Hi guys I have a g&b wildlife hatchet and am now wanting a winkler ii camp axe. That and the fact that I have one of his knives and love his work is enough reason for me to get it, but I am having hard time with the wife. So anyone that has handled both or has both can you give me some difference between them or reasons I can tell my wife I need yet another axe/hatchet or knife lol.
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Winkler ii camp axe vs g&b wildlife hatchet
- Thread starter brian4696
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Winkler's not going to fail during use. Your justification will be not needing another one AFTER Winkler's.
I see it as heirloom.
But you will need MORE Winklers. (yes i have 2 and i'm struggling everyday to resist No.3...and 4...and 5..)
I see it as heirloom.
But you will need MORE Winklers. (yes i have 2 and i'm struggling everyday to resist No.3...and 4...and 5..)
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Maybe the GB is a better wood chopper, I don't own it. I do own a SFA, but it's a very different tool than the Camp Axe. The Camp Axe is the best survival tool of the two, if you might need to fight or breach. If camping/chopping wood only, then the GB is just fine.
The biggest reason to get the Camp Axe, is that the handle won't break. And..
It can still chop wood, most full tang hawks cannot chop well, nor have the weight forward design of the Winkler's.
It can chop through a door or wall, the 5160 is tough and can hold an edge.
It's a hammer!
It has a quick deployment sheath, and feels like a fighting hawk. The straight handle isn't as contoured as the Sayoc's, but it's still a great handle.(they have the same length and weight)
If I was bugging out, it's the chopping tool I would want to have with me, because it can do so many other things.
The biggest reason to get the Camp Axe, is that the handle won't break. And..
It can still chop wood, most full tang hawks cannot chop well, nor have the weight forward design of the Winkler's.
It can chop through a door or wall, the 5160 is tough and can hold an edge.
It's a hammer!
It has a quick deployment sheath, and feels like a fighting hawk. The straight handle isn't as contoured as the Sayoc's, but it's still a great handle.(they have the same length and weight)
If I was bugging out, it's the chopping tool I would want to have with me, because it can do so many other things.
Oh I thought of another question for those who own/handled the camp axe. How is the edge and edge geometry of it? I have winkler products and I know they are very tough and sharp but what I'm asking is can this axe be used in a pinch as a knife can it make feather sticks, process a fish or game etc etc or is it strictly a chopping combat tool bc it has a thick edge?
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It's a Camp Axe. I'm saying that it's a full tang Camp Axe, that's got great balance and weight. Like some hammers would be better for fighting with than others, but are still great hammers.
I have not used the hammer poll for smashing rocks, you should ask Dan about that. I'm sure it would smash glass, or break bones.
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I can whittle with it, if I had to, have not made feather sticks. The edge is somewhat like that of my ESEE 4, so I think it can process a fish. The edge is not a thick as my Sayoc, if that helps.
I have a Winkler Camp and a GB Scandinavian (sorry no gb hatchet for now)
Late to the party. I'm surprised at how similar they were in weight and length. I'd assume that the GB would probably be a better chopper just due to the metal head/wood handle vs a full tang ax. But, as I said, I don't own the hatchet. The camp balance point is roughly 2 inches from the bottom of the head, so its a pretty decent chopper.
The Camp ax has more of a knife edge to it as someone said. If anything, its a little steeper of a grind than my ESEE 6.
Now, I've done feathersticking, some carving, and game/food prep with it. Its pretty decent at most things given its size. I. Seemed to do the job pounding wooden stakes into the ground. I don't think this will fully replace your knife unless you get really skilled with it but you can definitely get away with bringing the ultra light blades like an Izula (2 ounces vs the bushcraft blades that typically weigh in the 8 ounce range), unless you're compelled to baton 4 inch logs.
Ultimately, this is a $100 ax vs a $600 ax
traditional vs "practical tactical"
high end vs boutique end
I landed upon the Winkler because I sold some stuff with the intent to make a high end purchase and it this appealed to me. If the Sayoc had a hammer face, I probably would have gotten that instead. But its construction leaves very little chance for handle failure.
Probably my only complaint is that the cutting edge of the Winkler is a bit too rounded in the middle portion for my likings, its something you really only notice with fine tasks and sharpening.
That, and they're almost too pretty to use with maple scales. The cost of it makes it a little difficult to actually make that first swing
Late to the party. I'm surprised at how similar they were in weight and length. I'd assume that the GB would probably be a better chopper just due to the metal head/wood handle vs a full tang ax. But, as I said, I don't own the hatchet. The camp balance point is roughly 2 inches from the bottom of the head, so its a pretty decent chopper.
The Camp ax has more of a knife edge to it as someone said. If anything, its a little steeper of a grind than my ESEE 6.
Now, I've done feathersticking, some carving, and game/food prep with it. Its pretty decent at most things given its size. I. Seemed to do the job pounding wooden stakes into the ground. I don't think this will fully replace your knife unless you get really skilled with it but you can definitely get away with bringing the ultra light blades like an Izula (2 ounces vs the bushcraft blades that typically weigh in the 8 ounce range), unless you're compelled to baton 4 inch logs.
Ultimately, this is a $100 ax vs a $600 ax
traditional vs "practical tactical"
high end vs boutique end
I landed upon the Winkler because I sold some stuff with the intent to make a high end purchase and it this appealed to me. If the Sayoc had a hammer face, I probably would have gotten that instead. But its construction leaves very little chance for handle failure.
Probably my only complaint is that the cutting edge of the Winkler is a bit too rounded in the middle portion for my likings, its something you really only notice with fine tasks and sharpening.
That, and they're almost too pretty to use with maple scales. The cost of it makes it a little difficult to actually make that first swing
This seemed off to me, so I checked.
Winkler Camp Axe: 14" 1.5#
Gransfors Scandinavian: 25" 2.6#
Huh?
Sorry, I was refering to the GB Wildlife Hatchet vs Winkler Camp ax.
Ah, I see. I believe the Winkler was designed with typical hatchet dimensions in mind. I have no source for that, but when I first looked at it I noted that. The GB and basically any other basic hatchet is roughly 14" and 1.5#. What's amazing is that he managed to do it with a full tang. I want one, but haven't been able to put the funds aside yet.
Thats definitely a benefit of tapering and skeletonizing the tang. Which always adds money. Its somewhat reminiscent of a older-than-snot full tang hatchet my old man has. I keep on intending to get a leather sheath for mine made (like the ones that came with his original axes) purely for aesthetic reasons. Maybe he'll do a leather-kydex one like he does with his belt knives.
I'd imagine that one is leather over kydex. I agree on his sheaths though. I have his Field Knife. It's a bit more expensive than I usually spend on a knife, but the quality of the sheath is amazing. I remember Mike Stewart of Bark River saying once that the sheath is the single most expensive component of most of his knives. Given the quality of the sheaths I've seen, and that it doesn't include knife labor, but does include sheath labor, I can't imaging it's not true, not that I suspected he made it up anyway. A good sheath seems to be the determining factor in fixed blades when I choose one for daily carry. Incidentally, my most used EDC fixed blade is... a Winkler Neck Knife 
jdm61
itinerant metal pounder
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How thick is the stock at the thickest part of the head?
Thats definitely a benefit of tapering and skeletonizing the tang. Which always adds money. Its somewhat reminiscent of a older-than-snot full tang hatchet my old man has. I keep on intending to get a leather sheath for mine made (like the ones that came with his original axes) purely for aesthetic reasons. Maybe he'll do a leather-kydex one like he does with his belt knives.
I'm surprised not more have done the leather-kydex-suede that winkler has done, it gives the look of a leather sheath (which I prefer) and the functionality of kydex (which I like)I'd imagine that one is leather over kydex. I agree on his sheaths though. I have his Field Knife. It's a bit more expensive than I usually spend on a knife, but the quality of the sheath is amazing. I remember Mike Stewart of Bark River saying once that the sheath is the single most expensive component of most of his knives. Given the quality of the sheaths I've seen, and that it doesn't include knife labor, but does include sheath labor, I can't imaging it's not true, not that I suspected he made it up anyway. A good sheath seems to be the determining factor in fixed blades when I choose one for daily carry. Incidentally, my most used EDC fixed blade is... a Winkler Neck Knife
Now, I'll admit I'm not too enthralled with my neck knife, mostly because of it having the thickest grind angle that I have ever seen on a knife. Its thicker than my GB Scandinavian forest ax. The other being this uneven grinding in the pic. Strange oversight considering it was QC signed off on it (in all honesty, it took me a week to actually notice it. Mostly thanks to dark colored carpet). No qualms about the sheath. Top notch stuff.
A good sheath seems to be something that a lot of people overlook, its also usually a make or break for several of my knife purchases.
Its about 9.5mm thick and tapers down to about 5mm (excluding the scales)
