hatchet vs. very large knife?

I think the answer to any question about "what tool" needs quite a lot of info about intended use & expectations, also how much compromise you'll put up with.
For example I like to carry a SAK's but generally it doesn't do anything as well as the proper tool for the job.
 
I like to carry a wilderness axe/hatchet and a 5” fixed blade in the woods. I can make due with a large fixed blade in their place, but prefer a hatchet for cutting firewood , etc.

Hatchet is faster for cutting limbs and branches for fire prep. I can use the fixed blade to baton those limbs, make feather sticks, etc.

I typically also carry a folder and a Swiss Army knife…
 
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My Fiskars hatchet (or Cold Steel Frontier Hawk) with a simple cardboard sheath weighs 19 oz. The Skrama 240 weighs 18.5 oz (no sheath). The bigger the knife, the larger the sheath, and the more dead weight you carry.
 
I was a Boy Scout and later a Scout Leader so for about 20 years plus I camped extensively in all seasons and terrains. Sometimes it was in organized camp areas and other times it would be a survival campout in completely remote areas. I liked to carry a Cold Steel Trailmaster or a Timberline SA custom survival sawback knife, paired usually with a Leatherman tool and I always had a medium sized Swiss Army knife like the camper model. The troop owned Hatchets and Axes which may or may not have gone along; depending on who wanted to carry them. I found that for building shelters and fires the Trailmaster or Timberline did fine in most cases, but when you wanted to cut tree limbs larger than about 2" diameter it was definitely an advantage to have a hatchet or even a lighter weight camp Axe (Estwing is what we usually had). They saved a lot of work on the larger pieces. But a smart woodsman can make due with any of these tools.
 
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I've retired my Gransfors bruks small hatchet now in favour of a My Parang duku chandong heavy (12") which does chop better than the GB! (tested side by side). I've sharpened the first 2" differently and with the superb balance of the Parang it also works well for quite fine work. It holds an edge better than the Axe too.
 
Dav1 said:
I've retired my Gransfors bruks small hatchet now in favour of a My Parang duku chandong heavy (12") which does chop better than the GB! (tested side by side). I've sharpened the first 2" differently and with the superb balance of the Parang it also works well for quite fine work. It holds an edge better than the Axe too.
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The Zieg mentioned the "WhereIsTheLiquor" Terava Skrama...which is an outstanding tool in my very humble opinion. It's executed in a similar fashion. The first ~three inches of the blade are sharpened more acute for fine work, with the rest of the blade being a little more obtuse to withstand chopping and batoning.

Beyond that, it's 80CrV2 if I remember correctly...so, pretty well bulletproof.



*EDIT- Just throwing-in a pic because I like pics...






*EDIT 2- I must missed GAGL's post. In my defense, I drink a lot.
 
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Alone I can't get the Skrama here in the UK (they won't ship😔) wanted one for a while and from seeing reviews etc... it seems a fantastic knife and 80crv2 is also a favourite hard use steel for me. Just managed to pick up a Brisa Bigmuk blank which is 80crv2 and the same thickness and length as the Skrama although a different shape (large Nessmuk). Going to handle with some stabilised Cherry I have!

But yes having 2 different grinds certainly makes for a versatile knife!
 
y53p said:
I know the hatchet would all around be better for chopping, but would a full tang, large knife do the job as well? I have a Cold Steel Survivalist, which is just a solid piece of 52100 with a 8'' blade. It's a heavy knife so it's been good for chopping wood and I was able to baton with it just fine thanks to the full tang and long blade.

So should I just stick to this or would it be wiser to invest in a hatchet, and if yes do you have any to suggest?
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First of all regarding any type of bushcraft / survival / campcraft scenarios many of us who have carried out such activities whether in the Military or just from a purely enjoyment factor of living in a remote location and experiencing that primeval feeling of living like our ancestors did hundreds of years ago , I think the one thing that is paramount in all these situations is either a good solid sharp hunting style knife or other implement for carrying out basic cutting / slicing / battoning duties and as others have said a decent quality small back up blade for maybe skinning purposes and other smaller bushcraft tasks . If you dont mind carring the weight then by all means take an axe or tomahawk which also have their uses in these environments . The main thing to remember is there is no one knife for all tasks (so its horses for courses ) . I would certainly second what "Alone " said and invest in a Bahco Laplander wood saw as in fact they are very effective for cutting branches to make campcraft implements and traps etc or indeed to make improvised shelters out of small trees , deadwood or branches etc. Regarding a good hunting / bushcraft knife , there are thousands to choose from and everyone will have their own favorite .
 
I personally don’t like small hatchets. For me, it needs to be a minimum of 20” but prefer a 25” axe. I like a small knife, large knife combo with saw the best though. For my large knife I have a beater Cold Steel Kukri in 01 that’s like 5/16” thick at the spine or a Busse Basic 11 that I normally bring along and baton with but don’t chop a bunch with it, just cause I don’t like to chop a lot cause I’m lazy. The saw is faster
 
bikerector said:
That's one reason I like the longer axes, the bit goes into the dirt easier if you miss. Also, the handles are long enough for 2 hands, so more control for me. About 18" is the shortest I prefer. 20-24 is the golden spot for me for packing size while retaining considerable capabilities.
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And I guess to tell what I chose for this size, I have a council tools woodcraft pack axe that I found used for a good price. It's been a great axe, but it isn't inexpensive new.

In winter, it's more likely to come with than summer since I can throw it in the sled. I still prefer big knives most of the time and have tough, stainless ones for winter as ice on the blade has caused some rust issues for me when I would use a golok or machete as my winter big knife. You can gather a lot of wood for cooking quickly with a machete in winter, taking down dead branches or cutting into brush piles.
 
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Mo
y53p said:
I know the hatchet would all around be better for chopping, but would a full tang, large knife do the job as well? I have a Cold Steel Survivalist, which is just a solid piece of 52100 with a 8'' blade. It's a heavy knife so it's been good for chopping wood and I was able to baton with it just fine thanks to the full tang and long blade.

So should I just stick to this or would it be wiser to invest in a hatchet, and if yes do you have any to suggest?
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Mors Kokanski said it well , a man can survive alone in the wilderness with only a knife but he who carries an axe lives like a king
 
Dav1 said:
Alone I can't get the Skrama here in the UK (they won't ship😔) wanted one for a while and from seeing reviews etc... it seems a fantastic knife and 80crv2 is also a favourite hard use steel for me. Just managed to pick up a Brisa Bigmuk blank which is 80crv2 and the same thickness and length as the Skrama although a different shape (large Nessmuk). Going to handle with some stabilised Cherry I have!

But yes having 2 different grinds certainly makes for a versatile knife!
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If I lived in UK, I would give Themainmouse a call and ask him to make me one of his machetes. Pretty tough stuff.
 
Hugofeynman do you have a link or name of his company, as done a search and found nothing. Sounds interesting!
 
Dav1 said:
Hugofeynman do you have a link or name of his company, as done a search and found nothing. Sounds interesting!
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I’m sorry, I’ve misspelled his name: DaMainMouse. Check this video from his YouTube channel:

Send him a message through there.
 
Axe or hawk.

A big chopper is fun, looks awesome - but I’m terrified when I use one. Glancing blows , more edge to worry about where it’s going, like your shin bone.
 
Play around find what works best and comfortable for you when conditions are less than ideal.. hone your skills with that combo and practice with other secondary setups to build a well rounded but preferred method to carry. Depending where and what season etc can all play factors too..
 
bubbaskyjacker said:
Axe or hawk.

A big chopper is fun, looks awesome - but I’m terrified when I use one. Glancing blows , more edge to worry about where it’s going, like your shin bone.
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I think there is a possibility of glancing blows for either tool. It seems less likely to miss with a big chopper because it has a bigger edge to catch the target. But you can't be a complete fool with any tool because you'll pay sooner or later.
 
You can always set the head of the hawk lightly in your wood and drop it all together to avoid swinging wildly if your fatigued.. saddle time with anything will yield results, or teach you what you love/hate imo
 
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