Looking for a hatchet

[LonnyRS]

Gerber and Fiskars are the same company so y'all better watch out, these brands are in fashion right now. In all fairness though they are both made in China not Sweden though I guess they could still use Swedish steel. The Condor and Marbles use German steel and are manufactured in El Salvador which I'm wondering if that means in the same facility? I don't think Chinese manufacturing is bad although we could argue whether it is good.

It is funny to defend a very forward thinking modern tool by impeaching the validity of modern research methods although I think the criticism is valid. In the end I think that the quality of the Marbles, Condor and Fiskars are probably in line and it probably boils down to whether a warranty or a traditional tool is more important. I'd buy the traditional for personal reasons, ok I'll admit I think they look cooler and I like the idea that tools can be generational, and I don't think that the Fiskars is meant to be that. You break the haft you send it in and get a new one. I'd rather buy a haft and put it on. I think it is silly though to criticise someone who feels they have better things to do with there time.

The best advice I think though would be to buy the Fiskars for the BOB and buy a nice old head and restore it for your destination. You'll want a tool that you can use forever and if something is just going to sit in your trunk until the SHTF then why wouldn't it be something cheap and useful?

http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools
Fiskars are made in Finland, not China. I can't speak for Gerber though.

 

[Rappy]

I've decided on getting a Condor scout hatchet the dimensions are well suited for me thanks everyone for their input!

 

[Liberatus1]

http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools
Fiskars are made in Finland, not China. I can't speak for Gerber though.

That site says designed in Finland, all of their hatchets and axes are made in China. Look here on Amazon. Fiskars does indeed on Gerber. I live near Gerber HQ and they do precious little manufacturing in the US, the hatchets from Gerber are essentially the same as the Fiskars. I won't deal in bs but you were wise to challenge it.

 

[Liberatus1]

I've decided on getting a Condor scout hatchet the dimensions are well suited for me thanks everyone for their input!

The Condor looks very cool and people seem to love it.

 

[EdmontonAxe]

That site says designed in Finland, all of their hatchets and axes are made in China. Look here on Amazon. Fiskars does indeed on Gerber. I live near Gerber HQ and they do precious little manufacturing in the US, the hatchets from Gerber are essentially the same as the Fiskars. I won't deal in bs but you were wise to challenge it.[/QU

I can say either way on gerber, but Fiskars axes are made in Finland. I've read such on the fiskars website. The axes themselves say 'finland' om them and the packaging says 'made in finland'. There are many chinese made fiskars branded products, but the axes are not. This has been debated and put to rest on this forum several times before.

 

[Liberatus1]

I can say either way on gerber, but Fiskars axes are made in Finland. I've read such on the fiskars website. The axes themselves say 'finland' om them and the packaging says 'made in finland'. There are many chinese made fiskars branded products, but the axes are not. This has been debated and put to rest on this forum several times before.

I guess I'm confused because it says pretty clearly if you look in that link that the hatchet is made in China. How am I reading that wrong?

 

[300Six]

Gotta love the global economy! The packaging box likely will say made in Mexico, label says printed in USA , goods list says assembled in Spain from made in China parts using Sweden-sourced material and then the physical product stamp might say "Bugtussle Tools Canada". Who can you believe anymore?

 

[EdmontonAxe]

I guess I'm confused because it says pretty clearly if you look in that link that the hatchet is made in China. How am I reading that wrong?

I go to the fiskars site, http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools reads "Proudly made in Finland". Which link are you referring to? I'm on my phone, not a larger screen, so I might be being redirected to a mobile page, but from what I van see right now, the fiskars site says fiskars axes are made in finland
If that statement was missing, there would be more room to question it.

 

[Bo T]

My take on this is; if you want to be able to replace the handle in the field get a polled tomahawk. Or get an axe with a tomahawk eye. Any implement that needs to be sent back to the company for minor repairs (i.e. handle) is not suitable or a BOB.

 

[SFW]

I just picked up a vintage Plumb Boy Scout Hatchet off eBay for $16, in very good shape. It's 14" in length. Check them out. Hard to best for the price.

 

[csp203]

Gerber Axe with knife in the handle is made in China. All other Fiskars/Gerber axes are made in Finland. The China made Axe is NOT the Axe to buy.

 

[tanglediver]

Marbles makes a smaller hatchet (model 700SB) than the camp model (model 701 SB). Small ain't the word, micro is a better word!



I was about to re-haft with a longer handle that had a better knuckle on the end, or a nice hawk handle.

 

[Samon]

Marbles makes a smaller hatchet (model 700SB) than the camp model (model 701 SB). Small ain't the word, micro is a better word!



I was about to re-haft with a longer handle that had a better knuckle on the end, or a nice hawk handle.

Need! Sweet lil thing!

 

[Bridger]

Fiskars axes have been made in the old Bilnas factory since Fiskars purchased the company. Anybody looking for an excellent modern take on the axe from a company with a few hundred years of history can rest easy buying a Fiskars. I was a skeptic until I actually bought one and now it is my go-to light working axe. I just cleared a quarter acre of mature oak timber with the 28" chopping axe a couple weeks ago. I still need to post some pics and crappy vids of the work when I get around to it. I'm a vintage axe guy all the way, but the Fiskars definitely has earned my seal of approval.

 

[Steve Tall]

Some of the mysteries of the production of Fiskars axes (in Finland) are explained in this research paper (including photos showing temper lines, robotic spray coating, etc.)

(From a 2011 report)

Fiskars axe head material:
Steel rods supplied by OVAKO.
Carbon steel, with 0.4-0.6% C.

C 0.42-0.50 %
Si 0.15-0.40 %
Mn 0.50-0.80 %
P max 0.030%
S max 0.035 %

Description of heat treatment:

Heated to 850-1000C for forging.
After forging, head quenched rapidly in liquid.
Then stress relief in 440C furnace for 5 hours.
Resulting hardness at this stage is 43 HRC.
Then bit (edge)portion of head is hardened,
by first heating for about 30 seconds using induction coils,
then quenching the bit with a spray of water/glycol for 10 seconds
(at which point the hardness is about 61 HRC),
then tempering by heating with an induction coil to somewhere between 200-400C
and left to cool at room temperature.
The resulting hardness should be around 55 HRC.


Source:
All of this information comes from a thesis published online from 2011 titled "Induction Quench Hardening of Carbon Steel Axe Blades", by Henrik Lund, Arcada University, Finland.
The full report is available at this site:
http://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/35302/Lund_Henrik.pdf?sequence=1

Details are given for the remaining production steps, the effects of grinding, and adjustments made to the process described above. Also included is information about hardness testing and induction heating.

 

[Liberatus1]

Went to Coastal Farm and Fleet to get a handle for my boys axe and sure enough the Fiskars and the Gerber are made in Finland. Amazon was totally off the mark but I should have been more credulous of you find people. Why Amazon would get it wrong in the wrong direction I'll never know. I will say that I never thought there was anything wrong with them. Nice Marbles btw.

 

[Liberatus1]

I go to the fiskars site, http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools reads "Proudly made in Finland". Which link are you referring to? I'm on my phone, not a larger screen, so I might be being redirected to a mobile page, but from what I van see right now, the fiskars site says fiskars axes are made in finland
If that statement was missing, there would be more room to question it.

Here is the Amazon link, http://smile.amazon.com/Fiskars-78506935-X7-14-Inch-Hatchet/dp/B0002YTO7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408125741&sr=8-1&keywords=fiskars+hatchet, where it said Imported (China) regarding the Fiskars Axe. I came across that same Fiskars and it's identical Gerber counterpart in Coastal Farm and Fleet and it said right there on the tool itself made in Finland so there you have it. I look in the Fiskars link but I can't find it on the regular site but I know now its there. Sorry man I thought that it wasn't I will say that I didn't think that there was anything wrong with the hatchets or axes either way.

 

[LonnyRS]

It's OK. Apology accepted. I, nor very few others on here, would never ever buy a made in China axe or hatchet and brag about how excellent it cuts, or even recommend it to fellow BF'ers!!
I wonder why we never hear of anything (at least I haven't) being made in Norway? Being right close to Finland and Sweden? Or is that their "China"? hahaha

 

[Steve Tall]

...
I wonder why we never hear of anything (at least I haven't) being made in Norway?...

Mustad used to make axes in Norway. I guess their competitive advantage is in fish hooks.

A search reveals "Brødrene Øyo is the only producer of axes in Norway..." They make standard axes as well as this replica of a viking axe (from AD 1000) found near the factory.

"The Viking axe is a copy of a Viking axe that was found near the Brødrene Øyo As factory. We have improved the cutting edge a little compared to the original, but the form of the axe is unchanged. The original axe is from the year 1000. It is assumed that the axe was used as an all-purpose axe, as a weapon, for hunting and in the household. Researchers have found out that there was iron extraction in the Geilo area already 2000 years ago..."
-- quoted from oeyo.no