Making a case for hand axes

[mneedham]

Pitdog's recent thread about a Mineral Mountain hand axe got me thinking about the value of these tools. For camping, I like the Estwing Camper's axe, but for hiking or woods bumming I prefer hand axes (lighter..). I fooled around with Hawks for a while but found some them to be too thick for my liking. These days I carry a Timberline Pilot's survival axe in my Maxpedition Devil Dog, I have a TOPS ATAX in my Maxpedition Jumbo, and I sometimes carry a Junglee Panda Skinning Axe (I've never actually skinned a panda with it yet) around the property or for cutting kindling. You can see from the pics that blade thicknesses of many of the hand axes have blades that are thin enough that they can be used for tasks that a true axe might be to big for. I cut down a 6-7" pine very quickly with the Junglee (don't choke up on the steel while chopping, the vibration is uncomfortable). I think you could get along pretty well in a lot of environments (machete would be better in some)with a hand axe and a SAK, what do you guys think?

 

[sasha]

Mneedham, From my point of view i do agree with you 100%. I put a good edge on my old Collin axe and to play with it. I made a salad cut the meat and done everything i would have used a 4in knife for. I wont say it was better, same time it was no big deal. I choped some dry as a rock fire wood and it still keeped a great edge. What realy surprised me was that my mom borrowed it to cut up a turkey. She said it cut the bones and everything like butter. But when i looked at the edge some spots it was rolled. Took me about 5-10sec with some sand paper to bring it back. I never held one of the larger knifes but from reading they are just as heavy. And cost about 5 times as much. Well the good ones anyway.
Im a firm beliver that what ever knife or axe or some sharp metal you have. As long as you use common sence you would do just fine. As everyone always says its what you know not what you got....

 

[Morablades]

Looks like a very handy tool. Thanks a lot for the info and pics. I may have to try one. Are there any on the cheap side that I could try first before I bought something a little more expensive? I don't want to pu in too much money and find that I don't like it. Thanks again.

 

[pitdog]

How does the Timberline's edge hold up with it being stainless bro ?

The size and shape is just right but I worry about it not being high carbon !!!

 

[zman308]

I like my Timberline Pilots axe, fits nice in my small BOB but the sharp points on the finger grooves drive me crazy. When I get around to it I will round them down a bit with my Dremel tool. Otherwise it is a great little survival ax.

 

[mneedham]

Sasha & Zman,

I find the small axes real handy. The ATAX and a SAK are pretty much my EDC around my land. I'd say that the SAK winds up doing quite a bit of cutting chores, and the ATAX can handle the heavier stuff (like chopping wood apart that hasn't split properly). A lot of people don't seem to care for the finger grooves on the T-line, I don't mind them... I have wondered what the T-line would look like if Ilbruche got a hold of it....

Pitdog,

The Timberline is 440 and I have used to for light chopping and as a knife blade (The geometry of the blade is like that of a knife). I haven't seen any problems with it yet, but I haven't beat it the way that I beat the ATAX and Junglee...

Morablade,

Both Junglee and Blackjack have produced that style, I don't know of cheaper models, but I do think highly of the Junglee (I am hoping that Spooky Pistolero will someday sell me his Junglee Bolo).

 

[tholiver]

I have an old Blackjack Viking Raider thats very handy and looks a lot like the green-gripped one in your pic.
A G Russell has one very similar to the Blackjack as well, except the AG Russell has a truncated "beard" and a non-finger-grooved straighter grip made of micarta.

 

[mneedham]

tholiver,

I think the junglee made have been inspired by the Viking Raider... How does the Viking Raider perform?

 

[tholiver]

tholiver,

I think the junglee made have been inspired by the Viking Raider... How does the Viking Raider perform?

Its relatively light, fast in the hand and is razor sharp and easy to resharpen.
Seems to have a nicer balance because the weight is not completely concentrated in the head area.
At chopping it works as well or better than my 14 inch Fiskars.
However i wish the grip was straight and in line with the lines of the body.
The grip portion kinda bows down if you know what i mean, think Kukri grip.
For me I find a straighter grip to be a little more comfortable.
Also i find the gut hook is kinda superfluous, i could live without it.
As a tent peg hammer its very awkward and almost useless because of the angled curve of the back of the gut-hook.
Thats why i've been tempted by the A G Russell version, no gut hook, squared head so you can hammer with it and it has a nice straight grip.
http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_...s/a_g_russell_camp_ax_with_black_micarta.html

 

[mneedham]

tholiver,

Those are similar to my impressions of the Junglee; great chopper & cutter, don't need the gut hook... I was thinking it would be cool to get the Junglee re-gripped with wood instead of the rubber that is currently on there, but I am concerned about the vibration. I heat my house primarily with wood and I really like the Junglee for making kindling, that sharp, thin edge grabs the wood and you can create very fine kindling, overall I am impressed with it.

 

[tholiver]

tholiver,

Those are similar to my impressions of the Junglee; great chopper & cutter, don't need the gut hook... I was thinking it would be cool to get the Junglee re-gripped with wood instead of the rubber that is currently on there, but I am concerned about the vibration. I heat my house primarily with wood and I really like the Junglee for making kindling, that sharp, thin edge grabs the wood and you can create very fine kindling, overall I am impressed with it.

The thinness of the head is great for cutting and chopping and is generally more versatile than a regular axe/hatchet head.
But that thinness in the upper grip area makes it not so ergonomic.
I've been really tempted to hockey/black duct-tape at least part of the upper portion of the handle section on the Viking Raider to thicken up the grip area.

I have taped the upper handle area of my Estwing Camp axe, aesthetically its not pretty but it feels better and works ok.