Looking for a work tool

Hollowdweller is going to loan me a khukuri to try out when I get back to the US from Iraq.

Great bunch of guys here.
 
Admittedly I am not the most knowledgable when it comes to axes, but since you live fairly close to Sevierville, you may want to look at the S A Wetterlings axes they carry at the Smoky Mountain Knife Works. I have purchased two of them, one from there and one from Highland Hardware in Cookeville. I have been very happy with mine and the price would be comparable to the Fiskar's

Ben
 
I actually used a Woodsman's Pal in Iraq, mainly for clearing the reeds and plants in the canals. It worked well, but for the task I was using it for, a machete would have worked better.

I did, however, end up using it back at Ft. Polk to clear much thicker brush (about 2 to 3 inch diameter saplings) one day while searching for a piece of missing equipment. It worked well for me. Like the previous poster said, it's basically a cross between a machete and a hatchet.

It is worth nothing, however, that it has received generally bad reviews on the site from various people.
 
I second the part where once I knocked the burr off the edge with my diamond sharpener it easily shaved the hair off my arm. I also own the camp axe sized one too. The cutting power of these far outshines their actual sizes. My "little" Fiskars has been to the desert with me every time I went (more than a few). They are very light and the prominent flare at the bottom makes the somewhat slippery handle seem less important to me. If anything, it might be good for preventing blisters with prolonged use. I cannot really verify that since I've never used mine in a sustained manner. Another thing I liked was how well the hollow polymer handle absorbed the shock of impact with hardwoods. I have an Estwing camp axe that I thought was the cats meow until the first time I layed into a piece of oak... Owwwwwwcccchhhh! They also would be very corrosion resistant as well except along the sharpened edge or as the poly film is worn with use.

I really like mine :D
 
Read this for a good comparison review.
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=147

The Ranger Entry Tool, not the spike hawk, is probably what was being recommended above. While it's a great tool for Iraq, it will not be a decent tool for the forest. I tested one in Iraq, works great on cars...

I'll recommend Gransfors Bruks to the gentleman who asked. But if you do go with Fiskars/Gerber, be aware that the Fiskars is a better product than the Gerber, regardless that they are divisions of the same company. Time and again people have noted that the European product holds its edge longer than the Oregon product, for reasons still not fully explained.

If you're looking at the 17" Fiskars, the GB SFA (small forrest axe) will be like a dream. Maye the Wetterling large hunter as well.

As to Gransfors Bruks: you're coming home from Iraq with a few extra dollars I'm sure, and looking at a $35 axe and an $80 axe. Very few people who've used GB products would not agree that the GB is worth that much more than a Fiskars. That is not to say the Fiskars is not a goot tool, we've determined that it is. It's just that you imply that you'll be using it a LOT, not just for camp-fire wood. The extra money spent on GB will ensure years of happyness and contentment. Otherwise you may spend a lot of time wishing you'd spent a little more money.

As to your request for low maintenence tool, you know from Iraq that ALL of your gear needs maintenance. Even stainless steel pocket knives rust from your leg sweat at 115 degrees... You want good carbon steel for an axe head, heat treated right so it holds its edge. Do not make maintenance a priority that determines your choice of plastic or wood handle. Lumberjacks have been using wood handles for thousands of years. Keep some linseed oil or mineral oil on it and it'll never fail. It's when you leave it in your garage for 14 years that they get loose and brittle.
 
Fiskars 14" Hatchet is $20 at the Home Depot garden shop. You included pounding stakes as a criteria - the Fiskars has a very small poll. Also look for Wetterling hatchets (and nordic knieves) at very reasonable prices in ragweedforge.com.
 
We have both a poll hawk and 2 sizes of belt axes that would probably serve your purpose. If you want something with a synthetic handle you might check out Hawk City USA which carries axes & hawks as well as swords and other sharp items except for knives.
 
Someone suggested a Woodman's Pal. I was under the impression that the steel in those is left very soft. Correct me if I'm wrong.

It sounds like you indeed need a decent axe. The Fiskars line is very good for factory made. The handle is incredibly strong, and you shouldn't have a need to replace it unless it's subjected to fire and melts. If you can get Hultafors axes (swedish, forged) anywhere, I have always thought highly of them. The price isn't that much higher than with Fiskars, but the axes is more akin to the more traditional kind like G.B. They are well finished. All these three and probably Wetterling, which I've never handled myself are probably a good bet. KJ Eriksson (now 'Mora of Sweden') makes a thermoplastic handled hand axe, but I don't know how hard use that can take.

Another brand you might look into is the Italian Fox Coltellerie. They have a few axes; a small double bit and a historical Roman style, but more interestingly some thick stainless machettes, one or two kukri-ish models included. Their quality is generally good, especially for the price. A.G. Russell at least used to have them, don't know if they're stocked any more.

I've also seen some surprisingly decent mass manufactured non-brand German axes, going for an equivalent of about 10 dollars. They are thin and hard enough and even have somewhat of a relief hollowed, but also need a regrind/heavy sharpening and usually a better grained handle. The small one I currently have has a very nice wide profile.
 
Way-O said:
Someone suggested a Woodman's Pal. I was under the impression that the steel in those is left very soft. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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The Woodman's Pal (AKA "Survival Ax, Type IV"; FKA "Knife, LC-14-B") is hardened like a garden hoe - C-47 according to to current manufacturer. Plan on taking an ignition points or similar file with you.

If you can get Hultafors axes (swedish, forged) anywhere, I have always thought highly of them. The price isn't that much higher than with Fiskars, but the axes is more akin to the more traditional kind like G.B. They are well finished. All these three and probably Wetterling, which I've never handled myself are probably a good bet. KJ Eriksson (now 'Mora of Sweden') makes a thermoplastic handled hand axe, but I don't know how hard use that can take.
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Heavy models of Hults Bruks axes are showing up on the military surplus market.
 
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