Fixed blade or hatchet?

Short answer, take both and a folding saw.
There's lots of variables to consider here, there's no one easy answer. Fixed blade, how long, 12" chopper or belt knife? With a 4" or so blade, you won't have the chopping power of a hatchet, but you can baton. If your hatchet is really sharp, it can still do some knife jobs. I've gone to the woods with all the above, just a multitool, and everything in between. I've made due with each situation, sometimes wishing I had a different tool. In the desert the wood is so dry that you can just snap it over your leg, but not all places are like that.
What's the AO, how much wood will you need for a fire, for a shelter, is it wet? When the only wood around is a downed tree, you can limb it, or maybe you'll have to cross cut through the trunk many many times, then split those pieces, you'll wish you had a folding saw and the hatchet. That's what I've found to be true. I've had nothing but wet wood on the ground, but a downed tree was dry. I wish I had the saw that day, all I had was a 12.5" chopper, it worked, but it was a workout. My new Silky Gomboy would have made that process much faster.
I take many tools these days, the saw, the belt knife, and some sort of hatchet, hawk, or small axe.
 
I'm a hatchet guy. I find it much more useful than a large chopper blade. I relay like to have the ability to hammer on things with the blunt end of the hatchet and a good sharp hatchet is as good as a knife ive used them to clean game before. My go to hatchet is a Estwing sports men I must have 5 of them. Its also a regional thing too I think where I live a hatchet is more useful where if you where in a tropical setting a machete would be better suited.
 
I know I'm going to get flamed for this but my take is a little different, even though as a Cub Scout carrying both was recommended (as I recall). If I were going into the woods, I'd like my small Sebenza in case I want to whittle something. I've never wanted to whittle anything before but as Judy Tenuta always said "it could happen". I'd also like a small pocket pistol in case I run into some nut job. Lastly a good book, currently it would be (shameless plug) my friends new book," NEWTHINK-The Hidden Logic of Progressivism and the Usurpation of the Traditional American Worldview".
I'm no tree-huger, but if I'm in the woods, I just want to relax. I'm not cutting down any trees unless they pay me. Too much work. Same thing with animals. I have nothing against hunting, but I live in a studio apartment. What am I going to do with a dead moose?
My ideal woods experience is sort of a Right Wing Waldon Pond. :)
 
Usually when I'm in the woods, I'm either hunting or preparing to hunt and the woods I typically inhabit are mixed hardwoods. Given that I own one hatchet, two tomahawks and many fixed blades (two of which are relevant to this discussion) and given that my Becker BK9 goes with me about 60% of the time, my BK2 about 30%, a tomahawk about 10% and a hatchet, almost never...

...for me, the answer is fixed blade. That's certainly not the best answer for everyone though.


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Beckerhead #42
 
For me, the fixed blade because of its versatility. The hatchet does some things but does them better. The knife does everything and does it good enough.
 
I have almost always taken a hatchet/axe of some sort and a folding knife with me when camping. I don't subscribe to the batonning Fad, so I've never really had to do anything with a fixed blade that I couldn't accomplish with a folder.

Saws are just the cat's pyjamas, though, definitely bring one of those if you're going to be cutting wood, regardless of what else you choose.
 
foxx said:
Short answer, take both and a folding saw.
There's lots of variables to consider here, there's no one easy answer. Fixed blade, how long, 12" chopper or belt knife? With a 4" or so blade, you won't have the chopping power of a hatchet, but you can baton. If your hatchet is really sharp, it can still do some knife jobs. I've gone to the woods with all the above, just a multitool, and everything in between. I've made due with each situation, sometimes wishing I had a different tool. In the desert the wood is so dry that you can just snap it over your leg, but not all places are like that.
What's the AO, how much wood will you need for a fire, for a shelter, is it wet? When the only wood around is a downed tree, you can limb it, or maybe you'll have to cross cut through the trunk many many times, then split those pieces, you'll wish you had a folding saw and the hatchet. That's what I've found to be true. I've had nothing but wet wood on the ground, but a downed tree was dry. I wish I had the saw that day, all I had was a 12.5" chopper, it worked, but it was a workout. My new Silky Gomboy would have made that process much faster.
I take many tools these days, the saw, the belt knife, and some sort of hatchet, hawk, or small axe.
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+1 I would just take both, because the extra bit of weight you would be taking would be completely worth it if you needed a fixed blade knife and only had hatchet or if you needed a hatchet and only had a fixed blade.
 
Dorito Monk said:
I have almost always taken a hatchet/axe of some sort and a folding knife with me when camping. I don't subscribe to the batonning Fad, so I've never really had to do anything with a fixed blade that I couldn't accomplish with a folder.

Saws are just the cat's pyjamas, though, definitely bring one of those if you're going to be cutting wood, regardless of what else you choose.
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Agreed. I think the whole theory around fixed blades is that the extra length allows them to baton through larger logs.
 
n8swag said:
I Donno, to take a dump?
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:eek: Why would I need EITHER tool for such an expedition??!!! I'll take toilet paper, and lay off the high fiber :D



But if the question is which do I take into the woods, my answer is knife - rarely am I in the woods and require a hatchet, whereas I often require a knife. I would only carry a hatchet if I thought I might need it for a specific purpose where in my hands it would perform better (more efficiently) than a knife, and those purposes are few.
 
chiral.grolim said:
:eek: Why would I need EITHER tool for such an expedition??!!! I'll take toilet paper, and lay off the high fiber :D



But if the question is which do I take into the woods, my answer is knife - rarely am I in the woods and require a hatchet, whereas I often require a knife. I would only carry a hatchet if I thought I might need it for a specific purpose where in my hands it would perform better (more efficiently) than a knife, and those purposes are few.
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Build yourself an outhouse lol.

I hear that.
 
I recommend a large knife like SYKCO Dogfather or ESEE Junglas and one of those $8 dollar pruning saws. There are so many sticks and branches on the ground, you will probably be OK just gathering those. Gathering those are way easier than chopping and sawing wood all day. You could use that time and energy to be with your loved ones or just go fishing. Either way, watch your back out there. There seems to be a spike of crazies around lately.
Unklfranco
 
Solved! I'm getting an estwing hatchet for Christmas and I have a 1/4" thick fixed blade antique custom I pulled outs the drawer. Has an original convex and a real stag handle.
 
n8swag said:
Solved! I'm getting an estwing hatchet for Christmas and I have a 1/4" thick fixed blade antique custom I pulled outs the drawer. Has an original convex and a real stag handle.
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The Estwing is nice!
I'm in favor of the knife though, but I also use a hatchet.
My favorite is the handforged Hultafors hatchet, as it has a great balance in every grip.

For a large knife I like an eight inch blade like a Fällkniven NL2 Odin or a Scagel Large Bowie, made by Bark River.
A longer blade chops better, but for my needs the 8" is enough.
Nice big blades I have tried are the Fällkniven NL1 Tor and Bark River Golok.

The hatchets like the Estwing has a thicker edgegeometry compared to a knife and will take higher workloads than the knife, but handled with experience the knife is the way to go IMO.

It would be nice to see a pic of Your stag handled antique custom?
Here's my Scagel and NL1.

1327790817-Scagel_Large_Bowie_031.jpg


1295802876-NL1-Sambar-Crown-040.jpg


Regards

Mikael
 
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