Comments on: The Modern Hand Axe

by: Lasivian

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:01:02 +0000

The best axe i’ve ever owned is this one:

http://www.lasivian.com/coppermine/albums/misc/garbo_axe.jpg

It has finger grooves so you can use it just like an ancient hand axe, or you can cut a branch to use as a handle and make it a modern axe.

Either way since it’s just a head it’s much easier to transport. I’ve taken it on several backpacking trips and once it saved the day when we needed wood badly and nobody had even brought a simple hatchet.

After that nobody made jokes about why I carried such a heavy thing around in my pack.

Sadly you cannot get one anymore except on Ebay.

by: PutnamEco

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:09:54 +0000

Re;
A friend of mine picked up a nice hatchet at the local scout shop.
==================================================
BSA Sells Snow and Nealley through their retail website
www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&C3=CAMPEQUIP&C4=&LV=3&item=01987&prodid=01987^8^01RTL&

by: Teacher

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:35:13 +0000

I have and still use axes and splitting mauls and a couple hatchets. A friend of mine picked up a nice hatchet at the local scout shop.

Coach

by: hazelwoodfarm

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:41:48 +0000

I’m 58 years old and live on a small farm. I have five hatchets laying around along with at least four axes and a couple of splitting malls. And a machete or two, also. How could anyone live without these fine chopping tools. Beats me.

by: Ted

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:20:35 +0000

I have to second the Fiskars recommendation. I own their 14 inch hatchet. The shape of the blade is different from other axes I have used. It makes chunks pop out of the wood rather than cutting in and getting buried(maybe not a big deal with a hatchet). Mine came with a useful plastic blade cover/mount. The composite handle does look flimsy but it has proved sturdy. Their marketing says that a car can drive over it and the handle will just flex. I use a bench stone to sharpen it.
The best price I found was at Lowes for $20 (found it in the garden center not the tool rack with the $40 Estwings).

by: Bill

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:14:40 +0000

For what it’s worth I have to recommend any axe by Fiskars. O.k. I know it’s not made in America and most people think of Fiskars think of knives and scissors, but a few years ago I picked up a standard size axe made by Fiskars and I will never buy another brand, in fact I probably wont have to. The head looks a little smaller than what your used to and it uses a lightweight composite handle, not the most beautiful axe, but boy does it cut/chop. At first I thought it would be to light for the job but the blade is so damn sharp it goes through green wood like Oprah through cookies. It’s so sharp it’s almost dangerous and yet it holds an edge like no tomorrow. The sharpener that they sell for it looks and works more like a knife sharpener but does maintain the edge. Now my father and I did a lot of lumbering when I was younger, both dropping trees as well as cutting and hauling fire wood, and we both know how a good axe can make life as easy as a bad one can make it hard, but even he, the old fashioned swamp yankee that he is, was impressed with it, so I have to say, if their hatchets are anything like their axes, buy one, they’re more expensive but you won’t regret it.

by: Wayne D.

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:55:38 +0000

Estwing makes some nice ones. My wife got one when she worked for the Forest Service a few years ago (although I am the one who uses it). I included a link to the one she has.

http://www.tools-plus.com/estwing-e44a.html

by: PutnamEco

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:49:59 +0000

Re: A good axe is much like a good knife.
——————————————————————–
Coleman makes good axes like they make good knives………… Not.

If you want a good ax get a Gransfors Bruks, I would recommend the small forestry ax (#420) for a general carry around ax.
If they are a little to pricey for you, you’ll want to look into Snow and Nealey.
If your looking for an ax to use for rough work look into Eastwings.

Plumb used to have some nice axes and hatchets, (I haven’t seen any for sale in a long time) If you see on for sale used, they may be worth a look.

My 2¢ from spending to much time in the woods.

by: Bugler

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:12:08 +0000

I keep a hatchet in the truck too, but I’ve been slobbering over this for a long time: http://www.woodmanspal.com/

by: PutnamEco

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:18:29 +0000

Re; A good axe is much like a good knife.
———————————————————————————————————-
Coleman makes good axes like they make good knives…. NOT.

If you want a good ax, you want a Gansfors Bruks. I would recommend their #420 small forest ax for a general carry around ax.

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html

If the Gransfors are too pricey, go for a Snow and Nealley

http://snowandnealley.com/am.htm

If you just want something to beat on, get an Eastwing.

http://www.estwing.com/

Plumb used to make some fair hatchets and axes, I don’t believe they are still in production but if you see one used, they’re worth a look.

by: Jim K.

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:55:32 +0000

Agreed with the above comments. Spend the $’s and get a fiberglass handle (really not too much difference in price anyway). I’ve had one in my truck for a few years now and it’s definitely come in handy on a few occasions where other tools just weren’t up for the job at hand.

by: l_bilyk

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:25:43 +0000

I don’t suggest any striking instrument with a steel tube shaft. Especially an axe. That tube will get dented by errant blows, and as soon as that happens it’ll just fold.

by: jeff

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:25:26 +0000

I keep one in my pickup but mine has a much more durable fiberglass handle (like a hammer). It works really well.

by: Benjamen Johnson

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:09:14 +0000

Unless Coleman has improved the camp axe over the years, I would think about one with a stronger shaft, my friend bent mine on a bet that he couldn’t cut through a 12 inch log with it. He did it in about an hour, but bent the handle in the process.

It does work petty well for stripping branches and chopping up brush into firewood though.