The Axe/Hatchet as a Bush Tool

alright i see what your talking about. i thought you meant like really fine little carving, where in my experience is hard as hell to do with an axe. for rough carving i see your point, and think its a good one. the axe just has more mass to it.
 
NothingCoherent said:
Sorry for posting another pic and cluttering up the thread, but like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...

My axe doesn't leave my belt in the woods. I think this picture is the definition of SHTF, as well. I am incapable of making fire or shelter with a belt knife in this weather. Axe? It's doable.
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Practice more. You should be able to do it with a knife, a chopper is just faster.

As to the thread, I like hawks for a chopper for the fact that you can take it off the haft. Makes it much more versatile. But you're right. I find that most who hate axes are used to cheap POS's. A good sharp axe is pretty awesome. I've used mine in the kitchen to cook with and does the job just fine.
 
River Bear said:
A great tool of course but I think keeping it on you is the issue. Poo hits the fan and you have your knife on your belt. You don't have that with an axe.
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I find carrying a hawk stuck in my belt to be pretty comfy. I've been on hikes with it in there and it rides just fine. I actually think a large chopper knife or machete would be more a pain in the butt to carry but YMMV.
 
found this video of the ceo of gb: http://www.dolectures.com/speakers/speakers-2009/gabriel-branby. seems like a pretty stand-up guy.

vids from the factory:
http://vimeo.com/3518488
http://vimeo.com/3518689
http://vimeo.com/3519152

i found these from searches here but i figured i'd post it here while i'm at it to help those still researching them.


jumpmonkey said:
JV3,

FWIW I'd suggest a wetterlings. Good quality, good price. Figure out which one you want and check Smokey Mountain Knife Works and see if they have it (They only really list handle sizes though...:rolleyes:) They seem to have the cheapest prices.

God bless,
Adam
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thanks. i've been researching them for awhile now and based on reviews here the wetterlings have been hit or miss lately. here's one such thread out of a couple i've read just from bf alone: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=809502, specifically, post #39.

i have yet to read any negative about a gb axe so if i end up pulling the trigger on one, it'll most likely be a gb scandinavian forest axe :o


nutnfancyfan said:
alright i see what your talking about. i thought you meant like really fine little carving, where in my experience is hard as hell to do with an axe. for rough carving i see your point, and think its a good one. the axe just has more mass to it.
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axe carving a bowl...i'm impressed! goes to show the skill of the user is still paramount.

[youtube]19ncMNDMl2E[/youtube]
 
This thread is why my freaking pack weighs 60 pounds for an overnight...

subtract the 30 pack in it, and the liter of jack, and there's still a ton of steel going for a ride.....
 
After using wood to heat my house for years, I have trouble even bringing my self to look at an axe thread. I can use axe, hatchet, and maul very well... But damn my back hurts just thinking about splitting wood for hours at a time. Cut, throw, stack, split, throw, stack. repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat. ARRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Haven't lost my love for my husqvarna chainsaw though. :D
 
TheLastDaze said:
After watching this I'm throwing all my knives in the trash..!!!!:D

Thanks for the vid.
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i'll mail you a pre-paid, self-addressed trash can for those knives :D i just ordered a gb scandinavian forest axe and should be here sometime early next week. i'll most likely will have enough practice with it by the time i get moose's patrol machete pass-around to put it head to head in a chopping test as well as against the bk-9, junglas, and lite machete. i'll probably buy one of those silky sawzilla that md 25v posted awhile back while i'm at it...i'm already stretching my muscles for that epic day that's weeks away :p

Horridus said:
After using wood to heat my house for years, I have trouble even bringing my self to look at an axe thread. I can use axe, hatchet, and maul very well... But damn my back hurts just thinking about splitting wood for hours at a time. Cut, throw, stack, split, throw, stack. repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat. ARRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Haven't lost my love for my husqvarna chainsaw though. :D
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why not get a hydraulic wood splitter? no saw dust all over the place. save the chainsaw from wear and tear for when the zombies come!
 
This was my favorite Axe until yesterday. I was chopping some small wood for kindling in a subzero climate. I slipped and the handle hit the wood. It shattered and I assume it was the cold weather and the hard plastic handle that buckled. At anyrate, this axe has been with me a long time and I would buy another in a heartbeat. On the other hand, if ESEE made an axe, I could see myself picking one up.

FISKARS also has a lifetime warranty. All they require is that you photograph the defective tool and email them. We'll see how it goes.

fiskars%20axe.JPG
 
JV3 said:
why not get a hydraulic wood splitter? no saw dust all over the place. save the chainsaw from wear and tear for when the zombies come!
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I used to use the wood splitter at my father-in-laws and it was great. That wood splitter kicked ass but never had one of my own. Wood cutting was an all year affair for us. It was like we never stopped processing wood. Every winter we'd mark the dead trees on my property and his property. Then start cutting them down in spring. All year long cutting up every dead fall we could find, and even clearing land for builders for free with the stipulation we get to keep the wood. Those days sucked for reduncey....

Cut down tree. Cut up tree. Throw wood in back of small dump truck. Stack wood in small dump truck. Dump truck load at one of our houses. Stack wood on property. Go back, and repeat. over and over and over.

But yeah, the chain saw was always running or we would have trees instead of fire wood. :) No time to save the blade for zombies, need to keep the houses warm! :thumbup:
 
Horridus said:
I used to use the wood splitter at my father-in-laws and it was great. That wood splitter kicked ass but never had one of my own. Wood cutting was an all year affair for us. It was like we never stopped processing wood. Every winter we'd mark the dead trees on my property and his property. Then start cutting them down in spring. All year long cutting up every dead fall we could find, and even clearing land for builders for free with the stipulation we get to keep the wood. Those days sucked for reduncey....

Cut down tree. Cut up tree. Throw wood in back of small dump truck. Stack wood in small dump truck. Dump truck load at one of our houses. Stack wood on property. Go back, and repeat. over and over and over.

But yeah, the chain saw was always running or we would have trees instead of fire wood. :) No time to save the blade for zombies, need to keep the houses warm! :thumbup:
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I've come to close for comfort with an axe splitting wood, used the maul, wedge you name it.. no fun for sure, well not after the first 5 minutes. :p

I have the husky 455 with stihl aggressive yellow chain, and a 22 ton splitter.. I'm in the same boat, I heat my house with wood as well..

Its fun for a little while then becomes work...
 
I dont care what anyone says, in a cold environment where fire and shelter are important and you have to chop wood to make it an axe is king, period.

in a jungle, the machete is king.

I would get rid of all my knives before I got rid of my axe and machete
 
stewey1 said:
I dont care what anyone says, in a cold environment where fire and shelter are important and you have to chop wood to make it an axe is king, period.

in a jungle, the machete is king.

I would get rid of all my knives before I got rid of my axe and machete
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Not sure what you would consider cold, but it was -10F here the other day. Granted just for a day and a night, but this area gets plenty cold and I can/have build shelter and sustain fire without even using a cutting tool at all. ;) I agree though, machetes rule in jungle and even in the north so long as you know how to use it.
 
i was one of the "not interested in axe" guys. till my partner introduced me to the sog tactical tomahawk. i realize that this is not your "traditional" hatchet. i wouldnt want to grop any trees bigger than 4" diameter with it. we carry pocket chain saws for that bigger stuff. the fact is that there are tools that are better for some chores than others. i was a die hard machete guy, till i met this little gem. now things that were really pushing the limit and sefety with the machete are easily addressed by the tomahawk. if esee were to make one, i would have to take a hard look at it.
 
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