Need a hatchet recommendation

N

newknife

Joined
Jul 6, 2008
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588
I need some recommendation for a good hatchet around 15 inches...(medium?)

If you recommend something could you also provide a link to a place where it can be purchased.

I have a small ax I bought a walmart which is better than nothing but I'm looking for something a little better.

Thanks!
 
I've used many, but the best I've every used (in that size) is the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet. It's not an ideal grind for splitting (though it'll still do it) but it chops wood like a demon. The balance and fit & finish are top notch. It's a pleasure to use and not burdensome to carry.

If the price tag scares you, try Wetterlings hatchets. www.bensbackwoods.com has them.

The fiskars hatchets aren't too bad (some hate em, some love em). But the head really isn't set up well (re: geometry) for general chopping.
 
If you're on a budget you can't go wrong with the fiskers. That said, I'm really wanting to try one of Brian's snow and neallys.

Brandon
 
The gerber's are ok for light chopping but my son destroyed one recently. Will not purchase another. Went with the Brian Andrews modded unit as a replacement. For anyone needing a high quality chopping tool, these are the ones. Prices are fair, customer service is excellent, and the quality is top notch.
Plus I like supporting real family run businesses.

SGB
 
oldsaltgrassbear said:
The gerber's are ok for light chopping but my son destroyed one recently. Will not purchase another. Went with the Brian Andrews modded unit as a replacement. For anyone needing a high quality chopping tool, these are the ones. Prices are fair, customer service is excellent, and the quality is top notch.
Plus I like supporting real family run businesses.

SGB
Click to expand...

How, exactly, did your son "destroy" one? I'd be interested to know, because I've beat the piss out of mine, and it has held up really well. I've known other people, personally, who have had them for years, worked them hard, and never had a problem.
 
What kind of use?

Fiskars -cheapest. Good for light to moderate usage. Yard work-camping

Gransfor Bruks -expensive. Heavy duty user.
 
Fiskars; 14" hatchet is a great lightweight chopper. I've used mine for almost a year now chopping and splitting and shaping wood, it is great. After a heavy sharpening the edge holding is much better-you have to remove a little bit of the metal that's softened during the hardening process.

Snow and Nealley makes a good axe, but they really need some grinding to bring out the best. I second Brian Andrew's axes, he does a really nice job and his prices are good.

Pitdog: The modern Collins stuff, sadly, has become the "hardware store axe" that you always read about. They are cheaply produced in Mexico with less than optimum materials. The old famous Collins axes (produced less than two miles from my house in their old factory in CT!) are good axes, and I have one or two laying around. If you can find one of those heads and put it on a good handle, you will have a good axe. The modern axes will do fine for a first axe as you learn what you want in an axe, but the edges need some heavy grinding to cut well. My first axe and my first hatchet were modern Collins, and I sure felt proud of them after hand filing and honing the edges to perfection, but I am prouder of the axes I have now.
 
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siguy said:
Fiskars; 14" hatchet is a great lightweight chopper. I've used mine for almost a year now chopping and splitting and shaping wood, it is great. After a heavy sharpening the edge holding is much better-you have to remove a little bit of the metal that's softened during the hardening process.

Snow and Nealley makes a good axe, but they really need some grinding to bring out the best. I second Brian Andrew's axes, he does a really nice job and his prices are good.

Pitdog: The modern Collins stuff, sadly, has become the "hardware store axe" that you always read about. They are cheaply produced in Mexico with less than optimum materials. The old famous Collins axes (produced less than two miles from my house in their old factory in CT!) are good axes, and I have one or two laying around. If you can find one of those heads and put it on a good handle, you will have a good axe. The modern axes will do fine for a first axe as you learn what you want in an axe, but the edges need some heavy grinding to cut well. My first axe and my first hatchet were modern Collins, and I sure felt proud of them after hand filing and honing the edges to perfection, but I am prouder of the axes I have now.
Click to expand...

Cheers buddy, thanks for the info !!!!:thumbup:
 
siguy said:
Fiskars; 14" hatchet is a great lightweight chopper. I've used mine for almost a year now chopping and splitting and shaping wood, it is great. After a heavy sharpening the edge holding is much better-you have to remove a little bit of the metal that's softened during the hardening process.

Snow and Nealley makes a good axe, but they really need some grinding to bring out the best. I second Brian Andrew's axes, he does a really nice job and his prices are good.
Click to expand...


I really like my 14 inch Fiskars as well, it seemed like the edge was chipping but now it's fine, put a bit of a convex edge on it too and it works like a charm. If you prefer traditional, the Gransfors Bruks are amazing, Wetterlings are not quite as nice but a lot cheaper.
I heard many good things about Brians modded S&N as well, I'd love to try one.
 
In that size range really hard to beat the GB.

If I wasn't willing to pay that go for the Wetterlings of the same size.:thumbup:
 
Have you considered a cleaver? I heat primarily with wood and the only light chopper I used this winter was the Foster Bros.. You can pick up a good, heavy duty, cleaver pretty cheap..

mike389.jpg


A modded cleaver:

mike493.jpg
 
MNeedham, now all you need is a beat up hockey mask and you won't have any campers bothering you. HeHe.....
 
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