Axes and hatchet brands

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alaskanativeson

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I'm curious about the different brands of axes and hatchets out there. How does the Estwing compare against the rest? Is the Fiskars/Gerber handle as tough as the want me to believe it is and how well does that chisel-shaped bit do at it's task as a cutter? Are any of the axes or hatchets out there real competition to the Granfors Bruks?

Any sizes, any uses. I know it's a broad topic, but I'd like to cast as wide anet as I can with this discussion. I am building a house in the mountains of Coorado for when I retire in a few more years and I gave away a lot of my outdoor equipment when I moved up here to Alaska. I have tended to travel much lighter up here moving around in the Alaska Bush as I have. I'll mainly use my axes for camping/hunting as well as for firewood gathering.
 
I'd say stay with the Granfors Bruks. They are fabulous tools. If you want to save a bit of money but get quality in the same class, check out Wetterlings' offerings. I have one of each and wouldn't hesitate to pick up either one for a task.
 
RMJ forge

you want a nice hatchet/chopping tool pick up an RMJ forge tomahawk. I just got mine in the mail today after waiting since June. What a well balanced, tough, piece of equipment. Not to mention the other potential purposes it could serve. Definitely worth the cash imho

they're at rmjtactical.com

edit: it chops wood very very well, i took it out of the box and chopped through an 8" maple log in about 5 minutes or so, it is balanced perfectly and the edge cuts great
 
Gransfors makes fantastic working axes. For commercial product they're as good as it gets. I put mine through some horrible, horrible abuse. If Sven saw what I did to his felling axe he would ban me from buying them ever again. But the axe did survive. I lost it in the snow several times, left it in a tree at the end of the season, ran over it with the truck, left it in a dog's kennel, used it to chop apart the head and legs of a moose for dog feed, etc., etc. I was a bad boy.

There are custom makers who can do better. It will cost you, though.
 
phoglund beat me to it. What he said.

I'm no expert, but I understand that the head must be centered in the handle or the ax will never work properly. Even the better-made axes sometimes ship with crooked heads, so this is something you want to check as soon as your new ax arrives.
 
I don't like the balance point of the estwings or the metalurgy. I haven't tried anything I like as much as the GBs but that level of quality aint cheap. It will, however last a couple generations with reasonable care. I would save money elsewhere and buy the good stuff when it comes to tools.
 
I learned that lesson from my dad when I was young, about tools at least. Funny, he'd always spend more to get Craftsman or Snap-On tools, but he'd spend $4.95 to get vinyl slip-on shoes from Kmart. I've had to work to get my wife to understand why I spend $100 on an item I could spend $50 for, but she's come around for the most part (she actually worked for Kmart when she was in High School, that kind of conditioning has been hard to change.)

I'll admit, the Estwing and the Gerber were really the main ones I was curious about. I had a Collins Boy Scout 20" axe I got for an award for something in Scouting when I was growing up. I do miss it, it was stolen and I really miss it for sentimental reasons.
 
In carrying axes, I march to a different drum.

If you want the power of a small axe in the package of a hatchet or large hawk, take a gander at the Roselli R850.

smaller-axe.jpg


The head profile never gets stuck. Its compact head is a way easier belt carry and the sheath is well thought out. The bearded design means you can easily use it as a scraper. The handle is simply magic, You can grip it anywhere securely one handed, and it's comfortable for two hands on the end. The birch transmits less shock than hickory.

It was expensive, but I won't part with mine. The euro is falling, which should make them relatively affordable again.:D
 
Is the Fiskars/Gerber handle as tough as the want me to believe it is and how well does that chisel-shaped bit do at it's task as a cutter?
Click to expand...

My Gerber sport axe has been to hell and back (literally) and it's still going strong. The handle is as tough as they come, and the head has been touched up on a bench grinder twice in ten years. For $30.00, buy with confidence.
 
I have both the 14" fiskars hatchet and the fiskars brush hook the handles are tough and the for the money are good buys
Roy
 
I'm with phoglund on this, go Granfors or Wetterlings. I bought a Wetterlings about 3 years ago and it's served me well. I've used a couple of Eastwings, Gerbers, etc... and my Wetterlings just plain feels and functions better. Great quality for a great price.
 
Boats is on target. . . .

The Roselli is a bit of an odd looking tool but they work as well as anything I've picked up. The design allows you to choke up on the handle and use the head for finer work than most other small axes. I have an old Keen Kutter double bit that I will put up against anything ever made but as they are out of production for many years you're not likely to find one.
 
I have a fiskars hatchet and a collins boys axe. The collins had to have some work done to the blade profile in order for it to cut very well. The hatchet by fiskars has chopped limbs off of a dirt road to clear path for the truck to get to my mothers house, split kindling, and used it to chop up a couple of goats for the freezer. It is tough, dependable and for the money you can not go wrong. I bought mine a couple years back at Sears for 25.00
 
I just received my Snow and Neally
1 3/4 pound 24 inch Hudson bay axe.

Can't say much about the finish, the blade was not any where near finished sharpened.

Spent the evening with the axe and my files thining out the bit and doing a little shaping to the poll, and removing the paint from the head and varnish from the average grade but well fitted hickory handle.

This morning I started the polishing and sharpening,which I can say is going well 'cause I'm now wearing two band aids from being carless.

The steel over all looks like it is going to have enough hardness to hold an edge. Using a diamond hone to bring it up to hair shaving.

I have the cheaper Eastwing plastic handle and the blade on it seems to be just a little harder. This ugly little take off on a Hudson bay design, is one heck of a buy for the price, it will stay shaving sharp after slicing through 2-2 1/2" limbs in one swing and at half the price of the S&N.

The S&N Hudson Bay axe is a good looker straight off the shelf but with the reputation of this U.S.A. made product it should come with a better over all finish.

On the subject of Granfors, does any one know where there is a source other than Granfors for a a round palm axe stone? $40.00 seems a little over priced. Norton used to make axe and scythe stones a small half moon shaped around 4"in length.
 
I just bought a Husqvarna 1.25 lb hatchet, the one they give away if you buy a chainsaw. You get a cap, too. My saw was in for repairs and I saw the hatchet. The handle is wood with a thickness that is perfect for my large hand. The handle also has a double curve that is goof for choking up for fine detail work. As with all Swedish axes, the steel is superb; sharpens easily and holds up. I have several other hatchets and use them alot. My second favorite is an old fashioned Boy Scouts of America straight wood handle hatchet. I am not sure why, maybe it evokes memories.

The hatchet is my personal #1 survival tool which I prefer to any knife and I own a lot of knives.
 
I don't think you will be disappointed in any of the drop forged Swedish products if you find one in a style and size appropriate for the job. Some of the common Swede brands you may find at a flea market or garage sale are: Banko (or Superbanko), Bahko, "SAW" in three interlocked rings is an other name for Wetterling; I think it stands for: Swedish army, Wetterling. Anyway they will all say: "made in Sweden" on them. If you are buying used, stay away from any that look like they've been sharpened with a bench or angle grinder; unless you have a waterstone it's pretty hard to keep from burning the temper out of the edge. That said, I use an angle grinder on mine to remove extra metal that's not near the bit to lighten them up a little. If a drop forged hatchet doesn't have a hammer poll it is most likely differentially tempered and only the 1st .5 inch or so behind the bit is hardened.
I have a real old Estwing with a hammer poll that I use at the hearth for splitting kindling and it does a fine job of that. I rescued it from a welder who was using it for a weld chipper. I'd never take it hiking with me because of all the weight in the metal handle. It's hell for stout though, and keeps a decent edge.
 
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