Survival Axe?

Estwing with the blue synthetic handle. Small hatchet, large hatchet, or the light axe. Bulletproof!
 
I have an Estwing as well. It is in the trunk of my car. It is cheap and tough.
 
The Fiskars get good press here. I'm probably going to get one to add to my truck kit along with my Mora and Bundeswehr SAK-OHT.

I'm goofy in that I like to group my edged tools; Grohmann #4 with a Norlund Camp Hatchet, Green River Hunter with a re-worked CS Trailhawk, BK11 with an Ontario 12" Cutlass.

I would stay away from Gerber, though owned by Fiskars, Gerber seems to be their China brand when it comes to axes. I'd pick up the 14" at HD or Lowe's.
 
I have an old Plumb that I like to use because it's been with me for so long. The Norlund is my favorite for small jobs because of how it feels and has a good hold for slicing. The Estwing is the one I use the most because I can beat the crap out of it with no effects. It resharpens well with a file ( a good file) but doesn't seem to chip or roll much, about right, I use a 10" file at an angle where my knuckles just clear the head but it can chop fine for a couple of hours so I don't need to carry the file. The handle is good to choke up for a wrist snap. Mine is a 14", and if I ever run across the 12" I'll grab it. I just can't warm to the plastics, however practical they may be. I know you mentioned an axe, but these factors should be about the same for their bigger models.:) Regards, ss.
 
There is a really nice Gerber camp Axe that is basically indestructable. It's also very light and easy to pack away. There is a newer model that as a small knife the fits into the butt of the axe.
 
I recently picked up a Hawk with a composite handle which started life as a CS Trail Hawk and then got upgraded. Unlike the CS Hawks with handle that seem loose, these are rock solid.
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The cheap Fiskars hatchets and axes work for me. The handles can take a heck of a lot of punishment, and the blades themselves are good. Cheap, effective, light-weight, why not? Of course, there are more durable axes, made of more durable materials, but I don't perceive needing such things in any even half-realistic survival scenario I might encounter here.
 
My 'survival' ax is a Hudson’s Bay ax made by Snow & Nealley. Not much heavier than a hatchet but far more versatile IMHO.
 
Car survival kit... Something that would be able to cut down trees 6" to 8" in diameter.
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In one of the Survivorman episodes Les has a generic full size axe, single bit steel head, wood handle, nothing special. That's what I'd recommend. . . something like a GB Scandinavian Forest Axe or something just like it from True Temper.
 
If it's mostly going to be carried in the car, then an Estwing 26" camp axe would be great. Hudson's Bay style head, no slip grip.

If you want a more traditional axe, the aforementioned Snow & Neally Hudson Bay axe is a good choice.

If you really want a hatchet over an axe, thent he 16" Estwing hatchet is hard to beat. It's the same head as the camp axe, just shorter. Same shock absorbing grip.

Snow & Neally also makes a Penobscot Bay hatchet that is an 18" version of thei Hudson Bay axe.
 
pinetree said:
The Fiskars get good press here. I'm probably going to get one to add to my truck kit along with my Mora and Bundeswehr SAK-OHT.

I'm goofy in that I like to group my edged tools; Grohmann #4 with a Norlund Camp Hatchet, Green River Hunter with a re-worked CS Trailhawk, BK11 with an Ontario 12" Cutlass.

I would stay away from Gerber, though owned by Fiskars, Gerber seems to be their China brand when it comes to axes. I'd pick up the 14" at HD or Lowe's.
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That's weird. The Gerber axes look almost identical to Fiskars, wonder why they would have outsourced them.
 
I have 3 small hand axes/hatchets that I use now. A 19" SA Wetterling Hunter, a 15" no name hatchet that I picked up in the late 60s at a hardware store and a 14" Fiskars garden hatchet that came from OSH. The Fiskars gets to ride behind the seat of my PU, while the no name gets kindling duty and the Wetterling is in my user field gear.
 
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