Hatchet Versus Big Knife Tests! (Not an opinion thread)

Brian Andrews

Brian Andrews

Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Messages
1,659
Okay guys……I have done searches regarding the opinions of a hatchet versus a big knife. I have read through the MANY, MANY pages of facts and opinions.

In the end, I think it is going to be a personal choice. For me, the personal choice has always been a big knife. But then, I realized I was not being totally fair. I have always had a GREAT large knife, but have always had a mediocre hatchet.

So, I recently acquired a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Ax, and I now think that I can do a better comparison between the two.

The reason for this thread is to not ask opinions between the two. I plan on conducting my own tests, and will decide what is right for me. What I am looking for is help from everyone here to come up with tasks that are typical of these tools, and I will evaluate each.

I am trying to keep the tasks in the scope of what the tool was intended for. For example, if the task is cut through a 10” log, I am going to use my bow saw, and neither a hatchet or a knife.

Below are my tests I have come up with so far. Any more ideas??????

Wet Firewood Firestarting
Use of a bow saw for larger than hatchet/knife diameter pieces.
Splitting smaller pieces for obtaining dry wood.
Making Tinder.
Making Feather Sticks.

Setting up a Tent
Ground clearing.
Tent pegs.

Hunting Blind from Deadfall
Wood cutting and gathering.
Gathering woodland camouflage.

Cooking Needs
Build a tripod.
Build an adjustable spit with pot hook.

Shelter Building
Cutting structure materials.
Bedding.
Covering materials.

Carrying Options
Ease of carry without a backpack.
Ease of carry with a backpack.

General
Cordage making (stripping bark, etc).
Gathering pine knots (part of firemaking).
 
Don't know where you're from, but maybe cutting and spliting some frozen logs.

For the hunting section, how about splitiing some pelvis. Clearing shooting lane, which usally involve cutting some thinner stuff.

Also, I would try breaking some of the drying stuff as well, since some stuff you don't have to cut.
 
Yes, right on! I think this is great.

I find using a Estwing E14A SPORTSMANS AXE (LEATHER GRIP) to cut sapling is not very good. They bounce away more than they cut. I know this is because of the convex grind. A machete just passes right through on a 45 in one or 2 swings.

Stripping bark, shelter building, will be telling.

I think you might make a bow and drill and figure 4 trap. Those skills would also say a lot.
 
Dressing a rabbit, cleaning a trout ? Making a fireboard/spindle/bow ?
Good question, I'll be following this thread too.
 
How about building and setting up snares and dead-falls? Carving the triggers, securing the ground pegs....

tjg
 
Heck make lunch with the hatchet, I've made a sandwhich with my wetterlings to show I could. :D
 
The trick to using a hatchet as a field knife is to keep it sharp, and grab the head and use it like an Eskimo ulu. A hatchet like a Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet or a Norlund works great like that.

The small forest axe is a tad on the large side for some to use as an ulu but it still works well with practice, especially when combined with a smaller blade like a folding knife or a multitool.

A small blade and a machete or hatchet/axe is a really useful combo.
 
I wanna see you clean trout too.
I used to use a hatchet when I went salmon fishing.
-Beat 'em in the head, bleed 'em and scale 'em with the same tool.-
It was sharp, but I don't think I could have gutted them with it without making a big mess.

I'd sure like to see a quality tomahawk added to your survival skills test (at your expense naturally.)
 
Macclint said:
Why would you want to clean a trout with a hatchet? Having one doesn't preclude taking a pocket knife... :confused:


Clint Hollingworth
The Wandering Ones webcomic
http://www.wanderingones.com
Click to expand...

true enough, good-brother ...but you never know when the knife goes bye-bye ...being able to double-duty with the tomahawk or hatchet is a good skill to own, methinks.


....i might suggest that when the stock is smaller than the cutting instrument, such as the case of a trout being gutted by the hatchet ...it might be easier to lay the hatchet or hawk blade-up and run the fish's belly down the corner of the blade, ...vice running the big cumbersome bit down the fish's gut....

don't know, haven't tried it on a fish, but i have sharpened stuff off of axes a few times in a similar manner.

vec
 
vector001 said:
true enough, good-brother ...but you never know when the knife goes bye-bye ...being able to double-duty with the tomahawk or hatchet is a good skill to own, methinks.


....i might suggest that when the stock is smaller than the cutting instrument, such as the case of a trout being gutted by the hatchet ...it might be easier to lay the hatchet or hawk blade-up and run the fish's belly down the corner of the blade, ...vice running the big cumbersome bit down the fish's gut....

don't know, haven't tried it on a fish, but i have sharpened stuff off of axes a few times in a similar manner.

vec
Click to expand...


I dont know, I'd be scared of catching my fingers or something on the edge, I'd rather use the axe like a ulu, as mrostrov stated. Much more control.
 
Aw, I see why you would set the hatchet and slide the fish.
Just whack its head off and slide the cut edge along the edge of the hatchet to the tail.
You could slide your knuckles along the sides of the blade to keep from cutting yourself.
 
Great thread. Looking forward to your results. :thumbup:
Scott
 
I've cleaned trout as small as 10" with an 18" Tramontina, just to see if I could do it effectively. The point is not to clean the trout, the point is to use it for a fine task where the results will be obvious. Besides, the machete doesn't hold fish scales nearly as well as the pivot in a Leatherman ! A lot of the sample tasks listed could be accomplished easily without either a big knife or hatchet, so I've assumed that the goal is to do as many jobs as possible with one of these two tools. That's what you were looking for, Brian?

I've been thinking that, as a bushcraft tool, a hatchet might be more versatile if the head and handle could be separated in the field, like a pickaxe. Then the head could indeed be used like an ulu or as a pestle (or is it mortar?) for grinding. The carry would likely be simpler in the absence of a pack as well.
 
DeadeyeLefty said:
so I've assumed that the goal is to do as many jobs as possible with one of these two tools. That's what you were looking for, Brian?
Click to expand...

Kind of. But now that people started posting, it might have changed my view slightly.

My original intention was to think of all the regular "tasks" you would do with such a tool. Then do each one with both tools to determine which one "I" like better. Remember it could be different for everyone. Guaranteed that each will be better at certain things. The goal was to determine which one I like better for the majority of commons tasks.

I guess I should have elaborated more in the first post. I never intended it to be a "one tool does everything." I would use either the hatchet, or big knife in conjunction with a smaller (4-5 inch) fixed blade knife. I have a lot of knives in that size range, but my current favorite is the swamp rat ratmandu :D

But, now that people have started posting all these excellent ideas, I think I should break these tasks into 2 groups:
1) Common and typical (such as the ones I have started with)
2) Mr. Murphy stuff. Meaning you loose, break, ruin other tools, and now you must make due with what you have.

When some more ideas roll in, I will group everything that way, and re-post.

Keep the excellent ideas coming!!

Brian
 
I've used a khukri to clean fish. Used the khukri itself to lop off the heads and tails, and the small karda accessory knife for everything else.
 
I think he means the machete is easier to clean than the Leatherman. After scaling a fish, there would be scales in the picot and in between all the other tools.
 
This sounds like a great idea! I too like to see someone focusing on facts, not opinions. Maybe ahving some sort of efficiency test to measure the effectiveness of each tool during severe conditions (limited water, food, energy, etc.). Keep it up!
 
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