Gerber/Fiskars hatchet construction?

X

xtramile

Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
103
I bought the Gerber/Fiskars Back Paxe several years ago and it has gotten some moderate camp use since then. My question is how in the heck is the axe head mounted to the handle?

I would assume that the entire line of Fiskars are constructed the same way. . . The best I can tell by looking down the hollow handle is that it is a single piece of milled out steel with two inverted torx screws??? The rest is black magic.

Anyone have a clue?

Thanks,

XM
 
The plastic handle is just injection molded around the head. There's pictures out there somewhere on the web.
 
I was talking with my dad this week and he sells alot of furniture crafting materials to the Amish carpenters in the area. He says they all love the Fiskars injection molded axes. Surprising endorsement, I think, but those injection molded handles must get the job done. Helko has a series of injection molded axes called the Tomahawk line. Maybe there is something to it...
 
I personally love the Fiskars/Gerber axes. They're light, sharpen easily and durable as all get out. In fact, if I were to ever have to run out of house knowand having to replace iting I was going somewhere for a long period of time where my axe was needed, I would take my Gerber 27 inch chopping axe over anything else. No need to worry about breaking the handle.
 
PayetteRucker said:
Helko has a series of injection molded axes called the Tomahawk line.
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I've happened to see one in some supermarket recently. Those are not molded around. 'Head' is screwed against a solid handle. No or little wrap around.

see this page, there's an animation on top:
http://www.helko.de/tomahawk_e.php?PID=5&PHPSESSID=6e7e72cdbbd3295e9ce23b59afdffd25

About Fiskars: I'm not too fond of the handle because of vibrations and I feel like they tend to roll on the edge, but they are almost maintenance-free and virtually unbreakable, so for occasional use they are great.
 
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moogoogaidan said:
I personally love the Fiskars/Gerber axes. They're light, sharpen easily and durable as all get out. In fact, if I were to ever have to run out of house knowand having to replace iting I was going somewhere for a long period of time where my axe was needed, I would take my Gerber 27 inch chopping axe over anything else. No need to worry about breaking the handle.
Click to expand...

I wanted one of these really bad, but when I handled one at Cabela's the head seemed very heavy, unbalanced and unweildly, and the haft is very thick. The 14 inch is pretty much perfect, so maybe I need something in the middle- the 17 or the 23. My dad's been using the splitting axe for a few winters now and it does a very good job making kindling out of frozen, seasoned hardwood. Pretty much explodes :) The Tomahawk design is interesting, I wonder if anyone on here has first hand experience.
 
Here's a broken Fiskars.
axe.jpg


This guy was pounding wedges with his. I've heard of another guy who broke one that he was using as a throwing axe. It doesn't look like there are screws or fasteners of any sort.
 
No joke!

Those axes are seriously tough... It does not appear that the head failed, but rather that one of the sides that holds the head in place broke. My guess is that he had used it as a hammer long enough to chip away and damage these portions, which eventually gave way to stress fractures and failed completely.

That's just my S.W.A.G from owning a few Fiskars products.
 
I actually use a bit of jb weld to create a smooth seam between the axe head and the injection mold wrap around the head, that way small splinters can't jam under the plastic wrap when chopping. I think it should cut down on the potential for damage over time.
 
moogoogaidan said:
I actually use a bit of jb weld to create a smooth seam between the axe head and the injection mold wrap around the head, that way small splinters can't jam under the plastic wrap when chopping. I think it should cut down on the potential for damage over time.
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That's a good idea. I will do that to my little gerber hatchet, though it doesn't see much use since getting my Norlund hatchet.
 
I have a broken one - handle broke clean in half. Granted a 26 inch across cherry log butt did it in.

Ill go old school wood handle and early american head any day. But thats just one guys opinion.
 
personally I'd rather have the ability to re-hang my own, and hickory sure is easier on the body. I can see how the general populace would favor those glass handles though. Based on previous carbon fiber/carbon composite experience, when the tubing breaks, you know it. It's louder than any shotgun. I bet when that axe broke, it was a pretty spectacular event.
 
Looking down the handle of my 14'' with a flashlight there are indeed 2 hex head bolts, not sure what they heck they would be doing in there though.
 
my Fiskars hatchet is made in Findland while my Gerber axe was made in Taiwan, so there may be some difference in quality.
I've used the Fiskars for years, but the Gerber was a gift and rests in my hunting pack
 
coyotebc said:
my Fiskars hatchet is made in Findland while my Gerber axe was made in Taiwan, so there may be some difference in quality.
I've used the Fiskars for years, but the Gerber was a gift and rests in my hunting pack
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Iiiiiiiiiiinteresting...although, I have not had any quality issues with my gerber hatchet. I'm just not a fan of the feel of it in my hands, or the look. How did you tell where they were made? Is there a stamp somewhere that I haven't noticed?
 
I would hazard a guess that both axes are extremely similar in function, I have taken a close look at both, but you never know.

The brittle steel issue (that hasn't come up yet in this thread) was pretty much attributed to a harder outside scale wasn't it?
No issues with mine once I reprofiled the edge a little.
 
Liam Ryan said:
I would hazard a guess that both axes are extremely similar in function, I have taken a close look at both, but you never know.

The brittle steel issue (that hasn't come up yet in this thread) was pretty much attributed to a harder outside scale wasn't it?
No issues with mine once I reprofiled the edge a little.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that. Mine does not seem brittle. I know that mine was completely blunt before I reprofiled the edge.
 
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