More on the perfect hatchet

peter nap

peter nap

Joined
Nov 27, 1999
Messages
3,745
I'm still trying to come up with the perfect hatchet that will still work in my handle up style sheath. This morning I forged two. The first was too small and light but I think this one will work.
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By the way...this is the way a shop should look! :o

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It cuts pretty well. Time will tell how perfect it is for a handle up hunting hatchet!
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Peter: I sorry but if we had a Ugly Workbench contest it looks like you would win it too.:D :D
OH!! Cool hatch:) :)
 
Thanks George. My problem is I have too many projects going at once and I never put anything away until I can't work anymore. One of my grinders has muzzleloader parts stacked on top of it. The table saw always becomes a quickie workbench because the others are stacked.

Just to the left of the vice is my metal lathe. It is stacked up with knife parts.

I need to build an addition so I have somewhere to work!:grumpy:
 
Photographers often take a sheet with them to cover up extraneous stuff LOL ! There seems to be bit too much weight in the head, I would have put some of that weight to a wider blade. Tell us how it works in the field.
 
Looks pretty good, is that a hickory haft?.

Your right, now that's what a shop should look like. It's cleaner than mine.
 
There seems to be bit too much weight in the head, I would have put some of that weight to a wider blade. Tell us how it works in the field.
The picture is a little deceptive Mete. I think it's the anvil. It's a little 25 pounder I made from a RR Rail.
The opening is square and streached pretty thin. The handle is only 5/8 in the opening. The head is really pretty light with the thickest part of the blade 1/4" I would have liked to make it wider but ran out of steel. I had to bump it pretty hard to get what I have. Maybe on the next one. I'll let you know how it handles while hunting but so far it passes the chopping test with flying colors.


Looks pretty good, is that a hickory haft?.
No, Will, it's a piece of ash I had stuck away for handles.


Your right, now that's what a shop should look like. It's cleaner than mine How do you get anything done Will?:eek:

Peter: I made my shop bigger and now I have twice as much junk in it
That's goyya be a greater force than Murphy's Law!:D ;)
 
A " 25 pounder" ??? I hope you mean 2.5 lb. Having welded RR track ( it has to be preheated an post heated to prevent cracking) , I'd like to know how it was heat treated .
 
Nope, 25 pounds. Heat treating was done in a brick forge and then milled by a friend at Phillip Morris.
 
Peter , now I understand your problem - no english. Hatchet comes from the french 'hatchette' diminutive (SMALL)of hache (axe). Yours is even large for an axe !
 
Peter,
Just a quick question if I may, How'd you get in my shop with a camera?:o Actually, I appreciate that you cleaned up a little before snapping that pic.

That's a right handy looking hatchet you've made there.:cool:


All the best,
Mike U.
 
OK, now we're finally getting somewhere. But 8 oz that's a bit light for anything but light duty. A hatchet I just found is 32 oz total and my carpenters hatchet is 22 oz total.
 
It is light Mete, maybe too light but I'm trying to strike a balance. Consider a 10 pound muzzleloader, a 20 pound climber, 5 pounds worth of powder, ammo and cleaning stuff, food and a sleeping bag and you are pushing 50 pounds that I might have to carry 15 miles. I'm pushing 60 years old and every ounce gets important.

The hatchet wasn't intended for heavy chopping, it just replaces a camp knife, saw, large hatchet and maybe a shovel.
 
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