How does your favorite chopper (machete or knife) chop compared to a small hatchet?

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maximus83

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I'm interested to hear from those who have used a small hatchet extensively for chopping, and have also tried a machete or a large knife as an alternative. How well does your best-chopping machete (or large knife) compare to the best small hatchet you've used? By how does it compare, I mean simply things like how effective is it at chopping, how long does it take to get through a tree of a given diameter?

Just interested to hear the different experiences. I've carried belt hatchets in the woods but gave up on them in favor of large knives (and now, trying a machete). Yesterday I tried out my new Condor golok on a 6" diameter chunk of wood. The golok is designed as a chopper, it's a Condor with a 0.25" thick blade and I had a nice convexed edge on it. Took me about 5 mins of fairly steady chopping to get all the way through it, not trying to work as fast as possible but just steady. My old Gerber hatchet got through it a piece of the same size about 30 seconds faster. I guess I could have taken videos, but I personally get bored out of mind sitting there watching people hack through a piece of wood. Not exactly scientific testing anyway, but it gives a rough idea, the two are reasonably similar in performance. I will say, I really like the improved blade area and control of working with the machete versus the hatchet. I wonder if I tune the machete's edge even more, if it would outdo the small hatchet.

Note: i think with a bigger axe, the chopping strengths of the axe would be much more pronounced. But that is not super relevant here, as ordinarily in the woods I'm simply not going to pack something as heavy as a larger axe.
 
Hey Max

Personally for me, a large Chopper, 9"+ blade for me makes most sense for me. Even though I snapped a blade off batoning ( Freak Accident),, I'm still very much a big fan of batoning....If you need to split a longer piece it is still better to baton it as far as I'm concerned...

A hatchet although work well for many, I simply don't find it as handy as a longer blade..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
I took my Culberson Bolok, 12" long 5160 blade, on my last backpacking trip. After days of rain, all the wood on the ground was wet, so I looked for downed trees. It chops well, a good axe or hatchet of similar length may have been faster. Yet, the following day, I went off trail, and used it like a machete, just to clear some of a path. It's too heavy to do machete work, for long periods, but for a short time, it does work. I also used the Culberson as a draw knife to make a bunch of shavings for our fire.

My best "hatchet" right now is a Marbles double bit, that I re-hung on a longer hickory ball-peen hammer handle. The convex edges of this hatchet do bite pretty deep, and when limbing a downed tree, it performs well. I switched back and forth with the Culberson and the Marbles this summer. I had chopped down that tree, and it was hot outside. My grip and accuracy were not at peak performance. They both cut well, but I noticed that the angle of attack determined which did better for a particlar branch, more so than the performance of each tool.
Bottom line, I could take either camping with me, and make do. I have not used the Marbles long enough to know how long it holds an edge, but the Culberson is amazing. I've used it for hard chopping for many sessions, and have only stropped it, then it shaves again.
 
I prefer using larger blades. Not just because I think they are the best at it, but because I find more use in them. Although I do find my Culberson to be a better chopper than most of the hatchets I have used. I can baton larger size logs, although not necessary, I find it fun. I can also use it easier as a draw knife, or to do more knife like chores.
 
I BK9 out chops my admittedly bad hatchet (from lowes or something like that, its decidedly generic) by quite a margin actually.

Did some testing when I first got my BK9, and the BK9 took 26 hits to go through the log, and the hatchet took 47. Now, I'll be redoing this test in the summer to double check (not enough logs that I can use around my apt, and during the school year I never get out camping), but for that piece of wood, the BK9 was for sure superior.

Because of that, I carry the BK9 now instead of my hatchet.

I also like the option to use it as a draw knife, and it does work better at battoning.
 
Normark said:
Hey Max

Personally for me, a large Chopper, 9"+ blade for me makes most sense for me. Even though I snapped a blade off batoning ( Freak Accident),, I'm still very much a big fan of batoning....If you need to split a longer piece it is still better to baton it as far as I'm concerned...

A hatchet although work well for many, I simply don't find it as handy as a longer blade..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
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Long time no see ! Myself, I use whatever feels appropriate for the conditions\environment I'm facing.
 
I find my hatchet,a Wetterlings, works best for me.Where I live I don't need to hack through brush,only need it for chopping or splitting. So a large knife/machete doesn't have any advantage.

I have carved dead falls with it, so it can double as a spare knife as well.
 
Maybe it's just me but it seems like comparing a machete with a hatchet is like comparing apples and oranges. A machete is traditionally designed to go through heavily wooded terrain while a hatchet is more of a stationary chopping tool.

If this is to be a fair comparison then we should also compare how much time it'll take you to go through one mile of bush with a hatchet and then repeat the coarse with a machete.

They both cut, they both have their uses but I can't tell you how they compare as I simply don't compare them. Which is better, a screwdriver or a hammer?

One more thing, I'm not upset or trying to sound like I'm beating up on anyone it's just that this question baffles me.
 
I would say that there is very little comparison (at least for what I do).

Success can be defined a lot of ways.

If I am chopping 2x4s there is no question, that a hatchet will take more licks and time to get through than a competition grind chopper.

If I am chopping green wood, the thin grind of a chopper may lodge and bind, and a thick hatchet will be preferred.

As others have said, it depends on the conditions (and preferences). You will never know until you try;)
 
I like my tomahawks (which I realize are inferior choppers when compared to actual hatchets) but my BK9 out-chops them by a considerable margin.


---

Beckerhead #42
 
It's hard to compare. The average 14 inch hatchet has a 1.25lb head. The average 19 inch tomahawk has around a 1lb head. The average 16 inch machete will weigh between a pound and a pound and a half. I find hatchets aren't as efficient as most of my machetes, especially if they are longer. Once you get up into the 20 inch axe range, then the game starts to change. Tomahawks swing alot like a forward weight machete, like a KLO or a bolo, and tend to bite just a tad bit better, bind less, and tend to 'explode' material on impact, or draw out chunks with retrieval.
 
Ogien said:
Maybe it's just me but it seems like comparing a machete with a hatchet is like comparing apples and oranges. A machete is traditionally designed to go through heavily wooded terrain while a hatchet is more of a stationary chopping tool.

If this is to be a fair comparison then we should also compare how much time it'll take you to go through one mile of bush with a hatchet and then repeat the coarse with a machete.


They both cut, they both have their uses but I can't tell you how they compare as I simply don't compare them. Which is better, a screwdriver or a hammer?

One more thing, I'm not upset or trying to sound like I'm beating up on anyone it's just that this question baffles me.
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The OP is asking how they compare at chopping, not clearing trails, or other machete work. Just saying..it is a real question. If the guy only needs to chop wood, and has to decide to take the lighter machete, or a hatchet, well which is going to chop better?
 
I can't fully answer your question since I only use an axe for chopping wood. But I think an axe would be better in every way, since it has a longer reach and a heavier head, giving it more momentum and power. Also, the weight is focused only on the head(smaller surface area+more weight backing it) where the chopper's weight is spread out evenly throughout the knife. A chopper is nice for a do it all camp tool or if you want something lighter and more compact.
 
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I generally prefer a machete over a hatchet, but it mostly comes down to versatility rather than raw chopping power. You can split wood with a machete if you have to--you can't clear brambles, grasses, or light woody plants with a hatchet! And the short length and thick edge of the hatchet makes it comparatively dangerous should a glancing blow occur. If I'm going to carry a light-weight mini axe head it'll be on a long haft--not a short one. Because then you're really playing the power-for-mass game to its fullest. Extra handle length may not be as packable, but it weighs virtually nothing.
 
foxx said:
The OP is asking how they compare at chopping, not clearing trails, or other machete work. Just saying..it is a real question. If the guy only needs to chop wood, and has to decide to take the lighter machete, or a hatchet, well which is going to chop better?
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foxx, I know what OP was getting at but as has been mentioned in this thread the question is almost impossible to answer since things like handle length of the hatchet haven't been at all described.

Like I posted above, I'm not trying to beat anyone's question down but the way it was presented I don't understand the question. As I said, "which is better, a screwdriver or a hammer?" I can't answer that question either, in some cases a screwdriver is the tool I want and in other cases I'll opt for the hammer, despite the fact that they are both tools and both have some crossover activities they "might" be used for.

Maybe it would be easier for me to answer the question if OP provides some more details. Only time will tell for sure.

Wanted to mention one more time that I'm not trying to come down on anyone and answered the question to the best of my ability with the limited information provided.
 
maximus83 said:
How well does your best-chopping machete (or large knife) compare to the best small hatchet you've used?
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Specifically in reference to this line here, my best-chopping machete blows all the hatchets I've tried out of the water. Simply no contest, though my best chopper is a bit more brutal than most, at over 4.5" wide. :p As far as I'm concerned a hatchet is either for carving/rough-shaping/building or it's for splitting kindling. It's not for chopping with the intent to sever, like in the felling or limbing sense. For timberwork or kindling, though, it's a great tool.
 
My best "chopper" is my 15" Ang Khola. I keep it in the RV and it is primarily a wood processor for campfires. Compared to the small hatchet that it replaced, it chops just as well and is better at pull cuts. For me, it's a hatchet with versatility.

hi1.jpg


I use a machete almost everyday, but for completely different purposes that wouldn't be suitable for a hatchet or khukri.
 
PayetteRucker said:
I find hatchets aren't as efficient as most of my machetes, especially if they are longer. Once you get up into the 20 inch axe range, then the game starts to change.
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Yes, that's exactly what I meant with my last comment about the larger axes. With small hatchets, I have a hard time seeing a lot of difference between those and a good chopper, performance wise. I believe the guy that does knifetests.com found some similar results. Basically, that small hatchets like a GB can be good, but a good chopper can be just as good, for chopping. But when I use a larger, heavier axe with a long handle, the whole game changes and I can really fly. Speed is limited only by my imperfect technique. :-) But the problem is, I simply NEVER carry a large axe in the woods, it's not practical for me.

As for the other poster saying that "this questions baffles me," honestly, I'm baffled at the bafflement. What is inappropriate about comparing the chopping ability of a machete or large knife designed for chopping, with a hatchet that's also designed for chopping? People use machetes for chopping all the time, there's posts all over the forums here about that. They're two different tools, yes, but they have overlapping abilities in the area of CHOPPING. That is the area I wanted to compare, not the other capabilities of machetes such as brush clearing. Perhaps the poster read between the lines a bit and thought that I was asking something like: What is the SUPERIOR tool, a hatchet or a machete? That is most definitely not what I was asking, I just focused on the narrow question of chopping effectiveness between a small hatchet versus a long bladed knife/machete.
 
Ogien said:
foxx, I know what OP was getting at but as has been mentioned in this thread the question is almost impossible to answer since things like handle length of the hatchet haven't been at all described.
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Already addressed your bafflement I think in my post just above.

As for length of hatchet, I mentioned a small hatchet and what I meant was the kind of hatchets designed as a belt hatchet like the GB mini-hatchet, or small camp hatchets like the Gerber, Kershaw, Wetterlings, or Estwing hatchets. Most of them have small camp hatchets of this type with handles in the realm of 11" to 15" or thereabouts. That's what I meant by a small hatchet. It seems like you are the only one having so much difficulty understanding this.
 
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