i did a review on these two choppers over in the WSS area, but realized the guys over here might appreciate it, so here it is copied and pasted for you:
i recently got both a fiskars hatchet and a small wetterlings axe, just thought i would share...
the wetterlings weighs 2.25 pounds with a ~20" handle. 3" edge.
the fiskars weighs 1.25 pounds with a ~14" handle. 2 7/8" edge,
both are great, and both are really good deals. i only paid $35 for my wetterlings, i think they have mostly gone up lately, so i got lucky. i paid $25 for the fiskars, which seems slightly higher than the average, but i wanted it so badly
...
the fiskars came sharp, i just wiped it on some 800, then 1200, then stropped, and it shaved nicely. the somewhat scandi edge both chops great and is great for shaving wood and other carving. i used it to make some stakes the other day for rigging up a tarp in the yard, as well as trim branches and make fuzzies for a fire. worked great.
the wetterlings came with a couple of issues...minor though. i mail ordered this, and requested a particularly good one, so i don't know if this represents a random pick or something closer to checking them out in stores...just so you know. the head was forged slightly asymetrically, but the edge is centered thanks to factory grinding. the cutting edge was a tad uneven, had a couple of small dips in the grind. i evened it out towards the edge up to 120 grit on my sander, then used my new credit card DMTs to 1200 grit for the edge (followed by a strop) to make a nice sharp edge. i also oiled the handle with danish oil and then linseed oil...as far as i can tell, the shaft was unfinished when i got it. very nice and smooth though.
on to the photos...
they each took 6 strikes to get through this ~1.5" diam branch:
i recently got both a fiskars hatchet and a small wetterlings axe, just thought i would share...
the wetterlings weighs 2.25 pounds with a ~20" handle. 3" edge.
the fiskars weighs 1.25 pounds with a ~14" handle. 2 7/8" edge,
both are great, and both are really good deals. i only paid $35 for my wetterlings, i think they have mostly gone up lately, so i got lucky. i paid $25 for the fiskars, which seems slightly higher than the average, but i wanted it so badly
...the fiskars came sharp, i just wiped it on some 800, then 1200, then stropped, and it shaved nicely. the somewhat scandi edge both chops great and is great for shaving wood and other carving. i used it to make some stakes the other day for rigging up a tarp in the yard, as well as trim branches and make fuzzies for a fire. worked great.
the wetterlings came with a couple of issues...minor though. i mail ordered this, and requested a particularly good one, so i don't know if this represents a random pick or something closer to checking them out in stores...just so you know. the head was forged slightly asymetrically, but the edge is centered thanks to factory grinding. the cutting edge was a tad uneven, had a couple of small dips in the grind. i evened it out towards the edge up to 120 grit on my sander, then used my new credit card DMTs to 1200 grit for the edge (followed by a strop) to make a nice sharp edge. i also oiled the handle with danish oil and then linseed oil...as far as i can tell, the shaft was unfinished when i got it. very nice and smooth though.
on to the photos...
they each took 6 strikes to get through this ~1.5" diam branch:
