kershaw or fiskars camping axe?

Since no-one has answered you yet I will tell you Fiskars are very good . Some of the newer ones are not made in Finland . I have no knowledge of those . Cliif Stamp has an excellent review on them and talks about reprofilihg the blade to give better performance . Stick around and you will get a more definitive answer . If you want I can scare up that review .
 
Thanks for the reply.

I went with the Fiskars, mainly because it has a slightly heavier head and longer handle. Should do the trick. :)
 
I think you made the best choice. The edge reprofiling review by Cliff is very good . We are also talking about making survival kits to go into the hoillow handle .
 
is reprofiling the axe a tricky job?

I dont have any angle grinders, or dremmels etc...can you reprofile an axe with a plain old metal file?

I expect it would probably take me a year of filing. lol :rolleyes:
 
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391962

This is a link to a review of the Fiskars . There is really not too much wrong with the edge as it is . The only people who would notice a difference is someone experienced who is cutting a lot of hardwood . I am not experienced enough to say if you could do it with a file . I too think it would be a lot of work .

There is no immediate need to alter the edge until you have worked with it for a while . You can also make the hollow handle into a survival kit by making a plug for the end hole and pin it in place using the lanyard hole .That is in the works for me .
 
spend a little xtra and get a gransfors bruks.
the only axe you will need for the rest of your life.
nothing else even comes close.
just be careful not to cut your leg off, lol.
 
You can recut it with a decent file, you are only looking at 15-30 minutes to do the same amount of work I did if you are experienced with a file and physically capable.

-Cliff
 
I too am looking for a camp tool to split small 4-8" wood, and wonder which Gerber/Fiskers axe or hatchet is worth getting?

Specifically does anyone here have or use the 'Gator Combo Axe' (a 15" Gerber w/ saw in handle) product #1420?

Or the 'Gator Combo Axe' (8.75" hatchet w/ knife in handle) product # 9470? I kind of like having the flat bladed knife in the handle; or the saw, which I think would be even more beneficial in camp to cut longer logs in shorter splittable pieces.

I know I don't want to carry the weight of a regular 'splitting axe', so the larger, longer handled versions are not of interest to me. Which brings me to another question; "How short, yet still efficient, can a handle be on a hatchet?"

The 'Gerber Back Paxe Axe w/ Ballistic Sheath', 9" overall length, 2 5/8" blade length, handle length 7", weight 1 lb, is another of interest to me, any opinions?

The 'Camp Axe' by Gerber # 5905, can't be swung with two hands and is 21.1oz, 17.5" overall length, blade 3.13". Won't the heavier weight be harder to swing for long periods of time over a lighter hatchet? The longer handle seems like it would provide more 'swing' than the above type's handle, to split wood easier,no?

Finally, I liked the 'Sport Axe' by Gerber but wished this smaller size came with the 'splitting type' head like those on the 'splitting axe' by Fiskers. It looks like it would help split wood by design. Opinions welcome as I have'nt bought an axe since 1962!
 
The type of wood is rather critial, I have seen 8" spruce ignore a splitting maul, but pine will cleave easily far bigger even with a felling axe. In general the heavier heads are more demanding on shorter handles, just like the heavy hammers. Unless you are really constrained for space I would strongly recommend something like the Bruks small forest as this is both long enough to be used two handed and still be used one handed if desired.

-Cliff
 
Mr Stamp, I'd be using this mostly in New England and Eastern Canadian woods. Some hardwoods, lots of softwoods.

I figured the longer handles would supply more leverage, and striking force when compbined with the same weight head as that on a smaller hand axe/hatchet.

Any opinions on any of the ones I listed in my above post? Price is a consideration, as it needs to be affordable. Also, space on my pack and weight are considerations above price. At what weight is a hatchet's head too light to split 4-8" size wood? Would a limb and my Buck Diamondhead fixed blade 4 1/2" blade enough to split this sized wood for campfires?

Thanks
 
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