Hatchets: are they worth carrying in the woods?

P

Plainsman

Joined
Apr 5, 1999
Messages
1,164
I have one I like to carry on my belt HANDLE UP, it is small and compact and allows me to do more than with a knife alone.

This hatchet is quite old, its head is small with only a 2.5" blade. The handle and head are ONE PIECE OF STEEL! The handle was not covered when I got it. I started with a piece of garden hose riveted to it and finally made a LEATHER WASHER handle for it. The total weight is less than a pound.

It works well for chopping and hammering. In an emergency the blade is small enough that I could use it as a knife holding high up on the handle or behind the head.

It can also be sharpened easily enough with a file or stone!

Do you think generally they are useful or does one have to find a specialized one like mine for it to be worth the weight and bulk?

Comments!

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Plainsman :)
primitiveguy@hotmail.com


 
I recall this thread being discussed to death a couple of years ago...when I was in the primitive skills email group. I had never carried one and had no openion. It seemed that most members thought they were to dangerous and advocated an axe or big knife. I still have no openion. I think if you take care of it and use it safely, then what they heck. However, when I feel I need that type of power, I carry a small (yet full) axe.

Anyone have a point of view on this....one way or another?

------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
I think it would have to be a specialized type to be worth it. Problem would be, as you get a hatchet small and light enough to carry well, it has lost its length and weight which does the cutting . I carry a Cold Steel Trail Master , it chops as well as most hatchets . Taking down arm size trees for a shelter or travois (sp) is done in 4-5 wacks . It also works as a great machete for clearing brush and can be used for skinning if needed, lord knows it is sharp enough to . Usually all I have to do is strop it to bring it back to shaving .

Gater
 
Plainsman:
Yes, a small, lightweight, compact hatchet is a very useful tool in the woods. That is a great deal of the design of the Uluchet as a multi-purpose ulu knife/hatchet. It is very compact and lightweight, yet we've had almost all of our customers comment on it's weight to chopping ability ratio. Geometry and physics replaces the excess weight of a standard hatchet.

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P.J.
P.J. Turner Knife Mfg, Inc.
Uluchet, What's an Uluchet? Find out at...
www.silverstar.com/turnermfg


 
Hatchets are normally a pain to carry safely.And they are usually too heavy to carry comfortably on your belt,and I don't always like to have to take a rucksack or fanny pack with me.I feel the same way about heavy chopping knives at times,when I want to travel light.
But I seem to need a pounding tool or heavy chopper quite a bit.So I was stuck carrying a long heavy tool or going without.
Then I found the Uluchet.It only ways about the same as a 7" belt knife (like a kabar) or a Supertool.The handle folds along itself to make a shorter overall package than a 7" belt knife.It cuts better than many thinner bladed knives I have used and chops out of proportion to its size.I have push cut thru reinforced hose and driven nails with it.I have mainly used it at work (it is a great tool) but plan on carrying it instead of longer,heavier gear in the woods when I feel like going light.I haven't had it or used it long enough to find what I don't like about it yet, except the sheath looks a little too much like a small flap type pistol holster,but on the other hand I like the way it covers the tool and I like leather for a hunting sheath(quiet).
I will try to post a review in the review forum if I ever get time from work to thoroughly check it out against other tools in the woods.
m
 
One big advantage of a hatchet over a heavy knife is the flat hammer surface on the back of the blade. While you can use rocks for lots of pounding tasks, a hatchet hammer surface is handier. The physics of a hatchet or axe is pretty efficient, but don't plan on clearing brush with it. They are least efficient on free-standing brush.
 
You might want to see the "Axes and Hatchets - beyond Home Depot and Walmart",
here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/001530.html

Some good alternatives are listed.

The tasks each are best at probably differ, but not only is there some overlap, user preference, and what tool one has at the time play a part. I would say for a large task an axe would be better. As Gater suggests, the axe has an advantage because of length and weight. For those same reasons, one may not have one when your camping involves a lot of hiking. The handle probably does not add that much weight per se, but is somewhat awkward to carry. If you can rig a comfortable way to carry it, a lighter head on a longish handle might be a good compromise.

Cost may be a consideration. You probably have more selections at lower cost in the hatchet range than in the big knife range. There are probably lots of exceptions and someone will start to bring up machetes or khukris....and let us not forget saws, either separately or on our SAKs or multitools, or even clippers.

Hatchets might be preferable for legal or public acceptability reasons. I do not know of any length laws on hatchets, at least not if one is out camping. [Of course I haven't looked either.
wink.gif
] Further, I imagine Boy Scouts tolerate hatchets better than big knives. When I was in Boy Scouts many years ago, I had a hatchet (and still have it), not a big knife. I did have a Boy Scout Sheath knife, but I would not consider it large enough to be a chopper.

Fun, may enter into it. In Ron's Jungle tape one of the Indians would have normally used an axe to chop down a palm, but use a Tops Anaconda while he had the chance.

Safety may be a consideration. I recall from my brief look at the Gransfors web site that they urge extra caution when using shorter handled [axes/hatchets??] implements because you are standing closer.

Just grist for the mill. My professors [or years ago] would be proud of me, raise more issues than I resolve. Now if I get lucky enough to camping in the near future, WHAT DO I TAKE?, the only axes in the family are with my parents on the farm in Maryland, so do I take my infi Busse Battle Mistress or my infi Busse Combat Hatchet????
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Donald
Miami, FL

[This message has been edited by Donald (edited 12 December 1999).]
 
I carry a small belt ax a lot, especially when I am out in primitive garb. It is a small flat headed Fort Meigs belt ax with an oval handle. I carry it with a leather head cover and slipped in a loop in the back of my shooting bag. Does it chop better than say my 10 inch blade forged rifleman style knife, not really, but I prefer it on some tasks. And it does serve as a makeshift hammer, DO I need it, no I suppose other tools might also work, but it is light and it serves a good function if I happen to lose my main knife, and for that alone the slight extra weight makes it worth it to me.

If it were ever to be used in self defense along with a blade, the hachete does have definite advantages, you can perform moves such a hook which can incapacitate an opponents weapon.

------------------
Lee

LIfe is too important to be taken seriously. Oscar Wilde
 
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