Old Debate, Any New Thoughts? Big Knives vs Axes.....

[theonew]

I don't have much experience with either axes or chopper knives. When I used to cut cordwood for sale we used chainsaws and hydraulic splitters. We did have a full size felling ax in the truck and one day decided to try it on a 18 inch tree, with both of us taking turns we finally got the tree down, but by then it was time for lunch

The Busse FFBM that Simon recently reprofiled for me is pretty impressive, after using it a lot for one day, it seems really efficient, as efficient as an ax? I can't really say, for up to 6 inch diameter trees, but then it also weighs about 2 lbs.

At one of the wilderness gatherings there was a large variety of axes available and I got to play with a bunch of them on similar sized pieces of wood. The only one that stands out in my mind was Kevin's Ilitis Oxhead. I remember seeing that go through 4 inch pieces of Birch in one swing. I'm fine without an ax for this summer, but plan on picking up an Oxhead by fall or winter.

 

[Oregon Knife Guy]

I tend to agree with you about processing large amounts of camp/house wood. But where I disagree is where you atate 'ax' where 'maul' should be IMO/E. A wood maul is specifically designed to bust up log rounds into splits. It has the weight, and shape, behind the head to blast rounds apart. An ax used properly is for felling and limbing trees as I was taught. A saw rounds out the tools by allowing one to cut the main trunk and larger branches into split(able) sizes. Most axes IMO are not designed for splitting wood.

I'm not saying to truck a 6-8lb headed wood maul in your pack on a day hike. But if you are intending to setup any kind of longer term camp demanding lots of split wood, I suggest a wood maul is worth hauling along. I know Fiskers has an ax they offered for splitting, and it's called exactly that, as opposed to a wood maul. I bought one, but have yet to use it this year. It has a MUCH different shaped head than any of their other axes. This one has a face that splays wide right from the get go. Plus it seems to have a bit more weight behind that head.

I think the it's not so much large knife vs ax, as what time frame one is considering to do the wood splitting. Long term a maul or splitting ax is your boy. Overnight, or a few days in buck camp, a large knife is entertaining to sit around batoning some pieces of cut firewood.

Until last year I used a double headed axe to split my wood. Then I got two fiskars, one was the maul and the other is the smaller 24"??? Axe. The axe is what I was refering to in this, not the maul, as I can split most wood with an axe as I have done most of my life. That little fiskars axe can split wood exprememly well. I also want to add that I have never lived in a house that didn't have a wood fireplace.

 

[udtjim]

The only answer is for you to take a ax and a ig chopper out and see which works best for you. I have been splitting wood since I was six, with a ax and for me, its no contest, give me a ax/hatchet, Next a saw and then a big knife. I have tried all three and thats what works for me. Others may have different life experience.

 

[Marion David Poff]

Well,

I think we have established that you want different tools for different uses.

I guess for me, I recreate, I don't survive. I pack more calories, both internal and external than I will need. So, conservation of calories is not really a big deal.

Unless it is winter, you really don't even need a fire in most cases, but if you are going to have one, a big knife will do the work necessary to gather the wood you need, even for a white man fire, though maybe not necessarily for a bonfire.

As well, given various techniques, like a star fire, one need not do a great deal of cutting of wood.

Of course, given low night time temperatures, or a stove that requires a specific size of wood, an axe is well suited.

But, for most recreating endeavours, a large knife does well, and I find it excels at limbing, and adds a great many other capabilities.

Not to say that I don't like axes, I miss my GB American Felling Axe something fierce, but my Wetterlings Felling Axe does a great job.

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

i mean even i big axe only has like a 4 inch cuting surface while a big knife has 7-12 inch of cutting surface

Not entirely true my friend

10.5" with a new 26" handle (my new thought on the subject). I have always liked big axes and we used to run our wood stove as the main cookstove in the house and this is what I used to split the wood for it.

Plus it is pretty handy too:

I don't carry it backpacking (at least not for a couple of years yet) but I find it hard to use another axe. For walking around I do like a big knife though:

OK- I'll admit I like little axes too, I do come from Norwegians after all

 

[stingray4540]

Actually, I'm supprised on a forum like this I don't hear of anyone carrying a buck saw. It is about the lightest way to carry a large saw, were you make the frame yourself, you can carry it rolled up, or even behind your belt. It would be much more efficient for cutting up wood than either the axe or the knife. Then you can batton your belt knife to split the wood.

Haveing said that, for me, I prefer an axe to a large knife. Any knife larger than a 4" blade, is completely unweildy for me. Personally, I carry a buck saw or folding say, and a 3-4" belt knife.

 

[Jenner 515]

Well, now I have carried a packable buck saw on a couple of trips. It made short work of things but was tad cumbersome.

Portable Buck saw 24"...packs into a 1-3/8" x 25" lightweight aluminum tube.

also comes in an 18" version

 

[NoFair]

The only answer is for you to take a ax and a ig chopper out and see which works best for you. I have been splitting wood since I was six, with a ax and for me, its no contest, give me a ax/hatchet, Next a saw and then a big knife. I have tried all three and thats what works for me. Others may have different life experience.

I end up using an axe and saw as well. Works better in Norwegian forests where trail clearing isn't as much of an issue.

I've grown up using an axe and it feels a lot more natural to me than a large knife. Smaller axes can also be used for more knife like duties and will outchop knives of similar weight in my experience.

I do have a convexed and very sharp larger machete, but never use it while hiking or camping. It does get using for clearing bush around the property though.

 

[Mistwalker]

Need of the tool is based on the job at hand. Going on a no-trace hike doesn't necessitate a chopping tool, true. But there are lots of folks who own their own land and maintain trails on their property, who fell trees from their property for firewood and who heat their homes with wood. The one thing that rings true with me is that if you NEED an axe, there is very few other tools that will do the required job as well as an axe optimized for the purpose.

Something that keeps ringing true in this forum is that we tend to try and pigeon hole everybody doing the same kinds of things that we do personally. The reality is that this is an international forum with members spanning almost every continent and doing very different kinds of outdoor activities. Tell the guy who actually builds his survival shelters out of wood that he doesn't really need a chopper, and he will tell you what he doesn't need is a guy with a nylon backpack telling him what he needs.

Well said. A lot of us are using differing practices because we live in varying terrains and environments. In my younger days (a couple of eons ago) I fished and trapped for furs commercially and hunted for a lot of our meat in the winter months when I finally grew weary of fish. We had a community kitchen and community fire in camp so there were always an axe, a chainsaw, and a couple of bow saws around. Sometimes my "vacations" would simply be a week long wonder through the miles of uninhabited woods in the area. The first couple of times, along with a folder, a small fixed, and a bowie... I took a hatchet simply because I thought I was supposed to but it seldom got used so I started leaving it behind. I learned I seldom needed to chop anything that large and if I did the five to seven minutes it took was worth not having the extra weight on the trip as I never knew what I might find on the journey and want to pack it back to camp. The argument usually boils down to terrain though....I wouldn't want an axe in the southern swamps and I wouldn't want a machete in the far north...but I'd take a large knife to either. I suppose that's why my axes and hatchets are all rusty now that I don't heat with wood...hopefully that will be changing soon but I'll likely still be leaving them at home.