The Mini Hatchet

Hickory n steel said:
Certainly looks appropriate.
That backwards curve to the handle seems to have opened the hang some too, the bit on that head really angles downwards.
I'm sure theres a reason for that, but I don't know anything at all about axes from other regions.

It's definitely a cool little axe.
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Apologies for a late reply, I did get a chance to try the tiny hatchet & sadly it's really too light to be of much use especially with it's short handle, you could pretty much push-cut with a knife what it achieves in a blow......
I'm moving stuff & can't find my scales (I'm useless at the moment!), but I will get weights & sizes to compair with other small ones I have, below is an old photo.
Still haven't a clue as to what it's use was, I thought it might have even been for a model or figure but why harden it if it wasn't to be used?
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The Zieg said:
This would be a terrific axe for trail rides (in my case, on a horse, though motorbikes and bicycles cross country would also benefit from having it along).
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To be honest a saw, machete, billhook, bushook or even secateurs would be of more use depending what you need to clear, while the tiny hatchet looks good it's lacking mass...
 
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I'mSoSharp said:
Apologies for a late reply, I did get a chance to try the tiny hatchet & sadly it's really too light to be of much use especially with it's short handle, you could pretty much push-cut with a knife what it achieves in a blow......
I'm moving stuff & can't find my scales (I'm useless at the moment!), but I will get weights & sizes to compair with other small ones I have, below is an old photo.
Still haven't a clue as to what it's use was, I thought it might have even been for a model or figure but why harden it if it wasn't to be used?
aW7Ndfb.jpg



To be honest a saw, machete, billhook, bushook or even secateurs would be of more use depending what you need to clear, while the tiny hatchet looks good it's lacking mass...
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Your reply is proof that you must have a tool in your hands to assess its usefulness. Another reason why buying online can be risky. And of course, the SAK, which might be in your picture just for scale, is always along on my adventures.

Zieg
 
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Handle had shrunk so much I pulled the head off easily and it had paint over the eye, both wedges in place.No sawn kerf it was split with wooden wedge and metal cross wedge.Wittled the shelf off and filled it full of construction adhesive and beat a bigger wedge in its 3 days dry and seems solid.
 

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Vaughan's oyster hatchet is back in stock on their main site. If it counts as a mini hatchet then get it while the getting is good.
 
Charlie_K said:
Vaughan's oyster hatchet is back in stock on their main site. If it counts as a mini hatchet then get it while the getting is good.
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What's the origin of the name, "oyster hatchet"? Does it have to do with the shape of the head?

Zieg
 
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Charlie_K said:
Vaughan's oyster hatchet is back in stock on their main site. If it counts as a mini hatchet then get it while the getting is good.
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Hickory n steel said:
it sure would be nice for the little super sportsman to return.
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I like the oyster hatchet better than the late model mini sportsman's hatchets. There's one sitting in my kindling box in my living room right now. Most of my kindling work is done outdoors. Nobody wants to do heavy splitting in their living room. But sometimes I want to break things down a little smaller when building the fire. These little guys are the perfect weight for dividing kindling into finer pieces without throwing bits of wood all over the living room.
 
Sorry for not getting back with the photos as promised sooner, got busy with various things but don't worry I hadn't forgot.
So here it is, my Collin's Legitimus mini hatchet.



Collins Tools Legitimus handle logo






The thinnest bit ive ever came across, this things razor thin... but still has a high centerline so despite being so thin its still got some meat behind it's edge.


This image shows the varnish coat still on it.
 
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And just for the sake of good documentation, Here's my mini collins along side some other hatchets of mine and a boys axe.





My 3 Collins hatchets.


On top of my 1 3/4 NOS Collins hatchet






On top my 1 3/4 collins homestead hatchet






One more beside the NOS Collins hatchet


Beside my Plumb National BSA hatchet




All lined up: Plumb BSA nat, Collins Mini, NOS Collins, Collins homestead, "TC" stamped 2lb hatchet, Welland Vale 2.5lb boys axe




 
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Hickory n steel said:
I just finished redoing this one, it was riding in the toolbox on the back of my minibike for a while and the handle got chewed up by the sharp spine of little Fanno folding saw I had with it.



It's hard to believe the handles for these little Vaughan super sportsman's actually have this shape hidden in them.

Honestly they actually have all the proper contours, all you gotta do is exaggerate them and slim the handle way down.

Edit: looking back through this thread, I can see that Vaughan seems to have improved the handles for these more recently. Especially what I had to work with for this one and the other I had ordered at the same time 2 years ago, they were much nicer than the first I bought almost 10 years ago.
I could not have pulled these shapes out of my first one, and it had the terrible handle I'm used to seeing on these.

I really hope Vaughan decides to bring these back, but sadly I know that they just weren't selling , not enough people are looking to buy a brand new hatchet that is a work in progress.
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That handle looks great, I especially like the wood burned decal you did on it... I've wondered if anyone else was into burning logos, fun slogans and things into there handles besides me... I burn things into all my rehefts nowadays, It really adds that final touch of character and makes it uniquely yours.

As you can see I got the "Camp Hatchet" (31" handle 2lb hatchet), my double bit "Boreal Bunker", and my good ol' "Can. Canoe Axe" (my 1st Canadian made axe that I reheft), and then the hatchet just has my initials on it.


The reason I originally started burning things into my handles was just identification purposes... started out with permanent marker then eventually moved to wood burning but I've always liked marking on the butt end of my handles... the head weight, handle length, and year I hung it... great for years down the road as your collection grows and you cant remember anymore exactly how long you've had a certain axe around for or cant remember what the head weight was anymore, just a simple little thing that I find to be vary useful in the long run.


Dont want to hijack the topic of discussion, I just dont see many others that burn things into there handles and its something I been meaning to make a thread on but havent got around to it yet... so just wanted to comment on your handles wood burnt logo and share a few of my own.
 
Hook02 said:
That handle looks great, I especially like the wood burned decal you did on it.
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That's actually a crude " brand " I made myself a few years ago out of a bolt and an old screwdriver handle.

I use it when I make or significantly reshape ( basically using an existing handle like any regular piece of hickory ) a handle.



It is based off of one of my dads US ARMY SGT's collar pins which I always had with me in one way or another as a kid, and really means something to me.
 
Hook02 said:
Sorry for not getting back with the photos as promised sooner, got busy with various things but don't worry I hadn't forgot.
So here it is, my Collin's Legitimus mini hatchet
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That is a very nice smaller hatchet there, I'm guessing it's about a 1lb head ?
It's not as tiny as the little Vaughans, but probably the perfect all around size for a something in the common 14" handle length.
I've always felt the standard 1.25 head was better suited to a 16-18" handle or so.
 
Hickory n steel said:
That is a very nice smaller hatchet there, I'm guessing it's about a 1lb head ?
It's not as tiny as the little Vaughans, but probably the perfect all around size for a something in the common 14" handle length.
I've always felt the standard 1.25 head was better suited to a 16-18" handle or so.
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Those Vaughns must be really tiny, I figured they'd be about the same size as my collins, ive yet to see/handle one of the vaughns in person.
I'm not sure of the exact head weight but Id assume its a 1lber, its perfectly balanced for its 13.5in length... its total weight is just 1lb 7.2oz so just under 1.5lbs.
I'm not a hunter but I could see how useful a well balanced mini hatchet would be for skinny game... for me it'll be a belt hatchet to carry around camp and use for carving tasks.

On the scale

Head measurements 5 3/8 x 3 3/8"




Some hand grips...


Definitely a vary nimble handy little carving hatchet.


We talkin bout balance!
 
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So my collins mini hatchet was in excellent condition when I got it but wasnt really usable as it had a slight head wobble and saturating the handle in oil around the head wasnt helping fix it, it doesnt help that collins painted over the wedge so wasnt really able to take any oils through the top end.

Being as perfect a hang as you can get, there was barely in handle shoulder left... but it was just enough to jump the head and reseat it down tight again.
So I grabbed a knife and carefully took some material off just below the head, whacked it a few times with the deadblow hammer and things worked perfectly, the head jumped down about 1/8" making the handle sit proud, which allowed me to carefully sand off the paint coat and re-oiled it all around the head and as you'd imagine she's mounted nice and tight now.







And for good measure heres a few more angles of that ultra thin edge profile




 
Hickory n steel said:
That's actually a crude " brand " I made myself a few years ago out of a bolt and an old screwdriver handle.

I use it when I make or significantly reshape ( basically using an existing handle like any regular piece of hickory ) a handle.



It is based off of one of my dads US ARMY SGT's collar pins which I always had with me in one way or another as a kid, and really means something to me.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome, I knew that logo looked familiar, you did a really good job on your makeshift brand.
I'd love to find or make myself a maple leaf type of brand though I did a pretty good job burning the maple leaf into my Canadian Canoe Axe using a wood burner but would def make things quicker and easier with a branding tool.
 
Hook02 said:
Those Vaughns must be really tiny, I figured they'd be about the same size as my collins, ive yet to see/handle one of the vaughns in person.
I'm not sure of the exact head weight but Id assume its a 1lber, its perfectly balanced for its 13.5in length... its total weight is just 1lb 7.2oz so just under 1.5lbs
Click to expand...
As HnS stated the Vaughans and Vaughan/Craftsmans were advertised as 8 oz. heads.
 
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