A bit cross topic, but with all these nice axes and hatchets maybe one of you guys can send some pictures to that kid at UC who wants to cut his dick off to protest Trump and tell him to take his pick.
Not sure if you want to let him use a good one or not, as A) you might not want it back knowing what it was used for or B) it could hold a special place in your heart knowing what it was used for.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
Light pack axe, look at either the Marble's Camp or Hunter's style axe.
Other than the names, the degree of finish on the blades, and the prices, I don't see that there enough difference between comparable styles in the GB, Wetterling, and Husqvarna lines without picking them up and see how they feel to you.
Red Oak nearly splits just looking at it.We don't have much Sugar Maple,so I've never split that. I've rarely used an axe for splitting. For most of our wood a maul is necessary.
I used an 8lb maul before a friend turned me on to the X27. Keep in mind our oak has half the growing season of yours. Hence the growth rings are tighter and the density is higher. If frozen and straight grained it's not too bad to split. If twisted like much of it is and it's green and not frozen it can suck to split. Maple sucks to split regardless.
I am certainly not an expert user but have found Fiskars axes and hatchets to be an amazing value. They just feel right to me. Try to match the tool to the job, a good felling ax will probably not be a good splitter. Go to buckin billy ray's you tube channel and see how a pro splits wood.
mike r
Don't wish it were easier Wish you were better
Stab them in the taint, you can't put a tourniquet on that. Craig Douglas ECQC
A bit cross topic, but with all these nice axes and hatchets maybe one of you guys can send some pictures to that kid at UC who wants to cut his dick off to protest Trump and tell him to take his pick.
Not sure if you want to let him use a good one or not, as A) you might not want it back knowing what it was used for or B) it could hold a special place in your heart knowing what it was used for.
Maybe we could take donations, a member could buy a cigar cutter, deliver it, and make sure it was used.
I am in for $10.
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
Don't have a clue what the best axe is but it is likely to be outperformed by a $25 splitting maul from Harbor Freight or Lowes if you are busting up logs. If I were in the market for an axe or hatchet I'd look at Council tools. They have good American made axes that can be had for around $60. They also have some expensive stuff targeted at the "bushcraft" market if you want to go that route. I guess they want a cut of Gransfor's action.
I have an old carpenter's hatchet like the one in roundoak's post except it has a wood handle. It belonged to my Grandfather...I have no idea what kind it is. I use it for the rare times I need a hatchet. I can't see much wrong with the Estwing camp hatchet with the leather handle if I were going to get a new one. It looks pretty unbreakable to me....$35 everyday at Home Depot.
Last edited by RJY66; 01/16/17.
"Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants". --- William Penn
Don't have a clue what the best axe is but it is likely to be outperformed by a $25 splitting maul from Harbor Freight or Lowes if you are busting up logs.
I am jealous of all the fine, easy splitting wood.
All we have is cottonwood, ash and random elm growing in the yard.
8lb maul for splitting, no other choice.
Axe for chopping ice.
Hatchet for make kindling out of old cedar fence posts.
What do we like for clearing out head tall, thorny thickets? Thinking some kind of bush hook.
I bought a piece of property three years that has thickets made up of Blackberry, Multiflora rose and Prickly Ash. Bush-hogged where I could and applied 2-4 D on the new growth. On the other thickets I am using a chainsaw rather than a brush hook or machete...works slick and apply 2-4 D on the new growth.
I figure I need another three years of clearing at the rate of 2-3 hours of part time free time effort.
Doc it's hard to beat Fiskars x27. Take a look at some youtube vids. Wood splits best at about -10F LOL
bud, I moved to Corpus Christi with the expectation that most of my -10F days are behind me and are a-gonna STAY behind me, gaddomit!!
Anyways, I went to Lowe's last evening after dinner and bought a Fiskars hand axe, their 14" X15 "Chopping Hatchet", which was the only decent axe they had on hand. Chopped up some kindling with it last night out of some seasoned mesquite chunks and I was impressed with how well it hacked up that hard old wood. The worker bee at Lowe's told me that they are getting a shipment of bigger Fiskars axes later this week, so I might go get one of those as well.
I don't have much need to split wood, as fires down in the part of the world are for pleasure, not a necessity, so buying a hydraulic splitter isn't necessary. Doesn't mean I won't buy one, mind...
As for the rest, I've got a short list of "must haves" out of the list of various axes and hatchets you pards have recommended. Doubt I'll end up with a collection like some of y'all's but having a modest assortment of axes in my shop seems to be a nice goal, and cheaper than collecting rifles...
"I'm gonna have to science the schit out of this." Mark Watney, Sol 59, Mars
