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

JayGoliath · Feb 8, 2012

My Himalayan Imports Khadka Bonecutter loves to woodchuck.
He does it part time.

Stubai · Feb 8, 2012

Back in the day, we always took the smaller Norlund hatchets with us on the hunting excursions. The main purpose of this tool was the splitting of the pelvic bone. Of course, people differ in their processing 'technique'...an older gentleman on one of the trips used a 119 that he literally hammered through the bone with a wooden mallet, but I would frown on that, and at the time, I just thought it was nothing short of insanity. I had not been trained that way.

An amusing thing that I see here is that people speak of 'this or that knife or that axe' chopping better than another. Tools don't chop by themselves. The skill and facility of the user is an amazingly important factor in how well a given tool functions, not to mention the strength and accuracy coupled with efficient strokes that yield the desired result. Hatchets in the right hands are stunningly good at a host of functions including the self defense role.

matt1987 · Feb 8, 2012

Here's an interesting comparison - Gransfors Bruks 19" axe vs a wolverine chopper.

[video=youtube;4GaVpiK34uA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GaVpiK34uA[/video]

maximus83 · Feb 8, 2012

Stubai said:
An amusing thing that I see here is that people speak of 'this or that knife or that axe' chopping better than another. Tools don't chop by themselves. The skill and facility of the user is an amazingly important factor in how well a given tool functions, not to mention the strength and accuracy coupled with efficient strokes that yield the desired result. Hatchets in the right hands are stunningly good at a host of functions including the self defense role.

Of course you are right about the importance of user skill. But I think there still IS a point to be made about a tool's overall effectiveness. I could after all grab a baseball bat and "hack skillfully" with it (in the sense of well placed blows) on a tree, but it'd probably take a while to get through the tree. Assuming consistent skill or the same user from test to test, there can be pretty big differences in performance based on things like blade geometry.

So I agree with you about the need for skill. Just saying, the blade is ALSO important. It's the Indian, AND the arrow.

matt1987 · Feb 8, 2012

maximus83 said:
Of course you are right about the importance of user skill. But I think there still IS a point to be made about a tool's overall effectiveness. I could after all grab a baseball bat and "hack skillfully" with it (in the sense of well placed blows) on a tree, but it'd probably take a while to get through the tree. Assuming consistent skill or the same user from test to test, there can be pretty big differences in performance based on things like blade geometry.

So I agree with you about the need for skill. Just saying, the blade is ALSO important. It's the Indian, AND the arrow.

I agree for the most part on both posts. A good tool in the hands of someone who has experience is always the best. The key word there is "experience"...both a chopper and a hatchet are made to process wood, the variable is the user and what he/she prefers and has experience with.

Shotgun · Feb 8, 2012

There's no clear cut answer which is why this question keeps getting asked. There's three aspects to the problem; 1) the type and quality of the tool, 2) the skill of the user in using the tool, and 3) the material being cut. The second two being more important then the first but if one of those aspects isn't a good fit then the person is going to have a hard time with it and will say that "such and such tool is junk."

1) We hve a poster who's comparing his bk9 to a crappy big box hatchet. Take a similar sized Gransfors and I'm sure he'll change his mind.
2) Skill of the user was brought up and I believe a skilled woodsman will make any of them work well.
3) We have a poster who has a problem with machetes binding on green wood. Wrong tool for the material being cut. A properly convexed hatchet will "release" thereby saving the user energy by not having to pull the wedged tool out. A machete or chopper that bites deep isn't always a good thing.

What works best isn't always going to be the same for everybody. And we haven't even talked about end user mods and maintenance. A hatchet/machet/chopper at 600 grit doesn't compare to one at 2500 with a stropping on both black and green compounds.

ausblade78 · Oct 9, 2024

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

Hi Eric from , how are you? I was wondering if I could order a multi sheath for my Garm. The neck thing is not practical. Ben

navman · Oct 9, 2024