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Author Topic: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....  (Read 3588 times)

Offline Night goat

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hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« on: September 19, 2019, 10:57:16 PM »
so, im in the market for a new axe. ive had a fiskars since only god knows when, i got it probably mid to late 1990s. it has been a workhorse. ive used it for everything.

now, i dont have a woodstove at home, so, i am not splitting rounds or cutting firewood daily, but, it lives in my jeep, and has served as a tool for just about everyting, camping, off roading, hunting, fishing, ive found all sorts of uses for it.

its been going on 20 years or so and im ready for a new one.

as mentioned in my Helle Knifes post, i have a soft spot for Swedish in particular and Scandinavian steel in general because my grandpa was a Swede. ive had a few swede axes particularly Gransfors Bruks, and love my double bit Gransfors.

what do i need an axe for? camping, carving, wood working, building fires, cutting, hunting....

i have a wall tent with a cylinder stove, and have just purchased a titanium stove for a trekking pole tipi style tent, and am debating whether a tiny hatchet or  saw would be better to carry around. from a weight perspective an axe in a pack is dumb, but, dang, last two trips, i sure missed having an axe of some sort. what can i say, im an axe guy. fiskars always goes with when i got the big tent/stove, but, with the small tent and stove, living out of a backpack with all my gear for a few days to a week or so... debating if its worth the weight.

if i get an axe and hate it, well, i got plenty of other uses, perhaps using it for kindling at my ski shack or use in the workshop as a carpentry tool.

im after something small to medium size, not an overly thick blade, good carbon content to the metal...

a bonus would be a traditional look

https://www.gransforsbruk.com/app/uploads/2013/02/4995-Gränsfors-Swedish-Viking-Axe.pdf

thats what ive always wanted, but, its out of production and i doubt i could ask the forge to make one just for me.

CRKT makes the Freyr, but, CRKT..... so hit or miss

there are a few other bearded style blades out there, but for the most part all seem to be wanna be weekend warrior armchair viking quality. why do i like the bearded style axe? well, i like the extra cutting surface, as it can be used for more than just chopping, and can be used almost like an Alaskan ulu knife

not dead set on a bearded head, as i saw the Hults Bruk blades the other day and i was impressed... admittedlty though, i am a fan of something with some flare. function over form, but, if i can have something with some good looks, why not

if i wanted to be totally realistic the Gransfors Bruks hand hatchet or wildlife hatchet, its about the size, and its bulletproof as far as quality, and i very well might just get one of those, however id still be curious to know whats on the market

Offline Romulus1297

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2019, 12:03:46 AM »
Amazon has the hand hatchet. I have 4 different gransfors bruk ax’s. Perfect ax’s.

Offline Fl0und3rz

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2019, 04:42:03 AM »
Not to throw a wrench into the works, consider a bushcraft style knife with a heavier, sturdier blade, and a saw.

Offline MADMAX

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Offline jackelope

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2019, 06:39:58 AM »
I ended up going with a Hults Bruk Akka.
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

My posts, opinions and statements do not represent those of this forum

Offline JJB11B

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2019, 06:45:44 AM »
Marbles, Hults Bruk, granfors bruk, you can hardly go wrong! I would love to get a Granfors Bruk but I would be happy with any of the three
"Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever."
Shane Falco

Offline 300rum

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2019, 07:21:09 AM »
You can find good US steel axes heads, look on CL or something like that.  You should pay $5-10 for a good axe head.  Clean it up with a bit of sand paper and a *censored* file and put a new handle on it from Beavertooth handle company (I have bought many handles form them) and you will have something that is yours. 

Offline Special T

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2019, 07:22:00 AM »

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself. 

Confucius

Offline 300rum

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2019, 07:24:07 AM »
Sorry, I'm not one to use bad language.  If you don't know what kind of file I meant, you probably don't know how to sharpen your own tools anyway.

You can find good US steel axes heads, look on CL or something like that.  You should pay $5-10 for a good axe head.  Clean it up with a bit of sand paper and a *censored* file and put a new handle on it from Beavertooth handle company (I have bought many handles form them) and you will have something that is yours.

Offline wadu1

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2019, 07:28:35 AM »
My choice is a Collins Boys Axe ay 2.5 pounds. Other brands of boys axes start at $12-14 and up to $150. I run a 5 pound for large splitting.  :twocents:
"a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi"

Offline jackelope

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2019, 08:35:40 AM »
Sorry, I'm not one to use bad language.  If you don't know what kind of file I meant, you probably don't know how to sharpen your own tools anyway.

You can find good US steel axes heads, look on CL or something like that.  You should pay $5-10 for a good axe head.  Clean it up with a bit of sand paper and a *censored* file and put a new handle on it from Beavertooth handle company (I have bought many handles form them) and you will have something that is yours.

bas-tard file!!
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

My posts, opinions and statements do not represent those of this forum

Offline 724wd

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2019, 08:40:42 AM »
Sorry, I'm not one to use bad language.  If you don't know what kind of file I meant, you probably don't know how to sharpen your own tools anyway.

You can find good US steel axes heads, look on CL or something like that.  You should pay $5-10 for a good axe head.  Clean it up with a bit of sand paper and a *censored* file and put a new handle on it from Beavertooth handle company (I have bought many handles form them) and you will have something that is yours.


THAT'S HILARIOUS!  :lol4: :lol4: :lol4:

Offline MADMAX

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2019, 11:34:42 AM »
Antonio?
I Ain't Captain Walker.
I'm The Guy Who Carries Mr. Dead In His Pocket


What would life be without the thrill of the hunt ?

Offline optic2

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2019, 03:21:05 AM »
I ended up going with a Hults Bruk Akka.

Sell me on that, because it's a $169.

Being 24" handle I would call that a hatchet and not an axe.

Offline jackelope

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Re: hatchet to small axe... shopping.....
« Reply #14 on: September 21, 2019, 05:07:30 AM »
I ended up going with a Hults Bruk Akka.

Sell me on that, because it's a $169.

Being 24" handle I would call that a hatchet and not an axe.

I don’t really have a sales pitch. I don’t use it a lot. It works great for small camp wood tasks and the craftsmanship is awesome. That’s about all I’ve got. I’ve heard it referred to in the past as a 2 handed hatchet. I think it’s a great size for an all purpose tool and that’s what I wanted.  I have a friend who is hard core into the bushcraft stuff and he sold me on the Akka. 
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

My posts, opinions and statements do not represent those of this forum

 


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