hatchet vs. very large knife?

dogstar said:
A bit more on using hatchets safely... It looks really cool when you see people swing them with authority, and chunks of wood go flying. Well, that takes practice. To start, choke up on the handle and gradually you will get more comfortable with using more power. Also, you can baton a hatchet as you do a knife. It is 100% okay to do that, especially in confined spaces and the dark. Don't listen to people who say "my way is the right way and everyone else is wrong," that is just BS. Also instead of holding wood on a chopping block with your hand, use a "chicken stick," which is just a stick you use to hold the wood, instead of your precious fingers. I am a big fan of making kindling by holding smaller pieces of wood parallel to the handle with the bit lined up, then smacking them down on a log or stump. You then twist to split the wood. There are lots of little tricks that make the hatchet a versatile tool.
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Those tricks you describe are all things I’ve learned from years of using a hatch. I use one stoveside for kindling and have used one in my traditional carpentry projects, and as a result am pretty comfortable with one.


Anyways,
I personally would rather have, and most often do use, a hatchet and a medium sized knife. Usually a buck 192. But it’s for knife stuff.

I also like and use a 18” government machete in place of a hatchet sometimes. It offers a great compromise as it will take lots of abuse but can be used for fine cutting if kept sharp. I’ve even dug with mine in a pinch.

When walking in the woods I put either my hatchet or machete in my belt at the small of my back. Both in a sheath. And it stays put pretty good and is handy.

Right now the hatchet I use most is the estwing sportsman’s axe. It’s okay.... but I’m looking for a wood handled hatchet that suits me to replace it. The handle shape doesn’t fit me so well. I been thinking of replacing the handle. But I prefer a wood handle anyways. I guess I could do a leather and wood stacked handle.
 
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haven't had much use for a hatchet myself. In my experience, a large knife can do most of the things that a hatchet can do, plus a lot more. Can't speak to anyone else' uses for both or either, and it's easy to imagine many uses for a hatchet that are less safe or harder to do with a big knife.
 
Lorien said:
haven't had much use for a hatchet myself. In my experience, a large knife can do most of the things that a hatchet can do, plus a lot more. Can't speak to anyone else' uses for both or either, and it's easy to imagine many uses for a hatchet that are less safe or harder to do with a big knife.
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To me a large knife or machete are so much safer for much of the cutting I do. Cutting 2-4” diameter limbs that are overhanging, etc. much safer to hold the branch and strike with a knife when it is springy or unsupported off the ground. That said, I love hatchets for limbing, driving wedges, and so many other things, I almost always have both available.
 
This is a cutlery enthusiast forum, so I posit:
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beeinak said:
To me a large knife or machete are so much safer for much of the cutting I do. Cutting 2-4” diameter limbs that are overhanging, etc. much safer to hold the branch and strike with a knife when it is springy or unsupported off the ground. That said, I love hatchets for limbing, driving wedges, and so many other things, I almost always have both available.
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I need to try camping with a tomahawk or a camp axe. I’ve only used used large fixed blade knives (7-10”) and have done everything camping, survival, bushcraft and what not have ya multiple times with a large fixed blade. This is the way my father taught me since I was very young and it’s all I know. I need to broaden my horizons.
 
coolbreezy37 said:
I need to try camping with a tomahawk or a camp axe. I’ve only used used large fixed blade knives (7-10”) and have done everything camping, survival, bushcraft and what not have ya multiple times with a large fixed blade. This is the way my father taught me since I was very young and it’s all I know. I need to broaden my horizons.
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Yes, go for it! This is how much fun you can have with a hawk:
I want to be this guy when I grow up some day.
 
coolbreezy37 said:
I need to try camping with a tomahawk or a camp axe. I’ve only used used large fixed blade knives (7-10”) and have done everything camping, survival, bushcraft and what not have ya multiple times with a large fixed blade. This is the way my father taught me since I was very young and it’s all I know. I need to broaden my horizons.
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One thing I like about hatchets for limbing is that you can get close to the ground without hitting it, while still using the maximum cutting portion of the bit. I like to work from the base up, and some dead spruce is good sized. It is nice to be able to choke up if needed, or use 2 hands if needed. I also like to use hatchet/axe heads as draw knives (mostly pushing though) including removing dirty bark with debris prior to cutting with a chainsaw. There is room for knives, machete’s, and hatchets as well as big loppers and saws when I have chores on my place. I love them all🤣. My Gransfors Bruks small forest Axe has been great for so many things, and I do like the Estwings as well for being durable, rubber grip for wet/snow, and they are great at stripping bark. 2Hawks makes some really awesome hawks and my Warbeast just makes me smile. Have a safe next adventure!
 
beeinak said:
One thing I like about hatchets for limbing is that you can get close to the ground without hitting it, while still using the maximum cutting portion of the bit. I like to work from the base up, and some dead spruce is good sized. It is nice to be able to choke up if needed, or use 2 hands if needed. I also like to use hatchet/axe heads as draw knives (mostly pushing though) including removing dirty bark with debris prior to cutting with a chainsaw. There is room for knives, machete’s, and hatchets as well as big loppers and saws when I have chores on my place. I love them all🤣. My Gransfors Bruks small forest Axe has been great for so many things, and I do like the Estwings as well for being durable, rubber grip for wet/snow, and they are great at stripping bark. 2Hawks makes some really awesome hawks and my Warbeast just makes me smile. Have a safe next adventure!
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I got a Winkler Combat Axe on order. It’ll be my only Tomahawk.
 
coolbreezy37 said:
I got a Winkler Combat Axe on order. It’ll be my only Tomahawk.
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Not sure what you are going to use this for, but it would not be my first choice for wood processing. However, it does better than I thought. Regardless, I hope you enjoy your hawk.
 
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dogstar said:
Not sure what you are going to use this for, but it would not be my first choice for wood processing. However, it does better than I thought. Regardless, I hope you enjoy your hawk.
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Appreciate it. I’ve used a Becker BK9 to process a countless amount of wood. I bought the winkler because I wanted a durable, full tang, traditional and well made tomahawk. Not really a fan of tactical stuff.
 
In my limited experience, I've found the weight of the tool makes the most difference, a 2lb axe compared to a 12oz knife, there's no comparison, the axe will hit far harder.

Now it would be good to compare a 1lb machete to 1lb axe.. that would be close... However I tend to find and use tools I like even when the trade offs don't make sense.
 
Mark4444 said:
In my limited experience, I've found the weight of the tool makes the most difference, a 2lb axe compared to a 12oz knife, there's no comparison, the axe will hit far harder.

Now it would be good to compare a 1lb machete to 1lb axe.. that would be close... However I tend to find and use tools I like even when the trade offs don't make sense.
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I think weight distribution makes a big difference. The axe has all its weight at the end of the handle, which makes it hit harder, ounce for ounce. But as you said, use what you like.
 
coolbreezy37 said:
I bought the winkler because I wanted a durable, full tang, traditional
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To me a traditional hawk would be wooden haft, low carbon steel eye with a forge welded high carbon bit. That Winkler is what comes to mind for a tactical hawk designed for breaching and combat. Anyway, you will enjoy it, and it will last several lifetimes.
 
The way I see it for what it’s worth (not much 😆) trying to compare knives & hatchets is like comparing apples & oranges, they are different, so trying to find a “best” is dependent on what you’re trying to achieve.
One works the other one doesn’t.
 
dogstar said:
To me a traditional hawk would be wooden haft, low carbon steel eye with a forge welded high carbon bit. That Winkler is what comes to mind for a tactical hawk designed for breaching and combat. Anyway, you will enjoy it, and it will last several lifetimes.
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Well, it was between Winkler and RMJ. I love both but the Winkler is a little bit more up my alley. I don’t much about hawks, but I think I made an OK choice. I guess a better way of putting it is, the Winkler is a nice combination of “tactical” and traditional IMO.
 
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