I'm a big knife guy that's starting to be drawn to the idea of a small axe or hatchet

mcswood said:
To compare the ability to chop between an axe / hatchet and a knife they should
be of equal weight.
A 2 or 3 pound knife such as a heavy kukri or bolo with a razor sharp 1/4" thick blade will
out chop most if not all axes. The draw back is that it has a much larger edge to
care for and it won't hold a candle to any axe / hatchet for splitting wood.
That being said;
If processing wood either for burning or building is on the menu I would go with
a good folding saw, a medium sized axe, and make a wooden wedge to aid in splitting.
A knife of some sort should always go along but when used for other than simple cutting
the chance of injury is high to say the least.
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The Vaughn sub zero paired with a folding saw is a pretty good option ( though it needs a little work ) and for the price of the GB you can buy it, a bahco laplander , and a Mora or two and have money leftover ( FYI OSH currently has the laplander for like 35$ or less, so there's no shipping cost )
 
There is a lot of overlap with very large chopping knives and small hatchets, when it comes to pure chopping power. A big hatchet or small axe will work better on thick solid wood. A big knife/machete/golok/khuk, etc. will do better on springy brush and smaller limbs. So I guess your choice will depend more on whether you want to chop 10" thick logs, or stuff say, 2" thick or smaller. I generally find myself carrying my 18" bladed bowie, but I like all sorts of cutting tools.
 
Ok, after making such a knife, that can stay right with an axe of the same weight. Can it now preform the other tasks that are normally expected of a knife? DM
 
I'm just not a "knife guy". Everything I use a knife for is best done with one in the 3-4" range, so I've always had folders or a modest sized fixedblade. If I want to split wood and cut down trees regularly with a knife, I'd have to carry around something big and ugly, plus it would be useless for delicate tasks, or less useful. I have a machete strapped to my mowing tractor, but thats it for big knives for me. I have the same disregard, just to be fair, for small "axes". The 1.25# hatchet on 14" handle is standard for a reason, but its utility is limited to kindling and craftwork realistically. The Hudson bay and boys axes are useful for real work and camping chores. If I was going to do much, though, I'd go to 3.5# axe. The jump in utility is shocking.

No one has mentioned tomahawks. I've got one I'm going to experiment with. The light weight is offset by a longer handle to some degree and it can be easily removed from handle for other chores.
 
David Martin said:
Ok, after making such a knife, that can stay right with an axe of the same weight. Can it now preform the other tasks that are normally expected of a knife? DM
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Can the axe perform other tasks that are normally expected of a knife? :) I'd say both can do all kinds of other work if ya know what you're doin', but neither will be satisfactory when what you really need is an inch long pen blade.

I figured it would go without saying that the big chopper or hatchet would be paired with a smaller fixed blade or folder for finer tasks, so you have something for big jobs & something for smaller ones.
 
the possum said:
Can the axe perform other tasks that are normally expected of a knife? :) I'd say both can do all kinds of other work if ya know what you're doin', but neither will be satisfactory when what you really need is an inch long pen blade.

I figured it would go without saying that the big chopper or hatchet would be paired with a smaller fixed blade or folder for finer tasks, so you have something for big jobs & something for smaller ones.
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This might not be in line with the flow of conversation but I usually take a boy's axe or a longer handled hatchet for wood processing and a Mora companion on the belt with a folder in my pocket.

Cleaning a fish with a axe/hatchet can be done but I made a terrible mess of it when I tried.

*I followed a guy out of a landscape place who had filled his Subaru Baja with river rock - some sort of analogy there I can't seem to put into words...
 
"a 2 or 3 pound knife such as a heavy kukri or bolo with a razor sharp 1/4" thick blade will out chop most if not all axes"
Au contraire ! To make a statement like that I know you have not spent much time with a 2 1/4 lb boys axe or a 3 1/2 lb single bit Jersey
 
Threads often unravel into assumptions and conjecture but good picture David Martin. You're demonstrating a large-knife-weight hatchet and how it can do the same tasks a knife of similar weight can do and in fact, for the competent user, maybe even more. A hatchet is not just a club you take by the swell in one hand and hack with. Others have pointed out that there are certain things a knife is better suited to and maybe, in some eyes, look better, but edge geometry is not a singular thing just like a "large knife" or "hatchet" is not a singular thing. A machete might be huge in size yet still weigh less than the Kukri that was mentioned. So these tools are not really the same thing, may not have similar edge profiles, may not be intended for the same tasks, and depending on where you live, you may face harder or easier natural materials to cut. This is why some people prefer large knives, and others prefer hatchets or maybe even something larger. So to say, well your 40 degree edge vs my kitchen knife edges is a no contest chopping victory isn't particularly specific. Obviously the American Poll Axe was designed to be and is the best hand tool for chopping - trees. However, if I need to snap through pinky sized green brush then a machete is "chopping" and is probably the right choice. We really shouldn't need a thread talking about how your choice in cutting tool is entirely dependent on its use, which was one of the first points made when this thread started. What's more, anyone who tries to compare a dull hatchet to a razor sharp knife of similar weight is stacking the deck and will attain evidence to support predetermined perceptions of the two tools. It always seems to boil down to a which is better argument. There is no better. There is only the right tool for the job and the one that works well for you.
 
cityofthesouth said:
It always seems to boil down to a which is better argument. There is no better. There is only the right tool for the job and the one that works well for you.
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^Totally agree. I'd also point out a chopping test on a log between a knife and an axe/hatchet isn't a true test. If you have wood to process, I don't think many people would reach for a knife over an axe. The efficiency factor would lean heavily to the axe in that instance, especially as quantities increase. *Can* a knife be used to fell trees and buck logs? Sure! Is it the best tool for the job? Not a chance..otherwise all those loggers would have had big knives on them instead of axes. When time and efficiency makes you money, you grab the best tool for the job. I don't swing an axe when I'm clearing saplings and shrubs, and I don't grab my Tramontina machete to knock down and buck trees.
 
Old Axeman said:
"a 2 or 3 pound knife such as a heavy kukri or bolo with a razor sharp 1/4" thick blade will out chop most if not all axes"
Au contraire ! To make a statement like that I know you have not spent much time with a 2 1/4 lb boys axe or a 3 1/2 lb single bit Jersey
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Yeah, agreed.
 
There are some great points being made in this thread. The best, in my opinion, is that sometimes a knife will work better and sometimes a small axe/hatchet will work better. Im not looking at larger or full size axes.

I guess I'm playing the "If I could only take one" game. Say in a long distance "Get Home Bag".

A small knife and a 9 or 10" blade knife, or a small knife and a small hatchet.
 
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David Martin said:
the possum said:
Can the axe perform other tasks that are normally expected of a knife? :)
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Yes, mine can. I use it for skinning, cutting up potatoes, and other task. Here I am processing penned raised chickens with it. DM
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My big knife can, too. I've cleaned a bunch of squirrels with it, opened the mail, whittled marshmallow sticks for my daughter, opened feed sacks & plastic, etc., and it works great on watermelon. ;) I've also used it to clear brush & chopped through downed limbs up to 10" thick. (though it's not really designed for that; I made it for hunting varmints.)
I even took of a picture of it last fall, helping me skin my deer. :)
big%20skinner_zpselyilafi.jpg

I did use a small knife to start the cuts on the legs, but that was mainly because the bowie is double edged & I didn't wanna slice up the meat; not because of its length.
 
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Silas said:
There are some great points being made in this thread. The best, in my opinion, is that sometimes a knife will work better and sometimes a small axe/hatchet will work better. Im not looking at larger or full size axes.

I guess I'm playing the "If I could only take one" game. Say in a long distance "Get Home Bag".

A small knife and a 9 or 10" blade knife, or a small knife and a small hatchet.
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I'm pretty confident a 1.25# hatchet will outwork a knife with 9-10" blade for firewood, building camp structures, etc. If you know how to profile and sharpen, it is cheap and easy to try. The harbor freight hatchet is ~$10, and similar ones on Amazon are about the same if you watch the specials, with the Tekton being my favorites now that the graintex ones are never in stock. The council tool is about 20-30, and Husqvarna not too much more. I buy the cheap ones for abuse, but many times they are almost too nice to tear up.

The same goes for cold steel trailhawks and the many hawks and camp axes from crazy crow.

Another option is a vintage hatchet head on a modified house or miners handle, like the one hacked showed. That will give you 5-6" extra length without too much weight. Of course, the SFA and whatever wetterlings has that's similar, if money is no object.

I would just suggest starting with the basic tool, learning how to prepare and use it, then make up your mind. You may like knives better in the end, but it never hurts to try things and learn. And you are the final judge of what will work better for you.
 
I agree that I misspoke. I haven't used axes as much as I have large chopping knives.
As I said before I carry an axe, a saw, and a wedge.
The comparisons between axes and knives aren't usually done on a close to even match up.
That was my point.
 
David Martin said:
Ok, after making such a knife, that can stay right with an axe of the same weight. Can it now preform the other tasks that are normally expected of a knife? DM
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Not without band aids and probably stitches.
Can a large knife such as a bolo chop wood?
Maybe that's a more suitable question.
I'm ready for;
No, but an axe can.;)
 
Possum, your handsome knife with a 12" blade skinned that buck. Looks to have done a good job. Now, use it to remove the tenderloin inside the buck's cavity. This is where a difference will be noticed. A long knife will work well outside the carcass but will be too cumbersome inside the cavity. Also, if some intestine is left in a small area it will have a hard time removing it.
I gut, skinned and quartered a large 350 lb. hog with a Buck model 120 which has a 7 1/2" blade. I found it worked well outside the carcass but could just do things inside. It was at it's limit. At skinning & quartering it showed it's best talent. That's the way it is with large knifes. A hatchet is a good skinner as well. It can quarter well enough too. But I wouldn't use it to remove the tenderloin inside the carcass. It's not cumbersome inside the cavity, it's just the 'wrong blade shape.' So, my point is, both can shine in certain areas. Both may shine in the same area of work. But they cannot be expected to do it 'all well.' DM
 
Thanks again to everyone for all of the input.

I have a couple of different small hatchets on order to try out. It will be good, and fun, to learn how to use them.

I guess its good to know how to use more that one type of tool in a bushcraft/camping/survival situation. Whether it be a big knife, or a hatchet/tomahawk.
 
David, I agree completely. That's what I was trying to say earlier- a hatchet or big knife can both do a lot of chores outside their traditional roles, but both will be less than ideal at a number of things as well.

I like a big spey blade or skinning pattern for the tenderloins. But if I had to do it with a hatchet or huge knife, I'd probably use their strengths instead of trying to force them into a smaller blade's role. That is, chop away the ribs first, so they'd be easier to get at.

Thanks for the compliment on the bowie. Though I must mention the blade is actually 18 inches long (24 inches overall).
 
the possum said:
David, I agree completely. That's what I was trying to say earlier- a hatchet or big knife can both do a lot of chores outside their traditional roles, but both will be less than ideal at a number of things as well.

I like a big spey blade or skinning pattern for the tenderloins. But if I had to do it with a hatchet or huge knife, I'd probably use their strengths instead of trying to force them into a smaller blade's role. That is, chop away the ribs first, so they'd be easier to get at.

Thanks for the compliment on the bowie. Though I must mention the blade is actually 18 inches long (24 inches overall).
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Now that's a knife :)! I remember my dad storing his corn knife way out of reach when it became an attractive nuisance to us boys. Appeared to be a veritable Excalibur!
 
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