GB...Wildlife or Mini?

CKE2

CKE2

Joined
Aug 28, 2003
Messages
1,574
OK, I need to make a decision soon. Wildlife Hatchet or the Mini???

I have handled the Wildlife and only looked at the Mini. At a glance the Mini looked too small...but I think I overlooked it as an attribute instead of a negative. I want something I am going to carry, more likely in/on a pack, not on a belt.
Has anyone here used both? What did you prefer and why?

Also, it seems the Mini is more $$$ anyone know why that is?

Thanks

Craig
 
I went through the same dilemma recently. I ended up getting the Mini. In retrospect, I would have bought the Wildlife. Of course, had I bought the Wildlife, I would have wished I bought the Mini. Either one is great and you will not be disappointed. The reason the mini is so expensive is that it is more difficult to make and I belive that only LP at GB makes them.
 
I have both the mini and the wildlife. The mini is 13 ounces and the wildlife is 23 ounces. For reference the wildlife is about the weight of a dog father. I find the mini too light for chopping. Maybe it might be good for notching, fuzz sticks and other things like that if choked up but that is for knives. The wildlife is a very good chopper and can do things a big knife can do and is not as "scary" looking to non-knife people. The wildlife and a small/medium knife make a good combination. For the price of a mini you can have the wildlife and a suitable knife.
 
I have both too.

I see the mini and the wildlife made for 2 different purposes.

The Wildlife is one of the best chopping hatchets I have ever handled. But it's heavy.

The mini is something more for backpacking or to put in a pack or something when you MIGHT need to chop something. It's chopping power comes more from the sharpness and you can sort of whip it a little.

I wouldn't attempt anything over about 4" with the mini. I think you could go up to 8" with the Wildlife.

If weight is not a big consideration get the Wildlife. It's a chopping demon.:thumbup: If packability is a consideration the mini is nice. Just remember the Wildlife is about six times better chopper.
 
i have them both too....:D both great cutting tools, yet totally different from one another...

IMG_2087.jpg
 
Thanks for the info...though it is not making my job any easier:)

If you guys had to choose one...?
 
I would love to get every one of them, but I would probably buy another sfa to replace the one that I lost before the wildlife, I never even got to chop anything with it, really. :(
 
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I've owned both, ended up using the wildlife hatchet all the time. Sold the mini to a forum member. The mini seemed like a good idea, but in actual use i felt it was too small. I'm sure the mini is a great tool for someone, but i prefered the wildlife hatchet personally.
 
I would by the large forest GB...I have 2 small axes..one GB and one Weterling..and I have the large forest and dont know why I bought the other 2..buy an AXE..its not so big that you cant pack it, and it works fantastically...you know what, I bet the mini would be a cool little carver though.....
 
My 2 cents...I have the SFA and the mini...they have two very different functions for me. The SFA is definitely packable but will mostly be in my truck, the mini is an amazing tool and resides in my pack. I have used both a lot recently on a bunch of trees that I had to take down (chainsaw) and the axes processed the varying sizes of branches. When properly sharpened and profiled they are both very effective tools for what they're designed to do. If you really only will have one, I think the Wildlife might be an excellent compromise, but you should first settle on what you will be using the axe for...having that question answered will lead you to the best design for the job.
 
CKE2 said:
Thanks for the info...though it is not making my job any easier:)

If you guys had to choose one...?
Click to expand...

In that instance it would be the mini.

I have lots of khukuris and when weight is not a factor like hiking in my woods and trail clearing I go for the khukuri.

I mainly use a hatchet when backpacking so I'd choose my mini due to the weight factor also because it is small and you can set down with a bunch of branches and cut wood for a cooking fire with it easier then the Wildlife.

Also on a day long dayhike where you might get stranded or something you could throw the mini in your pack without taking up a lot of space but you'd have something you could whittle with, cut wood make a small shelter etc.

So for me it would be a mini.
 
I have both also along with a few other GB's. I would most definetly choose the wildlife but I am a big guy and the mini is just too mini for me and my large paws, lol! Really neat though, just too small for me to take out and use. The wildlife, for me anyway, just seems to have many more practical uses in the woods and really feels good in my hand. :D
 
One benefit of the Mini is that you can take it on an outing as your ONLY cutting tool. The design and size allow for several different grip options for all sorts of cutting and chopping tasks. Throw in a Vic Farmer and you have a heck of a combo. :thumbup:

Jeff
 
I'd take the Wildlife of the two.

If you don't mind a suggestion, since you are carrying it in/on the pack, I'd recommend the Small forest axe (you have to be careful with the SFA abbreviation, it can mean the Scandinavian Forest Axe -- a 24" Hudson-Bay type axe, or the Small forest axe - a 19" axe).
Small Forest Axe:
Small_Forest_Axe.jpg
 
jds1 said:
One benefit of the Mini is that you can take it on an outing as your ONLY cutting tool. The design and size allow for several different grip options for all sorts of cutting and chopping tasks. Throw in a Vic Farmer and you have a heck of a combo. :thumbup:

Jeff
Click to expand...

This is why I chose the mini when I was in your shoes.:D It's more of an all around tool than a chopper. Think of it the same way others look at a big 7-8 inch knife as a jack of all trades. Only, the mini is not only PC but downright "cute" to non-knife people. Also the mini tends to be lighter than said knives. But, if all you're going to do with it is chop wood then get the bigger one. I, however, have been known to use the mini in my kitchen. :D

Edit: By the way, I've heard that the Mini is more expensive because it's more of a 'specialty' item.
 
GB are great axes someday i'll have (at least one) but currently they are out of my price range.

As an alternative if you want a hatchet thats around 16-19 ounces total and 13 inches long check out Norlunds with the Hudson Bay pattern heads.
They are no longer in production but you can find them on Ebay for a good price.
The large Norlund axes seem to have a cult following and go for hefty prices on ebay but the hatchet sized Norlunds can usually be had for under 40$.
Actually this summer i snagged two on ebay only paid 32$ total for the pair!
norlundhatchets.jpg

The one on top is slightly lighter than the one on bottom, 17 ounces versus 19 or so.
Of course i had to clean them up a bit.
In this pic the one on top has been cleaned and polished slightly and the gunk, finish and grease stripped off the handle.
I cleaned and stripped the handle on the other one as well but haven't done anything else to it other than a light cleaning.
Obviously from the pic you can tell the previous owner did some serious whacking on the poll!

So if you are looking for a low cost alternative to a GB and don't mind putting some elbow grease into it you might like an old Norlund!
 
i'd take the wildlife hatchet between the two, however, having spent a long time with my SFA (small forest axe) i'd rather take the SFA. The SFA is still packable and is able to do bit jobs as well as small ones.
 
Well, I bit the bullet and bought a wildlife hatchet online this morning. Seemed like a good compromise for a small kit. Of course compromise isn't the best way to go most times, but the larger SFA would have been difficult to pack easily in a Pygmy Falcon II it appeared. Not to say I wouldn't pick one up in the future, but if it's too big for day trips I'd rather have a smaller model with me than a larger one sitting at home. Just my .02 cents of course since I haven't handled either yet.
 
Great thread..I was just pondering the same thing ? looks like I will be looking for the wildlife,Thanks !!
 
Oh I think you will like it! I really like mine. I have several GB's and 2 Whetterling's and the Wildlife is my personal favorite. Congrats!
 
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