Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Which Axe, again?

I'm sure this has come up before. BUT, I have never owned a nice axe. I am looking for one that will be used for hunting, hiking, and light camping duties. Cut small trees, use to gather wood for fires, maybe split a critter. I would like one that I could possibly wear on my belt, or put in my pack and not notice it to much. I really don't want to spend a fortune but I am willing to pay for quality. I would think an axe/hatchet around 2lbs or so would be nice.

What is a good one? Granfors, Wetterlings, Husqvarna, Velvicut Hudson bay, also saw one German named one.

Thanks for the help

GB Small Forest, but it might be a little long for a belt. On the side of a pack it'll be fine.

While I'd like to try some of the more popular brands (popular with a lot of the members here) I'm still using the " small" estwing hatchet I've had for the last 20 years or so....its the one with the leather wrapped handle.
I heat my house with an outdoor wood boiler, so it gets used a lot........., camping, hunting, de-branching logs I may have missed with the chainsaw etc.....its pretty bombproof.
Johnny

Cold Steel Trail Hawk

That'll do but it isn't much of a splitter, not for big stuff. That big eye will get hung up PDQ. Mine does split small stuff quite well though, the Trail Hawk is a quantum leap up from a cheap hardware store hatchet. Everyone oughta have one. If you had to, you could make a new handle for a Hawk with just the head.

I agree with TAK...Gransfors makes a heck of an axe. The Wetterlings are good as well and a little less money. If you are ok with plastic handles look into the Fiskars axes.

I've got the GB Mini and love it. I usually use it for batoning stuff down for my K stoves.

I also have a 13" and 20" Wetterlings. Depending on the trip I'll take either. Both work well. If I plan on a lot of whiteman fires the 20" usually gets the nod as it is quite the chopper for its size.

The Mini and 13" Wett usually go in my pack while the 20" Wett gets strapped to the side of my pack like TAK mentioned.

Husqvarna.

and it won't cost you your left arm either !!!!

I've only got 3 GB's to compare to these days but the Husqvarna axes ARE EXCELLENT and COST HALF AS MUCH. I have their full sized forest axe - got it for about $60.

The Gb's have more variety to choose from though

Thanks for all the input. I just wish I had some place local to handle some different ones.

What do you guys think of the Husqvarna carpenters axe?

So why not just pick up an old Plum or Norlund from ebay, and make a handle and sheath yourself?





Dark one is old recut Plum BSA, light one is Norlund that my Daughter uses.

Very nice

I have a 1960's Plumb... great hatchet, but it's 1/2 lb heavier than my synthetic Gerber. However, I think it's obvious most using an axe are not backpacking...

The Plumb (dark one) comes in at 1 lb 5 3/4 oz unsheathed, in the sheath it comes in at 1 lb 9 oz.

This... The OP is asking about a Husqvarna Carpenters Axe which is 2.2 pounds.

I've been reading through this thread and the other about "Which Granfors for me". There are so many good choices, I wish I had the money to buy several. Still haven't made up my mind. Thanks for all the help.

I use to just collect hunting knives, this may be just as bad or worst. Thanks a lot.

I had my GB Outdoors axe in my pack when I through hiked the Bob Marshall.

I wonder what the [bleep] I was doing?

Has anybody used the carpenters style axe for general camp chores? How much different would it be over the GB small forest axe?

Nothing like hiking whatever number of miles, pulling into camp at Odark hundred every night and pulling that anchor in the form of a hatchet out of your pack to get to your sleeping bag night after night and never using it.
Yet I always bring an axe of some type, I just feel naked without one.

The carpenters style axe looks similar to the Hudson Bay "camp axe".

I have a Herter's Hudson Bay axe that I believe Snow & Nealley made for them. For about three decades it has been my favorite camp axe. It has a 26" handle and weighs about 3 pounds including sheath. It has the right balance for me, much better than wielding a hatchet.