Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A good hatchet

I'd like to pick up a GOOD hatchet. Something better than the normal stuff found at Lowes and other hardware stores. Will be using it for camping and for when I am splitting firewood. I figure someone here can recommend a few good ones and tell me what to look for.

Gransfors makes some nice ones.

Find a vintage USA made Plumb , it's just as good as any made.


Mike

Wetterlings makes a really good ax and it isn't as expensive as a gransfors. A fiskars ax is ok not as good as the others but better than wally world speacials. I have a fiskars that has served me well for about 4 years and it sharpens really good. I can shave my arm with it. I use it to build duck blinds out of brush. The only con is the back side isn't a good hammer but it does the job.

http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/Gransfors+Bruks/Gransfors+Bruks%26%23153%3B+Wildlife+Hatchet/GB415.html

I was looking at this one, this and similar ones advertise that they use Swedish Steel, is that really something better than other steel?

Go with the plumb,I have three of them from I was doing hand scribe log structures.Take the cheeks off and you can shave with it.Cheap and they do the job,most will be lost before they are wore out.

Gransfors, Wetterlings/Husqy, Norlund, all the high dollar Swedish ones are good+.

If you want a great hatchet that will chop as good as the high dollar ones and won't break the bank, this one is by FAR the best IMO. Fiskars made in Finland. There is no hatchet made even close to as good at this price point and YOU CAN buy it at Lowes/Home Depot. Here is one the many great reviews you will find on it:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/837501-REVIEW-The-new-Fiskars-X7-14-quot-Hatchet

If you search, you can find lots of reviews on it comparing it very favorably to the high dollar Swedish models.............

Lotta guys hoard the old ones they find at garage sales and the like. Imagine that, hoarding?!

For an equivalent to many of today's stainless/synthetic rifles in the hatchet department, look at those which Fiskars offers. They have quite a good selection of sizes and they are very handy and packable. I have used one of them for the past two decades, mostly for cutting, not splitting, but the number of alders and willows it has cut would make a tremendous pile. The high quality steel head holds a good cutting edge well, while the polymer handle is very much tougher than it feels. I have used mine into deep cold (-20/-30� F) without failure.

I love the handmade quality of Gransfors, and perhaps they would be the hatchet equivalent of wood/blued rifles. In either case, Scandinavia won't steer you wrong for wood cutting purposes.

The used Plumbs on Ebay and such are much cheaper than the Gransfors and Wetterlings.

WHO me yes any old ones that I find ,hatchets axes froes adz draw knives spoke shaves bridge slicks.

Matt, Sorry but I do not have any good hatchet heads in my collection at this time or there would be in a brown truck on the way. I recommend you look around at garage or estate sales, junk or antique stores , and ask around where ever you see an old barn. As mentioned above Plumb made good great heads.

I will keep my eyes open this week as the wife and I take a week to mosey around spending five days to drive the normal 235 mile drive home. We will not travel any four lane and will see lots of real country. If I can find a good head I will clean it up, hang it and get it to you for shipping.

Been slumming this Gransfor for about 9 years




Before that I used the [bleep] out of a Gerber, mostly seeing use running a trapline.

Yep - what I bought - Hatchet

American made choices. Nothing wrong with the Gransfors but more coin and a little too hard for my liking in an axe. I have used both the Peavey and Snow and Neally. The Peavey is the best buy and use a Hudson Bay pattern for the last several years splitting fire wood before it comes into the house. The S&N have been inconsistent in quality. I have one that is really good and couple others that weren't worth the money. I have heard good things about Council, but not used one as yet.

http://store.peaveymfg.com/cart/category/2021/Axe_Line/1/

http://www.counciltool.com/product.asp?pg=product&item=17HB18

http://cspoutdoors.com/snowneallyaxes.html

I've got the Keen Cutter my Grandfather carried on the trapline through the depression. Much thicker through the blade leading up to the cutting edge than my S-I-Ls Gransfor, doesn't chop as well, but splits fairly well.

A man after my own heart, a Marlin sporting XS Sights.


A great review on that Fiskars, but for this one I am going to go a bit old school with wood handle and all.



Scott, I am not in a hurry and one hand picked by you would be very nice. Just let me know when you find something good and tell me how much $ to send. I very much like the idea of putting new life in an old tool.

We leave on our trip up the coast tomorrow. I may not be on the fire for several days but I will let you know what I find.

Thank you Scott!

If I remember right I owe you several favors and this is one I will have fun trying to return.