Replacing my chopper knife for a hatchet.

T

TheJeepster

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I am getting out of the knife hobby.

Right now I am using a Ontario SP10 Marine Raider for my backpacking chopper.

I carry a couple of different belt knives. I will soon be getting rid of all of them and getting a Hess Hunter in stacked leather handle. It will be my only belt knife.

I will also be getting rid of my Ontario SP10 and replacing it with a hatchet. Right now I have an Estwing hatchet but consider it a bit too heavy for backpacking.

What is a very strong hatchet that I can trust to last for a very long time under heavy use. Something lite but yet strong. Something that will not break when I am 20 miles into the wilderness with no place to get another?

I do not mind the Estwing if you say it is the logical choice but what else is there?
 
I still use a Fiskars for my backpacker. I've had mine for over 15 years and it also stands duty as a pruning tool. Up until a recent thread I hadn't seen one break under normal use. I'm hoping that was just a bad handle but again, I've no complaints about mine. I'm sure some folks will also recommend a Granfors for consideration.

One point of note, I originally got the very short handled model but found that I was often as not hitting my knuckles as I tried to chop and so ended up getting a longer (14") handle. The increase in weight was nominal and as well as cutting the usual small campfire fuel I'm able to buck logs up to about 10' if I really want to.
 
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Vintage. Best bang for the buck.
I wish we had a sticky for this question.
 
Granfors Bruks axes/hatchets are top of the line. Check them out, they have what you need.
 
Are you saying you don't want a wooden haft? There is always a chance of breaking a wooden haft.
 
olybears57 said:
There's always a chance any haft of any material might break.
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Not if you get an Estwing or one of those tactical tomahawks. I don't like them, but I'm wondering how far the OP want to take his "something that will not break" clause. I think the ability to improvise a handle is much more useful.
 
What do you mean when you say improvise a handle? Are you saying you guys will make a handle if it breaks while in the woods? I would like to learn that.

You guys have pretty much answered my questions. I was hoping a lite wooden handled that was almost indestructible was available but I guess they do not exist.

I may just have to go with the heaver Estwing. Not indestructible but really strong and a better chance of not breaking prematurely.
 
House handles is a good source for high quality hickory(?) handles, good grain orientation etc. and hickory is dm hard to bugger up.
 
TheJeepster said:
What do you mean when you say improvise a handle? Are you saying you guys will make a handle if it breaks while in the woods? I would like to learn that.
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Here you go:
[video=youtube;Sl8Gj_usg7A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl8Gj_usg7A&list=UUHwqpNW2tAasbtQnm8SipjQ[/video]

I would check out his video channel for vids on how to remove the old handle, etc. Also check out his axe and hatchet reviews on http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/

Personally, I would opt for a wooden handle over an Estwing, even though there is a slight chance of breaking the handle. For carving, you need to choke up on the handle, which would get old in a hurry with an Estwing. Let's say the handle breaks and you use it as is. You can still use the head to carve, make notches for traps and other implements, and you can baton the head like a wedge to split wood. Chopping would be hard, but you can use the head like a hand axe, or baton it as you would a knife.
 
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Awwww! Man don't get rid of your knives you'll regret it one day! I've used Hawks,choppers,saws you name it and it never hurt to have options! Take a look at the wooden handle Hawks out there even the CRKTs are nice and as others have said broken handle no problem easy fix!
 
TheJeepster said:
What do you mean when you say improvise a handle? Are you saying you guys will make a handle if it breaks while in the woods? I would like to learn that.

You guys have pretty much answered my questions. I was hoping a lite wooden handled that was almost indestructible was available but I guess they do not exist.

I may just have to go with the heaver Estwing. Not indestructible but really strong and a better chance of not breaking prematurely.
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I don't get how you guys(bushcrafters) can have the know how and manual dexterity to craft things in the wild(and survive in adverse conditions) and be worried about breaking a wooden handle on a hatchet. Please don't take this wrong, I am not trying to critasize you. It is really a legitimate question. A small mistake in a remote area can cost you your life very quickly. Surely you can take care of a wooden handle.

I swung rigging axes for years, by selecting my handles carefully in the first place and paying attention to them I always knew when it was about time to replace a handle.. Never did one just break out right(unless I did something stupid). By making sure your equipment is in top shape before you went into the wilds it really should not be an issue. If you do something stupid out in the bush to break a hatchet handle bushcrafting may not be the recreational activity for you.

My rigging axes took alot harder use than what you guys should be subjecting your hatchets to.
 
I also prefer to use a wooden axe and I think it actually doesn't look to difficult to carve your own handle, but my one question is what if you can't find any hickory trees near you?, then what other types of wood do you use to carve a handle?
 
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I think you can use any wood you can get your hands on, then wait till you find something better. You can probably use some willow sticks and wrap them around the eye for something really fast. Remember, our ancestors got by with with stone axes and used local materials.

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garry3 said:
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Vintage. Best bang for the buck.
I wish we had a sticky for this question.
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I love those little PLUMB butterfly hatchets the steel is very good and they balance well.

thanks for posting

buzz
 
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