GB Wildlife Hatchet vs Small Forest Axe

B

benh

Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
165
I currently own a GB Scandinavian Forest Axe and love it. It's a great axe for all around work, but not particularly portable. So I'm looking for something easier to pack and carry and I'm trying to decide between the GB Wildlife Hatchet and the Small Forest Axe.

Currently leaning toward the hatchet for several reasons. I have an Estwing that's about the same size, and while it's easy to pack, it sucks in terms of performance. So seems like the hatchet would be a direct replacement for the Estwing.

In addition, it seems like the Small Forest Axe is very close to the Scandinavian, so I sort of think I'd end up with a third tool if I went that way. Something that's not quite a hatchet and not quite the Scandi. While that's not bad, really, it's a consideration.

What do you folks think?
 
The small forest axe is pretty much ideal for that kind of consideration as it is long enough to swing two handed, or at least benefit from a two handed swing, but isn't so large it is awkward to use one handed. The hatchet and full forest axe are basically one and two handed tools primarily.

-Cliff
 
What's wrong with the Estwing?

Maybe look at the Rainier or the Rainier Scout (as a small belt axe)?
 
IMO the Estwing is a decent tough hatchet with soft steel and avaerage ergos. The GB is superb all the way around. I have an embarassing number
of GB axes around the house from the mini to the maul and lots in between.

I have the wildlife hatchet and I skipped the small forest axe to pick up the similar sized hunter's axe. The SFA would be small enough to fit inside of a decent sized back pack and like Cliff said can pick up some power, control and safety from being a two hander. For canoe or base camping it is really all the axe you need.

For day hikes it is likely overkill and the hatchet will do all that needs to be done for fire making.

Do yourself a favour and buy them both or skip one and buy the mini. It's great.

By the way I bought a Wetterlings on the advice of a favourable article at another site. The author claimed the Wetterlings had much better penetration than the same sized GB. Didn't work out that way in my test (they were very similar after an hour giving the Wetterlings an equal edge) and I had to spend a couple of hours on the handle of the Big W to make it actually feel decent in the hand.

Still on a budget the Wetterlings looks pretty good compared to the Estwing, and costs about the same.
 
IMO the smallest Wetterlings is a much better buy than the GB, after that size you cant (for normal people anyway) justify the work you have to do on the Wetterlings to make it a comparable product.

Come on North61 lets see some pics :)
 
The Estwing doesn't really hold an edge well, and my wrists are invariably quickly tired after swinging with it.

I've flattened the edge profile somewhat with a file and that's improved the cutting ability, but it still doesn't hold much of an edge.

It's too bad, because the all stainless one piece construction makes for a really durable base product.
 
The metal is likely very soft, thin back the primary edge grind and apply a rather steel final edge bevel about 20-25 degrees per side, this doesn't need to be very wide, the edge is probably rolling/deforming beyond the visible.

-Cliff
 
I've thinned the primary grind a fair bit with a rough file and then smoothed it out with a finer file, and that's helped, but still doesn't hold much of an edge.

I've settled on the wildlife hatchet to replace this one. I think it'll do exactly what I want, though I'm still tempted by the Small Forest Axe. May end up with that one as well when the dust settles. :)
 
Benh: Good stuff GB's are addictive. Your only challenge now is to stop buying.

Temper: As far as pictures I am not proud enough of my manual skills to show the Wetterling Mods off.
 
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