Good hatchet for camping?

killa_concept said:
I'd VERY much like to know where you heard that...

While GB doesn't disclose their specific steel, it's definitely not plain ol' 1050. A swedish member here named cegga (who forges some amazing axes by the way) has said that the steel he uses for his axes is the same as what GB, Wetterlings, and Hults Bruks uses - I can't remember what the name of the steel was, just that it was in the sandvik naming format (like 14c28 or what-have-you) and that cegga said that it was essentially the swedish version of L6.
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Ciggas the one that posted the chem amke up and said it was basically 1050.
 
Look at this thread post #23 and #24 from Cigga.Unless Im reading it wrong he answers a post asking what steel they are made from and this is his answer.. states the carbon content is .54
Not only that but the granfors website lists the heat treat as water quench and tempered at195* C or 383* F with a RC of 57.The heat treat info that gransfors lists just screams medium carbon steel..A temper at that temp in L6 would leave a RC of around 61- 62, not to mention you cant water quench L6 unless you want to bust a lot of blades, its an Oil quench steel.Not for a fast oil at that..
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/t...ese-out-from-Gransfors!?p=4316697#post4316697
heres the chem..as posted by cigga in said post, under that he gave an example of what L6 would look like..-------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's the steel components
As far as I understand
C- Carbon
Si- Silicium
MN- Manganese
P- Phosphorus
S- Sulfur
V- Vanadium

C-0,54
Means steel i iron plus 0,54% carbon and neglectable amounts of other components (C, Si, Mn, P, S, V)
This is a "simple" medium carbon steel, somewhere between classic 1050 (C-0,50) and 1060 (C-0,60). So I would be mostly right.


As an example, in the same kind of description, L6 would be:
--------------------------------------------------
C-0.75; Mn-0.70; Si-0.25; Cr-0.80, Ni-1.50; Mo-0.30

standind for:

Carbon 0.75%
Manganese 0.70%
Silicon 0.25%
Chromium 0.80%
Nickel 1.50%
Molybdenum 0.30%
 
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If you wish to split Hardwood with your axe, it ought to have a convex shape when viewed from the top or, second best, a triangular shape with a convex edge. That rules out most GB axes, which were designed concave for cutting softwood (and do it extremely well) or the Estwing axe-like object. (Prejudice rears its ugly head.) The GB exception would be their very nice (if pricey) splitting axe which does not follow the concave shape of their most popular axes.

Very good used axes of all sorts are available on ePrey. An old Boy Scout Plumb, Collins, or Vaughn & Bushnell from before WW II can be had for under $20.00 and the eye is the eye that fits the "Scout" handle in your hardware store because those Boy Scout axes set the pattern for hand axe handles due to the number sold "in the day." Just watch out for a badly peened butt resulting from someone thinking the butt is a true hammer.
 
I could never get the Estwings hachet to work for me, but their longer and bigger Camp axe is a good chopper. Heavy to carry, but affordable and durable.

n2s
 
Estwing 3/4 axe is run so soft that the very thin blade on this hollow-ground product bends easily -- say if you twist the axe in the cut as you can do with any proper axe. I have seen seven examples of bent blades and one owner gave me his so I can illustrate the problem in woods tools training. But at least it is heavy and jarring to use due to no flex in steel handle. (Prejudice has basis in fact.)
 
I've been trying out my new Fiskars X7 Hatchet against my Wetterlings Wildlife hatchet and I'm pretty blown away at how well the new design works. We heat with wood only up here at our mountain home and I use a hatchet and axe almost daily for wood processing. This includes limbing, chopping and splitting, so my hatchets\axes get a good workout.

The X7, I'm surpised to say, outchops my Wetterlings, which I've profiled and keep razor sharp on a strop. It also carves as well or better than my Wetterlings in bushcraft tasks. They revised the balance and added a rubber grip in the handle, so using it feels almost better than my Wetterlings. They also double hardened the cutting edge (now rated at 55RC), and so far, edge rentention and chip\dent resistance has been great (knock on wood of course).

The fact that I bought a hatchet of this precision, feel and chopping capability for under $25 new is pretty astounding. I do have a small antique Estwing hatchet that's excellent, so they are still great buys, but this new Fiskars is a Gransfors-killer and I highly recommend it (even though I love Gransfors too!).
 
agoutihead said:
Hmm I took a look at the Fiskars, Estwings more & also reviewed that blog.

The Fiskar hatchet actaully got really good reviews.

I honestly like everything about it, price, looks, durability etc.

Except the hole in the bottom of the handle in the Fiskars. I agree with Ross about the dirt & I was already leaning away from it because of that before I read his blog.

Surprisingly, the Estwings got a bad review by him. That sucks because when I looked at the them I really liked both models, the blue & leather one. And normally I'm not one for leather handles, but I was really thinking about getting that one.

I really dont want a wooden handled one, no matter how well they preform. I want a synthetic handle usually with a full tang, but I would have been ok with the Fiskars with no tang.

Are there any other suggestions for camping hatchets along the lines of the Fiskars or Estwing, but that perform better? Better blade edge design & grind etc.

I'd also really prefer one to be as razor sharp out of the box then having to grind it at first.
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The Estwings are good if you spend some time on them with a file to get them thinner at the edge for better chopping. They are not the greatest splitters but will do the job just fine if you need kindling. As I mentioned above, the new Fiskars X-series are insane for the price. They really improved them and I'm excited to try out the X15 23.5" Chopping Axe, which could be best new bushcraft axe for the money if the X7 hatchet is any indication.
 
If you would consider a wood handle, these belt axes work great for camping. They are about 12" long with a 2" cutting edge. They are available in hot browned or gray finish with or without ears. They are very sharp and hold an edge well. Brian carries one on his belt all the time and uses it daily. Of course, he might be slightly biased ;).
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Say Heah Guys, I have a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe, a Iltis Oxhead 2 3/4lbs, 5" very thin face hanged on a 19" White Hickory Handle, three Estwing's in three different sizes, and my on person carry my 2Hawks Double Bit Hatchet and my WarBeast which has three cutting edges, Oh I also bought a Mini Norlund at the pawn shop the handle is dried up and needs to be replavrd, but the head I don't think it was ever sharpened, and in great condition. I like to cut my logs down to 12"-14" and then I get a hatchet started into the log and with a hammering motion I split the log into kindling size if I want to, simple and it makes easy work of it. Even with my full size Collins I can do it like that. But I just got a Kobalt for $20.00 or less don't remember now, but anyhow I must of got lucky, it sharpen's easy and hold's a good edge, it's a fiberglass solid handle and the way I make kindling for fire it's works good enough, I don't have any problems with it so far, It's not a Gransfors Bruks but then it's only $20.00.
 
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