Axes and mauls

[Jack Ryan]

I am looking for a decent axe. Most for splitting wood, will carry it camping, if anything happens then it will be used for self-defense. Not looking to spend more than $100.00. Already have cheap Wal Mart axes and mauls. They don't hold a edge very good. Looking to upgrade. Thank you.

For splitting wood, get a maul. One with a plastic handle.

For a hatchet, get an Estwing camp axe or hatchet. Solid, all one piece steel. If you need to you can baton it on through with a piece of wood to split a piece of fire wood and never hurt it a bit. I keep a couple Sycamore limbs by the camp fire just for splitting those "starter" pieces to get a fire going.

Don't be a TV dummy. Never hold what you are trying to split and swing away. Use your "batoning stick" to hold the piece you want to split while you smack it with the axe,hatchet, tomahawk. Then you have your baton right there in your hand if it don't quite make it all the way through and a bonus! You still have all your fingers to hold it with!


If I was planning one of those survivor show trips, that would be my ONE tool if there will be wood there. You can make a hammer and a baton with your Estwing camp axe and then you can use those with the hatchet to double the usefulness of the tool you brought... If you know how to sharpen it you can use it for a knife but a knife makes a horrible axe or hatchet.

 

[Blkhrt13]

the whole sharp stick vs axe thing is hilarious. Im wondering if no one remembers lindisfairne.

 

[Panfisher]

I just bought 2 axes both estwing, 16 in camp axe and 26 inch axe. Both are nice and oddly they both are very similar in weight, thin blade that will chop easily but wouldnt be much of a splitter, for that I have a gerber splitting axe it works very well, wish it was a bit longer and they make a XL or something like that. It is very light so you swing it fast. The shape of blade wuld make a poor cutter though. As for defense neither would be my first choice, but I darn sure wouldn't want somene swinging one at me either.

 

[Fiv3r]

My go to axe is a Condor Greenland pattern sporting a 26" handle. Its a nice boys axe that handles all manner of cutting chores.

If I had one axe to pack around for God knows what, this would be my axe.

 

[KevininPa]

I bought a CRKT for a graduation gift. I thought it was a good quality piece.
It should be good for splitting kindling, driving tent stakes, quartering game, and self defense.
Maybe not so much for chopping trees.View attachment 909032 View attachment 909033 View attachment 909034

I bought one of those for my stepson. Pretty decent really. Says he loves it for camping.

 

[joneb]

For cutting and splitting wood for the camp fire I use a bow saw and two cheap hatchets. For splitting six to eight inch rounds I use one hatchet as a wedge and the other one as a hammer. Once I get a good fire going I burn logs, when the log burns in haft I have two logs when those burn through I have four.

 

[Boattale]

$2.00 from garage sale. I put the bike tape on the handle. Good tool.


Head found on road. Broken handle. This is a fiberglass core handle with epoxy filling the eye. Super tough. Best multi purpose hatchet ever.

Don't buy it that fiberglass handles are all that breakable. My good shovels have solid fiberglass handles and you could not break one with any human powered effort.

Over swing / miss long with any maul is likely damage. Especially if you miss long on a t post.

Any maul should have a hard rubber handle shield at the business end.

I've got other good stuff too but no pictures. A Gransfors small forest axe and the longer handled Estwing. They're both good. The Estwing is no good for splitting or felling. Head profile is too thin. It bites and sticks, does not make chips. The Gransfors is a good tool. But the handle is a little too long for one hand and a little too short for two hands.


I made a sheath for the Vaughn and it is the one that rides in the truck. Does a lot of things well and is just enough bigger than the small Estwing to make a difference. It's the Goldilocks of hatchets.