Hatchets are better than big fixed blades. Change my mind.

Hatchets are better than big fixed blades

  • True

    Votes: 34 60.7%

  • False

    Votes: 22 39.3%
  • Total voters
    56
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Smaug said:
I guess which one is more all-around versatile was my supposition. Or if not, I did mention and illustrate my use case here: breaking down small trees. (let's say ≤5" diameter trees)

I used the reciprocating saw for trunks/branches 1" and thicker and the hatchet for everything else.
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Based on the fact that you thought the SRK was a large fixed blade, I'd say you are just getting started in your blade journey, which is just fine. Mors Kochanski said something to the effect of, the more you know, the less you'll carry. You can break down a small tree with just a hatchet or large chopper. Or even a Mora, if you know what you are doing. A lot depends on your personal preferences, and who you learn from. I would say that BF as a whole is biased towards large choppers.

You are on the right path, stay safe, keep learning and trying new things. You'll figure out what works best for you.
 
Smaug said:
Why?
(I'm listening)
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I find it easier to work around larger stuff by batoning a large knife than trying to make a hatchet work. The knife covers a wider range of use cases for me.

Of course, if my hatchet technique was better, I'm sure this could go the other way too.
 
91bravo said:
I used to be a hatchet man, and I still have a few. They have their place for sure. But for backpack camping where I need to harvest lots of firewood, I bring a folding Silky and a large knife/chopper. You can harvest much more wood with a saw and large knife than you can with a hatchet. More safely as well.
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Yes. Saws for the win. I pick a saw over my axes or large blades 90% or more of the time.
 
shinyedges said:
Silkys are like manual chainsaws. My experience has led me to the same setup
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Don’t rule out the Sven too. It cuts in both directions compared to Silky’s pull stroke. I like em both, but the Silky does have a slight learning curve to em, or you’ll bend or snap a blade!
Smaug said:
Looks good, but $300; wow.
I'm thinking under $100; maybe closer to $50 if I'm going to try something. Then, if it's brilliant except at edge-holding, I might spend more.
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Check out Condor for budget. Check out Baronyx here too. A nice Tramontina would serve you well within your budget too. 5”-6” blade is not really a chopper.
 
91bravo said:
Don’t rule out the Sven too. It cuts in both directions compared to Silky’s pull stroke. I like em both, but the Silky does have a slight learning curve to em, or you’ll bend or snap a blade!

Check out Condor for budget. Check out Baronyx here too. A nice Tramontina would serve you well within your budget too. 5”-6” blade is not really a chopper.
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I haven't tried the sven but I agree the silkys have a learning curve.
 
Does a better job chopping too. The early peoples didn't hack at trees with swords or seax, dirk, or dagger, when wood needed chopping, out came the axe. Won't move or bend on this, you're free to have your own way with things. I found that a 10 dollar orchard supply hatchet chopped better than my biggest nastiest fix blade at the time. And never broke a handle, so ---
 
Smaug said:
...What is a good value chopper? Chopper equivalent of the Morakniv?...
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I'm just throwing this in the mix, since you asked. Admittedly, I don't have much time with mine, but maybe one of the guys who has some time with one can share their experience(s).

Anyhoo, your question made me think about the Kershaw "Camp 10". They seem to have good reviews and can sometimes be found "On Sale" for about $40.

Just another option. Happy hunting.
 
If you are like a lot of people here, me included, buying a budget blade to get into this more often than not means if you decide that’s the way to go, you want a big expensive chopper. You are on Bladeforums. King of I want I need.
I don’t recommend inexpensive blades. There are good, reasonably priced ones but I find myself looking at the beautiful blades people post and wanting something more. You may not be in that mode yet and may never get there but I would buy and cry once if I were going to get a chopper.
Run while u can 😎
 
SRK is a great knife for many tasks, but not chopping. All of the recommendations above are sound. I will offer a suggestion of a Terava Skrama 240 for about $114 with excellent sheath and great steel. The blade is heavy enough to chop, but the real gem is the handle allowing you to grip farther back for hacking, or move your hand forward for more precision. I spend Friday processing birch firewood again, and used my Skrama much of the time. The more I use that ugly beast, the more I like it and it is becoming a favorite. I would recommend trying out something like that or a decent machete or even a BK9 to see how you like them before spending much more for a CPK, Busse/kin dedicated chopper.
I use saws, machetes, choppers, hatchets, axes, and loppers very frequently and they all have their place. Just my .02
 
dogstar said:
Based on the fact that you thought the SRK was a large fixed blade, I'd say you are just getting started in your blade journey, which is just fine. Mors Kochanski said something to the effect of, the more you know, the less you'll carry. You can break down a small tree with just a hatchet or large chopper. Or even a Mora, if you know what you are doing. A lot depends on your personal preferences, and who you learn from. I would say that BF as a whole is biased towards large choppers.

You are on the right path, stay safe, keep learning and trying new things. You'll figure out what works best for you.
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Well, getting started in my FIXED blade journey, for sure. I've been pretty much a folder-only guy for decades, with the rare time I'm cleaning animals a small fixie is much preferable. It's a new facet of knives, for me.
I never thought of the angle that a longer working edge could be handy when knocking off smaller branches from a bigger one. That alone would make it effective in is own way that would balance out the lack of mass behind the edge that a hatchet has.

How do you guys sharpen these? A clamp-on guided rod sharpener or Spyderco Sharpmaker don't seem to be good options for such long blades. Just eyeball it with a flat stone moving instead of the knife itself moving?
 
You don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy this hobby. The market is saturated enough for there to be quality, reliable products at a reasonable price. Paying a premium is an option, not a requirement. Save your money; someday, you might want to buy a house.
 
Alone said:
In regard to saws, I've been using Bahco Laplanders for years and absolutely love 'em.

Again, just a matter of opinion and another preference that can probably start a "beans or no beans" battle.
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I'm not shopping for a saw, but my company (Snap-on) just bought Bahco not too long ago, so I might be able to score one cheap in a future scratch & dent sale here...
 
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