Very true Ken,

Our youth group axes are plastic handled clubs with no life or quality in them at all, but they do survive from one outing to the next.

I keep my personal equipment safely hidden away but sometimes my teenage son and his buddies still find it. I cannot complain too much as I was very tough on my fathers gear at that age. After a few occurences my Dad started to write the value of an item on it in black marker (e.g. axe handles, waders, boots, rifle shells, fishing rods ...), that way if I used it I was forewarned of the replacement cost.

Not a bad idea.

Mike

Depends on what your trying to do.

If your goal is a usable tool for short term survival, until you can get found or walk out, I would go for a hatchet of some type. Light and compact but still functional for light work. For my BOB I slipped in a Fiskars, same as the Gerber except the Fiskars has an orange handle, because it fits the requirements and they say the handle is indestructible.

Now the key to this is to understand that such a light hatchet isn't going to be very efficient for felling anything but a small sapling, limbing, and pounding a stake suitable for holding down a tarp.

If your goal is to homestead a site where you will need to fell full sized trees for cabin construction, fences and firewood you need a full sized axe. You will pay a penalty in weight and bulk but your homesteading and not going too far.

If you want a tool for light chopping, recreational camping, the odd disaster and general use around the house and garden you might consider one of these:

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?mi=8174

Plumb and Sears sell a similar design that has a slightly longer handle that I like a lot. We called them a 'rigger's hatchet' but most seem to sell under the name 'half-hatchet'. The longer handle and half-hatchet head are great for building pole barns. We used the blade to chop out flats after sawing the ends for 2x10s with a bow saw. The hammer head is good for hammering in heavy spikes.

It is also good for shingling and taking the head off chickens and other jobs around house and farm. But it is still light and handy enough for camping use. A bit heavier than the Fiskars but not too bad. In return you get a bit more heft and chopping ability.

Between the Fiskars light-weight and a half-hatchet you could get a shingler's or drywaller's hatchet. I have seen these used by hikers.

The axes you see as the hardware stores are pretty poor compared to the highly adapted models an axe aficionado uses. They aren't too bad for occasional use but compared to the better models you spend twice the time and effort getting getting half the job done. The more time you spend with an axe, and the closer you are to maximum effort surviving, the more your going to like the finer models.

That said fine axes are thoroughbreds. They are designed for a single narrow job. They aren't suitable for rough handling, abuse and inexpert application. You don't use a $400 custom built felling axe to cut roots and chop clay. You wouldn't use it to convert a pallet to kindling. You wouldn't use the blade to pry boards apart. For that sort of use the hardware store models with fiberglass reinforced handles are what you want.

I don't know what Schwert is looking for in getting his Wetterlings where he wants it but I spent about 5 minutes each on my two Wetterlings getting them razor sharp. They were very sharp to begin with.

the other thing about an axe is you need to carry the right
kind of file and stone to keep it sharp..unlike a knife
they are more of a "tool"

Yes, I've done some chopping and other chores with mine, and it works quite well.

One modification which helps hand use is to tie a turks head knot around the bottom of the grip. Makes the tool a
bit more secure in the hand.

In spite of all the excellent advice I have seen, I will go back to the original question -- The Short Answer -- A SAW!! (-;

All kidding aside, there are many axes and hatchets for many different purposes. So I must ask, what do you see doing with this? I have many of each and they all have their place. If you want to cut wood, then my first answer is the best. If you wish to split wood, make tent poles and stakes, etc. then a light axe is the best choice. The hatchet is not a good choice for general use if you have any intention of cutting wood (especially dry) or splitting it. In most cases, if you are in the real woods, you need an axe if you want this capability.

The axe need not be heavy, but it should have a longish handle. The 1 3/4 pound Hudsons Bay axe (mine is a Snow & Neally) is designed for this type of use, but works MUCH better with a 28 or 30 inch handle. The cutting requires force. In order to let the axe provide the force, you need a long handle, a heavy head or both. A lightweight head with a long cutting edge (the Hudsons Bay design is one of the most well known) on a long handle will do 80% of the work of a heavier axe.

Many axes (especially great ones) are left with extra material near the edge so that the owner can shape it to his own desire - for his needs. A long, slim taper will cut deep, but can become trapped by the log, a shorter taper will not cut as well but will split better (a wedge shape - like a maul is best). The short taper will also not be damaged as easily if you hit something hard. The different types of wood require different shapes for optimum use.

Respectfully,

Jerry Fountain

I have to agree with Jerry. A saw is a great idea for general use and for survival use, especically if one is not too experienced with axe use, and their hands are not strengthened up yet.

It is very easy to make a survival situation much worse with inexperienced misuse of an axe. If your hands get tired... which they will...and you don't have sufficient skill and experience built up, you may be wearing your axe as a foot ornament.

If you are not experienced with using an axe I recommend getting a saw for the trail and a small steel wedge for splitting. Buy a good quality axe like a gransfors bruks and practice with it when you are alert and not tired from a long trail. Grip it too much and you get blisters, grip it too little and it will glance off the tree and you may be wearing it in the leg. Only once you are practiced with the tools use, should you take it on the trail or put it in your survival kit.

I own a GB forest axe for camping and softwood, and two 4lb old Kelly axes for hardwood use. The major thing that most axes need done to them, is smoothing and oiling the handle until it is like silk, if you use it much it prevents the blisters that a rough handle makes. It is a balance because too rough a finish and you get blisters, and too smooth a finish and an inexperienced user can lose control of it. I wouldn't make the axe razor sharp until you have developed suficient skill to not injure yourself.

All the best with your choosing. It is a persnal choice, most people who are very experienced with axes, want them as sharp as possible and as finely tuned as possible. They also tend to hate poor steel quality in axes.... and knives too, as do I.

Cheers,
Tim.

Of course, if you pack leather gloves (or any gloves), blisters aren't much of an issue. Still, I prefer a saw too.

There is no reason why your axe shouldn't;t be as sharp as your knife, I recently read somewhere that you can use you axe for everything you use your knife for. wait found it!! go down to the near bottom of this site and you should find a file called Woodsmanship (1954)" and like on one of the last few pages there is a thing about knives and how and axe can replace them. Hope this helps someone!

The only problem with most gloves and using hammers or axes is that they don't grip the tool at all and in the end you fatigue your hands much quicker, it also makes it much easier for the tool to rotate in your hands when it hits. That means that there may be a general introduction between your axe and your feet. The only gloves that I would use is what some blacksmiths use with their hammers, those cotton gloves that have rubber grippy surfaces on them.

Axes should be as sharp as a knife only with experienced users, generally you don't swing your knife around your head with a stick attached. Remember in preparing for a possible emergency/survival situation learn to become proficient with your tools or only take the ones that you are proficient and safe with. In other words make sure you can hit what you are aiming at every time, even when you are tired and your hands are weak.

Most good axes (Gransfors etc.) are sharp enough for the average joe, straight out of the wrapper. I just wouldn't sharpen them like a sharp knife or razor until you have had the axe dive at your feet a few times and you are sure that it won't happen again. Most people use really bad techniques with axes and are an accident waiting to happen, especially when splitting wood.

Remember to keep your feet well away from the axe, keep the handle stopping as close to horizontal as possible at first, and the blade of the axe as close to the line of your swing as you can. Also keep good control on the rotation of the axe head as it hits the tree. Always remember to be aware of where it will go if the head glances off the tree and make sure that you aren't there.

If you are splitting wood make sure that the axe handle will stop in a horizontal position and if you miss, that it won't hit your feet or legs, this is one of the most common axe injuries. Keep the end of the handle down and you are much safer.

Cheers,
Mac.