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Ok, question. For your bushcraft/camping needs ...
- Thread starter Rsmith_77
- Start date
Pretty much what MrFixIt said...
The more firewood you process the heavier the tool you can justify packing in.
I am not a huge fan of either the hatchet or tomahawk to be honest. If I need to go light as is the case for hiking I'll usually bring a folding saw + folding knife or select my gear so I do not need a big fire. Big fires are a big no no anyway on most nice public trails since you do not own the wood and fires scar the landscape. Forced to choose I'll take the hatchet.
If I am not bothered about weight i.e. car/boat/cabin gear I'll just bring a full size splitting axe and chainsaw. Most places I burn wood I'll usually just take a trailer load of wood from a tractor driven firewood processor.
The more firewood you process the heavier the tool you can justify packing in.
I am not a huge fan of either the hatchet or tomahawk to be honest. If I need to go light as is the case for hiking I'll usually bring a folding saw + folding knife or select my gear so I do not need a big fire. Big fires are a big no no anyway on most nice public trails since you do not own the wood and fires scar the landscape. Forced to choose I'll take the hatchet.
If I am not bothered about weight i.e. car/boat/cabin gear I'll just bring a full size splitting axe and chainsaw. Most places I burn wood I'll usually just take a trailer load of wood from a tractor driven firewood processor.
I don't bushcraft.
When backpacking, I rely on a gas or alcohol stove. Less local impact. More convenient. Lighter.
On winter XC trips, I carry a small wood stove (Emberlit) which minimize wood and ash and can be fed with a small knife and folding saw.
In all my years of backcountry travel, I can't think of a place where I would use a tomahawk.
On car camping trips I use a hatchet to split kindling off of precut firewood. A hand splitting maul might make more sense for that.
When backpacking, I rely on a gas or alcohol stove. Less local impact. More convenient. Lighter.
On winter XC trips, I carry a small wood stove (Emberlit) which minimize wood and ash and can be fed with a small knife and folding saw.
In all my years of backcountry travel, I can't think of a place where I would use a tomahawk.
On car camping trips I use a hatchet to split kindling off of precut firewood. A hand splitting maul might make more sense for that.
Hawks are traditionally used as weapons more then tools.
Even modern hawks are usually geared toward tactical/breaching more then wood processing.
Hatchets are tools designed for light chopping and splitting, and do so fairly efficiently.
Based on your query, a hatchet would seem a more appropriate tool.
That said, in the right hands either could be quite effective tools.
Personally, I carry a large fixed blade instead of a hatchet when traveling light, I find it a more versatile tool.
If I need to process lots of firewood, I'll carry a half axe,
...the extra weight being offset by the efficiency of the tool in use.
Just one woodsman's opinion.
Big Mike
Even modern hawks are usually geared toward tactical/breaching more then wood processing.
Hatchets are tools designed for light chopping and splitting, and do so fairly efficiently.
Based on your query, a hatchet would seem a more appropriate tool.
That said, in the right hands either could be quite effective tools.
Personally, I carry a large fixed blade instead of a hatchet when traveling light, I find it a more versatile tool.
If I need to process lots of firewood, I'll carry a half axe,
...the extra weight being offset by the efficiency of the tool in use.
Just one woodsman's opinion.
Big Mike
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 4,238
thanks for all your thoughts folks.
been watching alot of axe videos on youtube and its reaffirmed my original bias towards axes over big knives (hey i grew up in upstate NY ...just transplanted down here to mississippi). I was given a tomahawk for my bday a couple years ago and have reground the edge a bit and got it nice and sharp and for cleaning up dead limbs around the yard it works great now! Kinda fun to delimb a large branch that falls out of the trees with it and all that stuff
but then i got to thinking, if a trailhawk works out this well for me, would a hatchet with a heavier head and a larger blade work even better. I have a hatchet, a walmart job that dulls soo fast its not really worth a spit, but finding decent hatchets seems hard, so consider this to be the beginning of my hatchet research. Also i have a boys/forest axe on the list, so thats probably going to be next
been watching alot of axe videos on youtube and its reaffirmed my original bias towards axes over big knives (hey i grew up in upstate NY ...just transplanted down here to mississippi). I was given a tomahawk for my bday a couple years ago and have reground the edge a bit and got it nice and sharp and for cleaning up dead limbs around the yard it works great now! Kinda fun to delimb a large branch that falls out of the trees with it and all that stuff
but then i got to thinking, if a trailhawk works out this well for me, would a hatchet with a heavier head and a larger blade work even better. I have a hatchet, a walmart job that dulls soo fast its not really worth a spit, but finding decent hatchets seems hard, so consider this to be the beginning of my hatchet research. Also i have a boys/forest axe on the list, so thats probably going to be next
Hammer67
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2012
- Messages
- 10,776
If a 'hawk or a good hatchet were my only two choices, I'd choose the latter. But I agree that your location and needs are a big factor in which you might prefer - I live in the northern Rockies. Husqvarna offers a quite good hatchet (currently still made by Hults Bruk, I believe) for a reasonable price.
kamagong
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2001
- Messages
- 10,966
I guess it depends on the knife. I like to use a khukuri for my chopping needs. Not as good as a full-sized axe, but holds its own against hatchets.
lazy otter
BANNED
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- Apr 4, 2013
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- 1,901
I have carried a hawk for years and it lacks in some areas and excels in others now that being said the new crkt hawks are or seem to me to be the perfect mix between hawk and hatchet.
The Zieg
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2002
- Messages
- 5,014
I prefer my tomahawk, a Cold Steel Plainsman's Hawk (discontinued)--it was the Rifleman's Hawk with the hammer poll cut off. Splits, de-limbs, does everything I've asked of it. Longer handle gives me some leverage. If I lost it for some reason, I'd go with their Trail Hawk. I do like my Gerber Back Paxe, but the short handle is limiting. Combined with a puukko, I can do most anything in the bush (in my part of the world, this amounts to high plains and mountains--Colorado).
Zieg
Zieg
I just purchased a GB Small Hatchet
It is smaller and lighter than the Wildlife
It would meet Nesmuk's small axe needs
So this little pocket axe feels and cuts like an axe with the head shape and handle
Weighs less than a large knife
And is easily used for carving
(the advantage of a Hawk is the swing due to the longer handle to the lighter head weight ratio)
Hawks are fun, but hatchets and small axes are just a little more practical. Although I heard about Dan Eastland working on a camp hawk/trail hawk that sounded really interesting. Really looking forward to that.
Until then, in CA a small axe is useful just about anywhere, save maybe the desert (too many hard woods and water weight is a premium) depending on when and how long of course. I've been pretty impressed with the wetterlings fine forester the last few wilderness trips. Gransfors of this size and smaller are definitely sufficient as well. Carpenter style head makes short work of wood processing both big and small. Fits in my pack or the side adding a little more rigidity and stability when fully packed. At the beach, rolls up into wool blanket nicely with a quick bit of cord to sling over the shoulder.
Until then, in CA a small axe is useful just about anywhere, save maybe the desert (too many hard woods and water weight is a premium) depending on when and how long of course. I've been pretty impressed with the wetterlings fine forester the last few wilderness trips. Gransfors of this size and smaller are definitely sufficient as well. Carpenter style head makes short work of wood processing both big and small. Fits in my pack or the side adding a little more rigidity and stability when fully packed. At the beach, rolls up into wool blanket nicely with a quick bit of cord to sling over the shoulder.
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