Hatchet vs. Large Wilderness blade??!

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Blitzkreig

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Feb 18, 2011
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Not to get everyone fired up lol, but honestly hatchet with not much weight (able to backpack with) vs. large fixed blade wilderness/"Survival" knife i know they are designed for different things and i know this is a weird comparison. i know the hatchet obviously usually wins in chopping but i need a more all round tool, large wilderness blade is better at more precise things then pure chopping and spliting performance. also considerations are where energy expendature is critical in backpacking senario so consider lugging heavier big hatchet up mountains which is more energy expenditure vs. wilderness knife less struggle and energy carrying it up mountains but more energy expendature when trying to use it compared to a hatchet which lets say for chopping would get work done easier of good size tree (talking about felling trees, not delimbing) but for spliting the logs big knife you can batton with less energy expendature compared to hatchet spliting would which i think is less efficient for splitting wood. so help me out with what i should pack out of the two which one is better for all round? which one is more energy efficent around the backpacked camp site? add any and all opinions! feel free to argue amongst eachother as well lol
 
I can chop down and process a tree quite a bit faster with a 19" Wetterlings than I can with the 10" blade Ontario RTAK II and both weigh ~ 2 lbs. Using the large blade would use MORE energy in my case.

For me, it's also much more of a pain in the ass to sharpen a 10 inch blade than it is to sharpen an axe. The only advantage the large chopping knife has (FOR ME & IMO) is precise batoning for splitting wood. The axe wins everything else in my book. I have yet to encounter a situation my axe and 4'' belt knife cannot tackle.

Others results might be different than my own. Use what you are comfortable with because 90% of it is user skill and experience.
 
okay i see your point but what about making fuzz sticks with a hatchet i dont know if that would be harder than a 10" blade like an rtak II.. also say for backpacking 19"s of anything fixed would be troublesome to either attach or pack inside a pack. but i do acknowledge your point with a 4" blade pocket knife and larger hatchet combo.
 
I run a 10" blade, Bowie for light chopping and splitting and a (4"-6" blade), for everything else. A small hatchet is better for chopping, IMO, though.

Having said that, I've been thinking about switching to one of the 8" hatchets (Fiskars or Gerber), and leave the Bowie at home. I'll just have to try it and see how it goes.
 
I think that a hatchet is the appropriate tool for chopping tree's. In a pinch a good fixed blade will do it.

It seems to me in the internet age with youtube and such, people seem to put batoning as a top priority for fixed blades. I have batoned in survival classes and from time to time to keep my technique fresh in my head, but for me using a knife to cut down trees is a HAVE to situation never my first choice.

I always equate batoning with a knife to using one of those survival saws. Sure you can do it, but hope you dont. Much easier to use the right tool for the job.
 
While only having ONE tool (aka being badly prepared), of course a big chopping knife can do many things at a hopefully tolerable level of efficiency. If you want things done properly, bring a smaller knife, a hatchet and a saw.
 
Blitzkreig said:
okay i see your point but what about making fuzz sticks with a hatchet i dont know if that would be harder than a 10" blade like an rtak II.. also say for backpacking 19"s of anything fixed would be troublesome to either attach or pack inside a pack. but i do acknowledge your point with a 4" blade pocket knife and larger hatchet combo.
Click to expand...

A 19'' axe straps just fine to the side or back of most packs. When I said 4'' belt knife I was referring to a fixed blade with a 4'' blade not a folding pocket knife. I rarely need a pocket knife out there unless it's a SAK.

A 10'' bladed knife is also not difficult to pack although I find it uncomfortable to have ~ 2 lbs strapped to my leg/belt all the time. I don't make my decisions based on what's easier to carry anyway. I choose based on what works the best for me.

I'm not saying an axe is better than a large knife. I just see so many people choosing a large knife over an axe. I like to show that an axe is still a fantastic choice and has no real disadvantage to a big knife. The main thing that will limit the capabilities of a knife or axe is the user.


As for the feather sticks:

P1080917.jpg




EDIT: Here is a ~19'' axe on a small pack. (Not my photo)

Maxpedition-Sitka-Bag-2.jpg
 
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A hatchet will take down a tree quicker than 'chopper'.

And a saw will take one down quicker than both, weighs less and is the safest of the three to use when tired.
 
dang fellas! very wise thoughts! thanks. so to make this a bit more specific rtak II or gerber hatchet not sure what size... i was thinking of getting a decendly popular hatchet because i want to be able to buy it in person and not off internet i live in AZ so i got CABELAS AND BASS PRO SHOP TO GO TO. LOL hell yeah! okay so im sorta leaning to the hatchet medium lighter weight and utility knife combo. instead of big boy rtak II or CS gurkha kukri and utility knife combo... .. good idea?? .. or no?
 
side note... whats everyone favorite brand of hatchet/ smaller axe.? 2ish lbs (really anything below like 4 lbs the less the better).. also energy expenditure wise, is it more efficient to backpack with a big knife and then use it to chop and baton wood ect. ect. or is it more efficient to lugg up the hefty bulky hatchet then use it with ease once you get where you want "camp"?
 
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Depends on where you are, and where you're going.

In my opinion, it's fun to take the "wrong" tool with you and figure out benefits you didn't know existed, as well as navigate limitations you may not realize until you're in the thick of it and have to make due with what you've got.
 
If you end up with an axe I'd suggest watching some vids and reading some info before you head out. There are many different techniques to learn. Here are a few quick ones to check out if you're bored.

[youtube]2tUUctg6dfk&playnext=1&list=PL32C779789D86D8D0[/youtube]

[youtube]FmXURKP3RMY[/youtube]

[youtube]dFpZJ2ICR5M[/youtube]
 
it seems every one is giving outstanding opinions, but everyone seems to avoid to concept of the backpacking with it to where ever your going.. i kno bring i big ass axe for chopping on a car camp trip as well as everything else, but backpacking is different.. you must prioritize which tool you bring is more energy efficent. aka bring heavier hatchet for felling trees which is harder to carry and may make you too tired to use it but if you arent too tired you can easily take trees down, vs. lighter big wilderness knife , its easier to hike to your spot you want to camp at but harder and more effort put out by using it.. so help me out please
 
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oh and p.s. DR. Heelhook.... i dont mean to harp but, preparedness is NOT in what you bring, preparedness is a state of mind... i.e. being always mentallyawar e and using that to adapt rappidly to overcome situations.. but tools definately make life easier
 
A hatchet or half-axe is not heavier than a large fixed blade knife, and in cases where it is heavier the difference is only a few grams. I don't know why there is such a common misconception that axes are too heavy to carry but massive survival knives aren't. It seems like a bunch of people just regurgitating what they have heard on youtube from a certain popular gear reviewing who happens to dislike axes and favor large knives... hmm.

Hint: a wooden handle with some steel at the top weighs about the same as 15+" of .25" thick steel (including both the handle and blade length, that's a heavy knife)...

An axe is better to have if you plan on chopping anything, due to the weight distribution being at the top of the swing rather than spread evenly through a long blade. An axe can can also fashion wedges and pound them to split wood - a knife can't pound at all. Pounding wedges is so useful in splitting large logs... I can't believe I rarely see that skill posted.

AND, in my humble opinion, an axe is better at fine work than a large knife due to the simple fact that you can hold the axe right under the head. Bam. Now you have a ~3" knife. I've skinned game with my axe before and it wasn't too cumbersome. I can't say the same about trying to manipulate the belly of a 10" survival knife through deer hide.

This big knife fad needs to end. They're cool. That's about it. An axe is better in every aspect, except for batoning and, uh... stabbing? Big knives can have those.
 
I’ve enjoyed hiking and camping since I was a teenager. I own several hatchets and several knives that could be classified as choppers. I bought the knives because I wanted one, the hatchets because I needed one. I always find these topics interesting but at the same time slightly confusing; in the 30 years I have been hiking and camping I have never had a reason to cut down a tree or split a log. I guess I must do things differently than others.
 
The choices essentially come down to personal preference and what size wood you are after. Hatchets and large chopping knives work about the same on small wood. As the wood gets bigger, the hatchet pulls way ahead. Splitting wood is not something I have a lot of experience with, but IME a hatchet would be better simply because it's thicker and will push the wood apart better.

Hatchets and knives are not always slower than saws. If the wood is small enough to be cut in a stroke or two, the choppers are way ahead of the saw w/r to time. They are a little more dangerous however.

A lot of the swing toward large knives now has to do with familiarity. Very high quality knives are available and run a huge range of prices. High quality hatchets and axes are harder to find. Also, everyone is familiar with a knife. Most people are not familiar with a hatchet or axe. Since the cutting edge is smaller, they take a little more skill to use.

For versatility, the knife wins hands down. However, there are quite a few people who prefer axes for everything from splitting wood to game processing, though none of those people are bird or squirrel hunters.

To have all bases covered, a hatchet, 4"-6" blade knife, and folding saw would be the cover-all combination.

One big question is where can one get a good folding saw? We all know where to get a high quality knife and hatchet. Are there Busse/Gransfors Bruks equivalents to folding saws?
 
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