The Never Ending Axe Chopper Debate

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
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just wanted to get a concensus of what people prefer a large blade or an axe...don't want to start anything please just give your opinion and why it works for you...I just want to learn, not host an arguement. but I lately have been prefering a machete to an axe for it's ability to batton, which seems safer than chopping as the blade stays relatively stationary,,,I was wondering if such a thing could be done with a small hatchet?? I haven;t tried it with a hatchet so I don't know...seems like it would take a baton until the axe head is buried into the wood to deep to be struck by the baton...just wondering..THnaks.
 
Axe/hatchet for me, will outchop and outsplit any knife. Plus there are so many different sizes to choose from (i.e. GB Mini Belt Axe all the way to Wetterlings Felling Axe) that you can accuratly choose an ideal axe for any trip. :)

Cheers,
~Wabajack
 
I use a saw. Does that totally mess up your question? :)

If I have to baton, I use a small (for us BF folks - ~4") fixed blade.
 
Can't use an axe - bad back, and I just plain don't like hatchets, so I use a machete or equivalent (Becker Machax) and it works just fine for me. If I had a good back, and was heading to boreal forest, it would be an axe all the way, otherwise Machax, Linders, Tramontina........

Doc
 
I kinda like this "batoning" method. Used it last week on a five day elk/deer scouting trip in the Idaho mountains. Works for me. :D

Chopping.jpg



L.W.
 
I have a Norlund axe and a Cold Steel Magnum Kukri machete. It depends on what I plan to do as to which I take with me.
 
I'm a recent convert from a khukri user to a hatchet user. I liked the idea of the versatility of the khukri, but since I only ever actually used it for gathering and chopping firewood I switched to the hatchet because it works better for me for that purpose. I've also been learning just how versatile a hatchet can be. You can by all means batton a hatchet for more controlled splits. As you remarked, you may end up with the hatchet head embedded in the end of the log, but as long as the log isn't too long it will probably be pretty much split by that point since the hatchet head is wider than a knife blade and will force the wood apart more.
 
chopper or ax? All depends on how much chopping needs doing :) Gonna need firewood for a small fire for a day or two? Chopper can get it done. Longer,colder stay where that fire needs to be "on" all day and most of the night? Definitely want a full size axe. Nice thing is either choice is cheap enough to try both :) Take a few swings and see what works best for you.
 
An axe or hatchet chops circles around any blade. Simple physics. They also don't make you look like a rambo wannabe.
 
Axe/Hatchet/wedge when outdoors.
Chopper/Baton indoors when its freezing outside and the fire at the deer camp/cabin needs feedin'. :p
 
My Idea is that a knife should never be used for hitting or chopping if there is a better tool available. If the knife is all you have then you have no choice but in a survival situation, I would hate to break or damage my knife chopping when it may be needed for cutting or defense.

Aves and hatchets as well as Machetes are made for chopping and splitting and while some see the knife as an all purpose tool, I see it as a cutting and stabbing tool.
 
For my outdoor pursuits, I prefer a knife to an axe. A knife has a broader scope of use than an axe, and a knife can easily be made to perform as an axe, if necessary:

http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=001621#000000

Of course, I'm not talking about chopping a few cords of wood for a fireplace for a long, cold winter. For that, I'd go with a dedicated axe. But, when taking a single big cutting tool for greatest utility for a 1 day to several week outdoor adventure, I greatly prefer a knife.
 
udtjim said:
My Idea is that a knife should never be used for hitting or chopping if there is a better tool available. If the knife is all you have then you have no choice but in a survival situation, I would hate to break or damage my knife chopping when it may be needed for cutting or defense.

Aves and hatchets as well as Machetes are made for chopping and splitting and while some see the knife as an all purpose tool, I see it as a cutting and stabbing tool.
Click to expand...

I would agree with this statement EXCEPT for the many knives that are actually designed for chopping (RAT-9, RD9, BK-9, Busses', RTAK-II, etc.).
I own a RTAK-II, and for chopping 2-3" trees, it can't be beat. For chopping 3-6" trees, I prefer my Wetterlings 14" hatchet. As far as batoning goes, it's not realistic in the woods when you can burn smaller trees that don't need any splittting. All of the pics of batoning that I've seen are of pre-cut wood (imagine trying to cut down a 12" tree with your Busse, then cut it into 18" sections, then finally baton it into usable pieces).
 
michaelmcgo said:
I would agree with this statement EXCEPT for the many knives that are actually designed for chopping (RAT-9, RD9, BK-9, Busses', RTAK-II, etc.).
I own a RTAK-II, and for chopping 2-3" trees, it can't be beat. For chopping 3-6" trees, I prefer my Wetterlings 14" hatchet. As far as batoning goes, it's not realistic in the woods when you can burn smaller trees that don't need any splittting. All of the pics of batoning that I've seen are of pre-cut wood (imagine trying to cut down a 12" tree with your Busse, then cut it into 18" sections, then finally baton it into usable pieces).
Click to expand...

Nobody batons 12 inch trees. Its used for wet soggy wood in the 2-5 inch diameter range. Some live in such damp environments its the only way to locate dry wood for burning.

Skam
 
Love big knives, love 'em.

Having said that though, I can get a lot of wood ready for a fire a LOT faster with my CS Rifleman's hawk...
 
I combo a hatchet/small axe with a small 3 1/2"-4" knife.

I like to use the right tools for the job.

Now if I lived in the jungle it would be a machete, but since I don't have much undergrowth here in the CA mountains, the axe/hatchet is much more efficient.
 
stingray4540 said:
I combo a hatchet/small axe with a small 3 1/2"-4" knife.

I like to use the right tools for the job.

Now if I lived in the jungle it would be a machete, but since I don't have much undergrowth here in the CA mountains, the axe/hatchet is much more efficient.
Click to expand...

I do the same. Wetterlings Wildlife Hatchet and some sort of a Mora, usually my 780 but sometimes a 510.
 
Salamander said
You can by all means batton a hatchet for more controlled splits.
Click to expand...

Years ago I bought a new hatchet. The information pack that came with it didn't use teh word "batton" but it did caution me to never put the blade to the wood and pound on the back. They said that could deform the hatchet's eye. Makes sense to me.
 
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