Knives of Alaska Hunter's Hatchet?

OwenM

OwenM

Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
6,104
I want something more durable than the GB Wildlife Hatchet, and S7@48-50Rc sounds like it would do it. KoA says it is styled after the old Plumb Boy Scout hatchets which I like (matter of fact I have one, but the handle needs replacing, and I haven't found one for it. Haven't really looked except locally-maybe I could get a handle from KoA?).

Anybody use one of these and want to comment on it?

Here's a link for anyone that's interested:
http://www.knivesofalaska.com/hatchet/hatchet.htm
 
Low hardness of head doesn't impress me. It doesn't mention premium hickory so it probably isn't.
I'm failing to see where it would be more durable or effective than a GB. The older Plumb Boy Scout hatchets have good heads, if thick, so I'd suggest you rehandle the one you have.
 
Owen,

I've handled a sample at a show but never used one. I didn't really like the shape of the head or the grind of the blade all that much for utility use. However, it did look fairly sturdy.

What is your intended application and why do you think that the GB wouldn't be strong enough? I have a couple Estwing axes with steel shafts and softer heads. Would something like that be a low cost option?

Best of luck in your search.
 
Dave, my Wildlife Hatchet survived about two minutes of use. GB is going to replace it, basically no questions asked, but I'm out there in the woods by myself usually, and need something more robust that I can depend on if something bad happens. Usually I can count on help coming in a couple of days (most of the time I only get out for 2-3 days), since I'm in common areas, and someone knows where I am. Sometimes that's not the case, though, and I'm not staking my welfare on a tool that has to be used "just so" to work.
We've got alot of hardwoods, and I usually use trees that are already down, so some of this stuff is pretty hard. It's just not what GBs are made for. Same for working in the yard, and stuff like that.
Yeah, Estwing sounds like a great idea. I probably will get one to try, since I'm happy with all the Estwing tools I've owned, but that KoA hatchet...well, I really like the size and heft of the little Plumb that it's modeled after, and am always interested in trying out a different steel.
Ok, the thing just looks great, too:)
 
I'm really interested in what happened to the Wildlife. I've sure had no problems with mine - and I've cut a lot of wood with it.
 
Jimbo,
One of my buddies picked it up while we were camping, recently, and started chopping on an old log on the ground that was "real hard". I stopped him, cause I didn't want the edge damaged on that dirty old seasoned wood, and sure didn't want it buried in the rocky ground after the last chop (he didn't bother to put the end up on another log). Took the hatchet back, and sure enough, a portion of the edge was rolled. It straightened right out. Steeled it on the spine of my neck knife, and it looked fine.
A little while later I went to cut a limb off a downed oak (clean wood, and not very hard). After just a few chops, a chunk of the edge broke off. Same portion that was rolled before. I attached a pic.

Maybe it was just a little too hard?
My small Forest Axe has seen harder use without incident, and just a little rolling of the edge when used on dead wood, so I'm going to assume this was a fluke, but it's still making me take a second look at depending on "specialized" tools when I can't control what kind of use they'll be put to.
 
Well I guess someone forgot to do that special test where the hatchet edge corners get wacked with the smith's large hammer... I'd say you had one defective hatchet!
It might sound like a strange suggestion, but I really like the old Norlund hatchets. They have a 12oz Hudson Bay head. I put a longer handle on mine (same length as GB - the original Norlund is short) and it chops as well as the GB - despite being thicker in the blade.
Have a look here:
Norlund

I'd put off doing a lot of work with the regular old Plumb BS hatchet - just got too busy, and it's a few ounces heavier than I like to haul around. The older ones are really great steel though, and the extra weight would come in handy if chopping really hard stuff.

I'd sure like to hear what Gransfors has to say about that Wildlife!
 
Jimbo, I'd forgotten about that test!
I think you're right about how I should just rehandle my old Plumb. No sense buying another hatchet when I have something that will probably work fine, already. Time I got around to it, anyway. May get that Estwing, too, though, since everything Estwing I've owned has been money well spent. Part of me just wants to try something new. Your Norlund review sounds great, but it really reminded me how much I like the small Forest Axe. Since that will fit in even my small daypack, maybe I'll just tote it along next time.
I will probably be sending the WH back tomorrow, and will put a note asking them to let me know what they think about the failure.
The lady I spoke to gave me zero hassle. When she answered, I said, "I have a warranty issue, so I'm not sure who I need to speak to". She asked "what kind of warranty issue?". "My Wildlife Hatchet had a chunk of edge break off in use". "Send it in and we'll warranty it out. Be sure and include your address so we can send you a new one." That was almost the whole conversation, other than her confirming that I had the right address from their web page. Wasn't even on the phone for a whole minute, maybe half that. No asking for a receipt, what you did to the poor hatchet, how long you've had it-just "send it in". We'll see how long it takes to get a replacement, but that really impressed me.
 
Yep - I guess they forgot that special brittleness test! Given the size of the outfit and the demand now, it's not surprising that some stuff gets through that's less than it should be.
I've just got older examples of Plumbs and Norlunds - but the quality of the steel tempering and general finish really impresses me. I usually just bid on heads since they can be posted to Canada without large expense or hassle, but the few with handles or fragments in the head, show things like vertical grain that we now usually only wish for with expensive axes and hatchets. The older Norlunds even have grooves forged into the eye, so that the wood can never move. I even tried mine unwedged to see how solid it was - and it was 100%. For sure it'd be a great idea to put a handle on that Plumb head, you end up with a hatchet far better than most now made.
 
That is defective, I have hit both of the GB I have used right into rocks, as well as glances from the Forest axe, and while the edge did get indented significantly, and even some fracture on the heavier hits, it was less than a mm deep. Spring steel should not fracture in that manner. I would have taken a manner to the rest of the head and looked at how difficult it was to break the rest of it apart. Note that the corners are very easy to overheat which was obviouly the case here.

Dropping the RC down to that extent (< 50 RC) is going to make the edge a lot less durable, it will now roll and indent much easier than the GB heads and you don't need to go that low to get a very high shock resistance. The main reason the edge edges can take damage on the GB axes is that the bevels are relatively acute, I could not use them on cold and knotty woods without incident for example. However wood working axes in general are all optomized to behave this way, if they were not, you would lose to much performance on the regular wood, hence the popularity of specialized double bit axes.

Get a GB and thicken the convex grind in the last 1-2 mm and any durability problems should be solved.

-Cliff
 
Originally posted by Cliff Stamp
That is defective, I have hit both of the GB I have used right into rocks, as well as glances from the Forest axe, and while the edge did get indented significantly, and even some fracture on the heavier hits, it was less than a mm deep.
Click to expand...
I'm glad to hear that. I know alot about guns, and a little about knives, but axes and hatchets are not something I have a ton of experience with. It has been in the back of my mind that maybe I just did something wrong, or a couple of bad hits could have caused that damage, and it was really discouraging to have it happen given the high opinion of GBs I've formed based on my limited use of them. I'm not much on second chances, and was ready to put the new one up for trade when it comes.
To someone used to using knives, and occasionally a generic hardware store axe, the performance of my GBs seemed to good to be true, and this failure kind of confirmed the concerns I'd built up in my mind that there was a flip side to the positives. Guess I'd set myself up for possible disappointment, and this made a very big, and very negative, impression. Maybe I'm being a little hasty, though.

Get a GB and thicken the convex grind in the last 1-2 mm and any durability problems should be solved.
Click to expand...
I will definitely try that on the replacement, should I have any problems with it. Thanks.
 
OwenM :

... and this made a very big, and very negative, impression
Click to expand...

I would assume so, if it had been my first use with them, I definately would not have been favorable. How much faith I put in the replacement would be dependent on the reaction by the GB people. It is very difficult to mentally get over a failure that is that bad, even after using another for quite awhile, the first brittle failure still tends to ring in your mind.

-Cliff
 
Just to follow up, and since Jim specifically asked...GB is sending me a new hatchet. I finally got around to sending mine in a couple of weeks ago, and got an email last Friday informing me that they were out of Wildlife Hatchets, and mine would ship as soon as more arrived.
The explanation of the failure wasn't very detailed, just stating that there was a "tiny fault in the steel", which was "not common, but not unheard of".


"No matter, your replacement will be on its way soon."
Just threw that in 'cause it's my favorite part:D

Cliff
It is very difficult to mentally get over a failure that is that bad, even after using another for quite awhile, the first brittle failure still tends to ring in your mind.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah. I actually took my small Forest Axe out and chopped up a few old logs not long after making that last post, just to remind myself that the one bad hatchet didn't mean my other two GBs were going to fall to pieces on me. Of course it did fine, and I'm looking forward to using my new Wildlife Hatchet.
I'm kind of glad that I took a few weeks to send it in, and am now having to wait a little bit. Had it been replaced immediately, it would have probably gone up for sale or trade. Now I'm ready to give it a second chance, though.
 
It is good to see they replaced it, that should have been done without hesitation. It is important in those situations that the customer be made very aware that this isn't the expected behavior of the hatchet. Problems do happen, and this is where customer service has to insure that these do not paint the image of the product in a strong negative light. The GB axes are quality wood working tools, it would be a shame to have anything less than the same quality of support behind them.

-Cliff
 
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