauty.
Fact of the matter is, they just work for me.
Recently, I bought a White River Ursus. A beautiful knife. A solid work horse actually. But if I was stranded in some remote boreal forest with just the Fiskars and Bushcraft Black. I’t take solace in the fact that I’d be just fine.
I have also looked at the stripped head. I think a split handle could be fashioned caveman stone axe style to wrap around both sides of the steel head. Much like a war club is mounted. Again, not pretty, but I’m guessing it would work. I mean rock chopping tools work for a long while in this fashion.
All of the above is just my opinion. And we all know what opinions are like. But at least mine are field based in all weather.
YMMV
LV,
P.S.
I sort of equate to Fiskars breakage reports to the reports I have seen of the snapped Becker BK-9s.
Where the person in question states there was no misuse involved. And they display knot free, the wrist thick, piece of firewood that reduced the mighty BK-9 to rubble. Or the ever popular, “I dropped my Becker on to some soft grass on the forest floor and the first 2” of the blade snapped right off”
I struggle to comprehend.
One last thing.
Don’t forget Fiskars Warranty. If yours does break? Contact them and they will send you a new one. I know that has little bearing in a true survival situation. But most people don’t find themselves in an Alexander Selkirk scenario. Not even an Alexander Supertramp situation.
Food for thought!