I have been chatting with a good friend and fellow ETSer on this subject. He stopped carrying a hatchet for light outings and has opted for the kukri machete instead. not to discourage axes, as they have their place. but as a suitable balance between weight and function he switched. I really liked his use of the term suitable balance so we talked more.

I asked what his reasons were and I got these reasons and comparisons:

.hatchet has less chance of breaking
.kukri can dig. not like a E -tool, but it can dig.
.hatchet is heavier, but kukri chops almost as good for half the cost in weight.
.easier to replace hatchet handle if broken
.easier to resharpen the kukri
.easier to carry the kukri
.safer to use the kukri
.kukri can be lashed to a stick to have a longer reach for cutting through thorn bushes, over head stuff etc
.kukri can be used to stir up coals in a fire etc due to its length
.by using a wood club a kukri can be used to make splits safer than with a hatchet, an just as easy
.kukri can cut weeds, grass, brush etc where a hatchet is totally unsuitable. it can still be used to cut respectible sized wood.
. kukri can stab and chop and smash where an axe can only chop and smash
. hatchet makes a better hammer, bar none
. kukri usually costs more, sometimes considerably more.
.as he tells me, the kukri can hold two edges. super sharp at the bottom, straight part and a working,chopping edge on the round curved part. this aparently gives you a lot of flexibility with more detailed tasks. like strippin bark or making wood shavings for tinder. a kukri is also much easier to use for cutting ropes or cloth in this way


I think this it it. there may be a few that it missed putting here. I cant argue with the guy I guess because he spends enough time out in the woods to know what he is talking about but I am still a bit undecided. part of me likes to argue with the guy though. we keep each other on the ball that way. I guess to each his own but we are all here because no one has all the answers.

for the purpose of this I am refering to camping, hiking, hunting, in a BOB etc but NOT for military use.

I have a gerber back pax http://www.cabelas.com/ but have been giving some thought to his way of thinking. the pax is a bit too short to get a good swing. I was therefor contemplating buying this as he uses one similar with great results http://www.coldsteel.com/

what do you guys think about this debate?
anyone have one of these san mai kukris? are they as good as the hype?

I don't have a san mai kukri, mine is one I picked up in the philippines. I have never owned one of the gerber axes and won't buy one. A freind of mine bought one and got rid of it after one trip. We both tried it and it felt so unbalanced compared to a regular axe I almost cut my foot off with it. If your bound and determined to get one of these two get the kukri.

I have also considered the Cold Steel Kukri but they are expensive and most of the time I would not want to carry one as they are quite large, so grab peoples attention. I have a hatchet but never really carry it because of the weight. Unless I know that I will need to do some heavy chopping I just carry a good pocket saw and sheath knife as I have found that that combination works better for me. With my pocket saw I can cut through any small trees or branches much quicker than with a chopping implement. This may be just because I have limited experience with an ax though.

The main problem I foresee with the pocket saw is that the blade is thin and therefore prone to getting bent. I bent the blade on a Buckmaster(the Buckmaster's blade is thinner than the Buck's), but after straitening it it works fine again. I just do not know how long it will last. Also the file for sharpening them is expensive and delicate.

My personal leaning is toward the Kukri or one of the other similar knives, so some day I will probably either buy or make one.

I also plan to get a copy of Bushcraft by Mors L. Kochanski as Mr. Ritter says he has good information on using an ax.

I hope this helps a little bit.

Zechariah

I think it really depends on what you want to use it for. I have a Gerber axe like the one you listed and have used it many times with no problem at all. It is small and easy to stash away but can also perform the tasks I need it for.

This is a topic I've been mulling over a lot lately and I've come to a firm conclusion...it depends!

Now I've never tried the Kukri but my normal light weight hacking implement of choice is the Gerber Brush Machete...IMO similar to the Kukri. It's a bit different than the Kukri shapewise and not as beefy but it's served me well. One frustration I've had is when i go camping or hiking in areas like national parks where wood is available for fires pre-cut and ready to go...if you can split it. This wood can be wet, knotty, or otherwise horrible. It can be super hard to split this wood with a machete...the blade is so thin that you have to slice through and don't actually split anything. I also carry a Gerber Gator folding saw but I don't like the fact that I can't sharpen it in the field and I've bent 2 blades already this winter. The blades are only 5 bucks but I barely get 2 trips out of them before something happens.

Despite my thoughts about the dangers of axes and hatchets, I've ordered the Snow & Nealley gift set from Cabela's (and it shipped the day before yesterday...yay!). An 18 inch 'kindling' axe (basically their standard Hudson by axe head in an 18" handle suitably shaped for one hand use) and a one hand splitting maul (same 18" handle but with a beefcake 3lb. splitting maul head). I'm hoping that with this trifecta I can cover all the angles. The maul will cover the big splitting jobs (also great for car camping with the wife) but still be short enough to pack in and the axe will be middle ground when I need something lighter than the maul, still a decent splitter, AND a proper chopper that will out chop the machete. Plus I'll still have the light weight standby, the machete, for back country stuff where the most cutting I'll need to do is to break up some already dead , scrounged wood for a fire.

Ultimately I've decided that there is no perfect tool for these tasks. Each has it's strong points...and weaknesses. Time will tell if I've made the right choice because the only way to be completely sure is to use them all and make your own comparison. The trick is selecting the right tool when you leave the house because you can rarely take all of them (Lord knows I've tried)...though you can put all of them in the trunk and decide later

Before you spend a lot of money on Khukri,take a look at M40's Survival (www.m4040.com)site. He links to a source of cheap authentic Ghurka Khukri's and gives directions on how to modify it a bit to make it handle better.

M40 has made me wish for at least a look at the apparently no-longer-available Becker Brute for all the reasons discussed so far.

Alas, yet another compromising decision...

Not only do I need to choose between a hatchet or a knife, but even between different types of hatchets. Is a lighter, one piece hatchet going to do the job, or do I need the heavy hunter's style with the short handle and the 1 lb head? Is a Khukri blade going to do the job, or will my big brute Busse Battle Mistress be a better choice? Sigh, it's almost as bad as picking one of my pistols out for my daily carry (arrghh, don't get me started on that one!).

Hacksaw's response is most appropriate. There is not going to be one implement that gets it all done better than the rest. If you can't or don't want to carry more than one, then you are going to have to settle for some sort of compromise based on what you think is going to serve you best for the situation you are liable to face.

Sometimes having to pick one from my collection is worse than only having just one, you know what I mean?

Way back in the 70s I bought an authentic British Army issue kukri from the Ghurka regiment at reasonable cost. Just write to 'the Ghurka Regiment, british Army, England' and it will get there eventually. Gave it my brother eventually as it's a useless item for British camping.
People here in the UK keep purely decorative soft steel unsharpened kukris on their walls. An intruder might be in for an unpleasant surprise when he meets the one on my brothers wall :-),
The Sock

Oops. I dont know if I mentioned it but for this whole debate I meant it as a tool strictly to be carried on your back for an extended hike/hunt. If you have access to your car trunk then of course you need an axe. I always have a full size axe in my truck, as well as a collapsable bow saw. I am only considering the kukri as a replacement to my pack axe when I am miles away from my truck and have to rely on what I can carry only.

otherwise there is no debate on the usefullness of a good axe. it is the best tool in the world to have in the woods if you dont have to hump it far.

I have hatchets in several sizes, axes from a small "boys" size up thru double bits and pulaskis, and one of the "original" kukris from Nepal. It is without a doubt just me, but no matter how much I try, I can not hit what I am aiming at with the kukri. With a machete I can hit, but not the kuk. Go figure...

axe..the 3/4 Hudson's Bay style were carryed in the side
slip pockets of packs for years with no problems..
a Kurki was made by a "tribe" to fit their local needs--like
lopping the heads off cattle--i think we sometimes reach too
far to find the best tool when they are right here and proved
by centurys of use..and if weight is the major factor you could
leave a big Kurki home and just take a old style camp knife..

There is no doubt of a kuhri's effectiveness, given Nepal's sad deforestation for woodburning. Tools come from long traditions and histories. The Kukhri is a development of the greek sword and the axe back to the aechulian hand axe. No tool is better than it's user. A Ghurka obviously knows how to handle a Kukhri better than a Granfors Bruk felling axe. I really must question why we lug so much steel into the wilderness? If I was shipwrecked yes. I would build my Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. But for short trips axes or kukhris are 'survival rifles' to stop Bart the Bear and pagan biker gangs.I'll trade al for a good red wine, bread and cheese in my rucksack.

Kukri, no. I have carried and used a machete more than a hatchet or axe for all large and small "expeditions/outings".

I do carry a small hatchet normally but, I don't leave home without a machete.

I thought about this decision quite a bit and opted for the Cold Steel Kukri machete. It's only about $20 and takes a beating. But that decision is based mainly on my environment. Here in Louisiana, the underbrush is thick and nasty in places and you simply need a machete. The Kukri is a good machete and a pretty good axe substitute to boot.

+2 For good food. I almost always pack a picnic for a day hike. Enjoying what I'm eating is part of the reason I'm out there. Keep looking for good bag wine, I had a good Riesling in a box a while back.

As for what to carry a Kukri or and ax, well I'll go with Hacksaw on this. It depends on what you're doing and where. Most places I've been, I need to split wood or fell a jack pine, very little grass or brush. I would say, based more on experience with an ax then a kukri, that I disagree with a few of the original points:

".easier to resharpen the kukri" - Unless seriously chipped an ax or hatchet is pretty quick to sharpen with a few strokes of a small triangle file, and an ax doesn't have a recurve blade to deal with.

".easier to carry the kukri" - If you're backpacking a hatchet can be attached to the outside of your pack and carried easily as part of your pack weight.

".by using a wood club a kukri can be used to make splits safer than with a hatchet, and just as easily" - Both a hatchet or kukri can be used this way.

".kukri can be used to stir up coals in a fire due to its length" - Personally not a big fan of using a tempered tool for stirring coals, I just use another stick of wood.

But in their respective climates, axes and kukris come out pretty evenly.

bigmothertrucker,

The kukri you listed is a little high in price. Look at
http://www.ltspecpro.com/39lgk.html
same shape and weight,different steel.

As others have already stated the Kukri Machete that Cold Steel makes is very inexpensive, durable and if you stay on the site for the link above you will find it.

My suggestion is the 13 inch blade model (Kukri Machete). For this price you can buy one and see if it works for you.

Also, take a look at the special forces shovel. You can sharpen the edge and have a workable ax while actually having a shovel/e-tool.

However, a 4-5 inch fixed blade knife should allow you to do all the stuff you listed in the pros and cons.
.Use baton and knife to chop/splitwood
.Use knife to make digging stick
.Use knife more efficently.

Just a few thoughts.

Joe

OH Just great BMT, another thing I HAVE to buy now.

Thanks for posting though I was wondering the same thing. Might have to go with the Kukri, definite advantage over a hatchet when the Zombies come!!

Blitz

It only works if you have two of them. Haven't you seen any Resident evil movies?

I want to put my 2 cents in and agree with AROTC on a couple of points his post made me aware of. I'd consider a kukri more dangerous than an axe or hatchet simply because there's more blade to go around and if swung properly, an axe with a long enough handle is no real risk even if it glances...I also think it's harder to swing a kukri properly than an axe. I also agree that an axe would be easier to sharpen in the field. No recurve and there's less blade to have to get sharp.

for my needs I wont be splitting wood unless I have to. I wont even be making a fire unless I have to. I wont need an axe to fell a jack pine unless I need a shelter and somehow lost my bivi tent. so my needs are all about flexibility and the ability to perform a different variety of tasks I may face. the unknown factor if you will. In my post, I dont think I stated anywhere that I think the kukri will chop better than an axe, but rather almost as good given all the other things a kukri machete can do that an axe cant.


If I go into the woods to actually chop wood as a goal then of course I will take an axe.

The reason I started the thread is that I plan on doing a little geocacheing this weekend or next. the point I want to attempt is 27 km on foot. I dont want to carry unnecessary weight if I dont need it but I like having the ability to fell a tree or split some wood if I have to. A large cutting tool is one of those things like a survival fishing kit that will be in my kit no matter what. It just dont feel right without one.

BTW. for those of you that would rather carry wine and other crap than a good piece of metal into the woods. when I do make the 27 km mark I really hope people like you are not with me if something goes wrong. I will get a shelter and a fire going. and you will get drunk and look like an idiot trying to cut wood with a broken wine bottle.

good luck with that one.

thanks joe. I will give this one a look. My only hate is the black finish. I like the one without it better but like any piece of kit there must be some compromise involved. I may get the cheeper kukri machete like my buddy has and try my best to destroy it some weekend. If it holds up I may consider one with better steel.



I know. I just want to do it easier. I will always have my cqd mk iv and my cold steel black sable on me at all times. I never intended the kukri to be my only knive. in a pinch, you wont even need a knife to build a shelter. that would suck, but I know I can do it if I had to. That being said, this is called EQUIPT TO SURVIVE so I would much rather carry better gear to achieve those ends than to do without.

Jerry Busse is coming out with a INFI kukri down the road soon, it's been the talk over at Blade forum lately with a lot of people wanting one. If you were to buy one and want a super strong one then I would recommend one of his.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=536503



One of the mock up pictures that helped started the request.

I dont care how much it costs. I will have one of these........................


this looks like one hell of a blade. survival use or not I am also a collector.

Well if your interested in one of these knives, you have to monitor this forum and he posts the knives he is saleing a few days before and they usually go quickly once he gives the go go go statement. It's a screwed up way to sell things but he has some of the finest quality of knives available. It's a strange process to get one but worth it when you do.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=713

Some of his current knives are here The Busse series is the toughest:
http://bussecombat.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BCKC&Category_Code=KNF
http://bussecompanystore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?
http://shop.scrapyardknives.com/main.sc
http://www.shop.ratknives.com/main.sc

"...I tried...wine once.. OMG that stuff is terrible..."

Pretty much my thought about ALL wine...

Greetings, bigmothertrucker, from a fellow Canuck.

I note from your posts that diplomacy is not your strong suit. It is generally good form to listen before you speak, especially in a forum that brings expertise and experience from a remarkably diverse group of people.

People with nothing to prove speak quietly and thoughtfully, without bluster or boast. They know more than you and I, but have the courtesy to guide the discussion forward instead of shutting it down. I think you will find a great many quiet-spoken and thoughtful people here.

I honestly hope that you will take these suggestions to heart.

Submitted with all humility and respect,
Doug

Same to you my friend.

true, but in which regard on this forum ? give an example.

No, actually I dont think anyone here knows MORE than you or I. They know different things than you or I. I know Army stuff, I lack in other areas. some other guy canoes, another climbs mountains and so on.

explain

this is true, but you will also find a number of people who hide in the shadows. I boast nothing here that I havent done or that I feel I cannot do. I make no attempt to hide my job or what I do, or where I am from. Believe it or not, I feel no need to impress a bunch of people over the internet that I dont know, and will never likely meet.


I may, as soon as I know what you are refering to.


same here. K Madore

I would argue that a quality hatchet/axe is more efficient at chopping than a kukri. I would also argue that an hatchet/axe has a shorter blade and would be faster to sharpen. I would also argue that a hatchet/axe would be easier to use as a basic hammer compared to the kukri as long as care was taken not to damage the eye. Lastly, I would argue that tools are made to make certain tasks easier, efficient and both tools work great for their intended use.

I think a hatchet is better suited as a tool and that a kukri would be better used as a weapon.

I carry a small axe, 24" bow saw and a 4.5" full tanged knife with me when I am camping. I would carry more then the 2.5lbs it weighed for the efficiency these 3 tools give me.



-JRJ

Which axe, saw, and knife?

Thanks.

Nice idea, but I won't hold my breath. I've been waiting for JB to put out a folder for how many years now?

I have more than a few of his knives, and all were worth the money he got for them. He made probably one of the best production/utility grade katanas ever to hit the market and I am glad I got one.

I don't see a huge advantage to the Khukri over his larger battle mistress designs. The FBM I currently prefer does a rather nice job on limbs and splitting as is, I can't imagine putting a cant in the blade is going to improve it's function that much, but I reckon time will tell. I suppose once I actually see it on the website my addiction will kick up and I'll have to drop more coin in his pocket. Otherwise I would have no real need for a khukri with what I already have.

If I need to cut down trees, I use a saw. Axes, khukris and knives take too long and too much effort. Besides, that portable chain saw fits in a tin about the size of a shoe polish can and weighs maybe 1/4 lb. I would much rather tote that in my pack along with a hatchet or khukri than an axe for the places I go.

I've got a kukri, some hatchets a real axe, saws, many knives, etc. If I had to pick a combination of them on which to rely for every day stuff, not specific tasks, and I could not simply be stationary and have a collection of tools, the axe would be left behind. I'd bring the kukri machete, my multi-tool, and a pruning saw.

A small coldsteel kukri weighs 60% or less of the wight of an axe, and I can stuff the whole thing into my BOB. Beats walking around in a populated area with an axe. I have a small folding pruning axe with which I have taken down some small trees, and it weighs ounces. Between the two, I think I could handle a lot of tasks.

When I consider picking a few things and think those would be the ones, should I ever need to bug out, the tools being light and able to handle a number of tasks is key.

The portable chain saw mentioned by Bejammin sounds like it might be something to try.

I carry a SAK, KAbar and the Woodmans pal. for only $70 and American Made, it's gets the kukri jobs done.

I know I'm new to the forum but I thought I'd throw my 2cents in. I have a 9" kukri and in northern Canada it will never replace my hatchet. I agree the Kukri has its merits as a great cutting tool to a degree but I personally find a hatchet much better in the thick woods. If you do a search for "old jimbo" you will see him split a 3' thick log using a pocket hatchet and some wedges. On branchs and smaller trees a kukri will do the same job as a hatchet but not on the thicker stuff. Now that being said I also carry a 7" bowie style knife with me on extended trips for heavy cutting jobs. But I think it comes down to personal choice, last weekend I was out with Blast and a few others and on a thicker piece of wood for the fire I offered Blast my hatchet to try and he turned me down due to a feeling of not enough experience to handle it safely where I have been using a hatchet since I was about 10 years old. What it comes down to is what are you most secure using and most familiar with.

I actually bought the cold steel kukri since posting this and was amazed at how it can chop.

I wanted it to carry IN CASE I had to do some wood chopping but not solely for that reason. I think if you only need to chop then the hatchet wins. since putting both in my hands I can honestly say that I think the cold steel kukri will be more versatile and flexible over a wider range of tasks.

but to each his own

to further add. the cold steel is 13 inch or 17 inch so in order for a kukri design to be as effective as a hatchet it obviously cant be something only 9 inches long.

sometimes size does matter...........

I think Chris made a point. For most outings (hiking, backpacking etc) you don't need a huge knife or ax maybe only a modest fixed blade or folder. For years folks used very modest knives and survived. On a hike a good old Ritter Mini grip (plug!), Mora or Vic Farmer is probably all you will need.

As far as ax vs Kukris; if the kukris was perfect for northern forests like Canada's or Sweden's then the Norse would have made Kukris instead of excellent axes. Visa versa for the Nepali.
Beside both are pretty useful.
Bill

I take out my snow & nealley hudson bay, bahco 24" bow saw and a no name knife that is going to be replaced with a rat cutlery RC-4 very soon.

When I go out for a week I can in a span of 2 days spending a few hours each of those days, usually have enough fire wood to last the rest of the time.

-JRJ

its true that you dont NEED a big knife or ax, but it makes life a lot simpler depending on what you want it for. technically you dont NEED matches to light a fire either. but I have little interest in trying it with a bow drill when I can just bring matches instead.




you dont see many vikings in these parts anymore, but the Nepali are still going strong in nepal last I heard. Mabey the vikings should have switched to kukris sooner.

That's because the vikings finished their chopping early and got to visit and integrate with the rest of the world.

The Nepali, on the other hand, are still stuck in the jungle, trying to chop down a tree with a kukri, instead of using a proper axe.

That's because we're waiting for you to relax.
Don't kid yourself, whenever members of a culture known for using large knives wants to cut wood they use an AXE, not a knife, and yes I own and used to carry and use a kukri when backpacking.
Knives, whether kukris, machetes, parangs, saxes, or the latest thing to come down the pike are best used for cutting "soft" green, growing vegetation, axes (and hatchets)are for cutting and splitting wood (hazards are best countered by training.
A properly used ax of appropriate size is as safe as a large knife (lighter weight cutting tools, despite their greater ease in carrying, require more energy than heavier tools-more energy, less control).

Hmm, thinking about my more recent hunting endeavors, I consider what life would've been like had I not brought that little pocket chain saw with me and had to chop those 8 to 12" logs down to firemaking size with an axe, or worse still a hatchet or knife. If all your going to chop on is limbs and branches, then packing an axe or heavy hatchet or knife might be all you really need. For cutting decent ridge poles and logs, I really prefer not to have to work that hard. That little chainsaw is irreplaceable for such work. Given it's light weight and small footprint, it is my go to survival pack tool for wilderness work. It'll do a pretty dang good job on branches and limbs too, long as they aren't too small. Then I can use that knife or axe or hatchet for splitting the bigger pieces.

If backpacking I wanted a tool that I COULD chop a bit of wood for a fire or shelter if necessary but would otherwise be able to be used for other things like digging, slicing etc. some of the people agree, some did not, and some started talking about felling trees and chopping wood or tryed to tell me that I dont need either but instead could do it with a smaller knife.

I considered all thee points and came to the conclusion that I can achieve my goal by doing either. As the more experienced guys here have concluded. It comes down to personal choice.

I guess I all boils down to this.

if you like an axe carry an axe

if you dont like an axe carry something else.

if you dont like either then carry wine, bread and cheese instead.

for me at least. I have found what I was looking for in the cold steel kurki machete due to some good debating here. Agree or disagree I have found what suits my needs best.

Thanks for the info

BMT,
The Vikings were so industrious they cut enough wood to build Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Oh they also chopped enough trees to build boats and sail to North America long before Columbus.

Guys,
No need to knock the Nepali, they are pretty capable in their own right. They have survived up there for thousands of years.
Bill

If I knew I was going off and likely to need to split or cut logs that I might want an axe or hatchet. But if I were off without any intent to put myself in that kind of scenario I might want very well want that machete more. I can see any number of jobs that it will do much better than an axe. At the same time, I can see cases when I would want to leave both behind in favor of a strong shovel. If I were on land with lots of grass and no trees, I very well might find no use of the axe.

BMT, part of it is what's right for you and part of it is knowing when to change the gear for the environment and circumstances. I try not to leave without a bottle opener, but when needed I've used a good knife and a set of pliers to open a beer.

wow. its been a while since I had one of those weak drinks you Americans call beer but, up here we have twist off caps and pull tabs. ha ha!!

I found a machete to be easier and safer than an axe or hatchet when clearing lanes for surveying. Chopping overhead with an axe
is much more tiring and the weight of the axe will really do
a number on your shin if you mess up, while a machete will bounce
off with little damage providing you aren't pulling at the same
time.

Yeah, that Canadian beer ain't too bad, both brands even. It works well when I need to water down my Canadian Whiskey with something to cut the laquer(sp) taste a bit.

Seriously, whether it be an axe, hatchet, machete, khukri, or BA knife, something to saw with once in a while that isn't any extra burden might be worth the trouble.

I tend to drink beers that would need bleach in order to be yellow. I had two nice stouts from New York last night, one brewed in Brooklyn and another from upstate that was about 12% ABV.

If the only beer you had did not have a twist off, you'd want a tool to handle that job.

ha ha nice one. its good to see that some people on this forum can take a joke without getting all flustered. When I trained in Texas last year I found I could drink a lot more beer than up here with the same effect. I love drinking with the Yankey troops even though they cant hold their booze too well ha ha
.


I have been sizing up the sabersaw a lot lately for this very reason. I heard it snags a lot though........

Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, New Belguim brewing, this list goes on. We have plenty of real beer here in the US. IN fact some of the best in the world these days. I used to be a god honest beer judge; I know of what I speak.

I used to work for Brooklyn Brewing Co. Killer beer!

From personal experience, I find that an axe chops the best, followed by the Kukri (or khukuri), followed by the hatchet. In threads like this, people often start interchangeably using hatchet and axe, when those 2 are worlds apart.

I prefer the khukuri or a large knife over a hatchet. They are quite useful for many tasks, while the hatchet I find to be more limiting. YMMV.

Of course, a nice saw works well too...

Oh, that Brooklyn stuff! I ordered a pint when I was in Manhattan a while back, expecting it to give me a bit of the Brooklyn experience. It did, but not at all the way I thought.

Down in Brisbane last year, I got wrapped around a pint of Toohey's old. Now my buddy and I considered ourselves seasoned drinkers, but I gotta tell ya, after downing that pint (and it was a damn smooth good dark ale too), I was having trouble feeling my face, and my pal indicated he might not be able to get up off his stool for a bit.

Needless to say, I am rather impressed with some of the Aussie drink, though as I discovered there, no one but the poor drinks Fosters there anymore. It is definitely not Aussie for beer. There too, they are pretty fanatical about their regional brews. If you're from Queensland, you drink Four X gold.

You are incorrect.

A hatchet is an axe.

"a small, short-handled ax having the end of the head opposite the blade in the form of a hammer, made to be used with one hand." source


"Hatchet from the French hachette a diminutive form of the word hache, French for axe." source


Furthermore, I know many men who split rounds using a short handle, err a "hatchet". It affords them the ability to sit and split.

A short handled axe requires more input force from the user to have the same mechanical advantage that a long handle provides using a lot less force, but the axe head always retains its efficiency. In other words... a long handled axe chops just as well as a small handled axe, The only difference is the amount of energy needed.

So when I see your statements I know without a doubt ....

Anyways, from my personal experience, I find that an axe chops better than a kuhkri regardless of the handle length.


-JRJ

I would never sit and split wood. I know of at least two occations involving people I know doing this causing serious knee injury where the hatchet glanced and chopped them square under the knee cap.

Always been a hatchet man but got a heck of a deal on a big Kershaw D2 bush knife last night so I'll give the "big knife over axe" mentality a fair shake and try out the D2 on my camping trip to Arizona at the end of the month. I'll also give a report on how well the D2 compared to a machette. I'll post some pics in the start of the month about it.

No opinion here regarding which is best. But FWIW I'll pass along a warning: I carry a pretty good Kukri attached to my pack and use it freely to cut and to split wrist sized branches for the fire. But mostly use it while walking, to clear wrist sized limbs and saplings from our trails. To cut with it one typically "whips" it... with some wrist action different than a hatchet.
The thing is, my Kukri will often go through the limb with one clean slice when I was expecting to have to chop a few times. It exits the wood with a velocity and in an arc and angle much different than what I experience with a hatchet. So a safe stance with a Kukri is different than a safe stance with a hatchet. Not better. Not worse. Just different. Some practice (with MY limbs safely behind something impenetrable)is necessary. But...YMMV.

Sorry man, I pounced a bit on you and should have just addressed the points.



-JRJ

I hate to beat a dead horse on this subject but I was fooling around with my cold steel kukri machete again today out back in the woods, and man.....this flipping thing can cut.

I know a hatchet cuts due to its weight but the cold steel got a fair bit of heft and a good deal of energy on a down swing. Just for the hell of it I slashed down a tree about a foot thick that I had been meaning to take down with a chainsaw anyway. It was surprisingly easy to knock large chunks out with each swing. I can see peoples arguement that a normal sized kukri knife may not do this but the kukri machete sure as hell can. I got the 13 inch model but they have a 17 inch as well. I cant wait to see how that thing can murder a tree.

I have been torture testing the cold steel out back to try and break it but it is holding up very impressively. It cuts rope fairly quick as well. I think tomorrow I will pit it in a test against my gerber back pax to see in my own mind at lest what each is capable of.

I must digress... I just took another look at "a short machete" that I inherited with the purchase of this house. Actually, it is a type of Kukri. I have not yet taken it camping/backpacking with me yet but it sure has been "handy" around the house.

I have attached it to my backpack and will take it into the woods with me (instead of a regular machete) along with a small hatchet that I favor.