I just ran across this hatchet (what's the difference between a hatchet and an axe? It's the same size as the Gerber Gator Axe.) and was wondering if anyone had seen or used one.

http://www.timberlineknives.com/timberline/pdf/6013KomHatchet.pdf

I tend to thing that an axe is built to be a two-hander and a hatchet is built to be a one-hander.

First time I've seen this item -- looks interesting, might be a good acquisition for the bob. Not too expensive either, 44.95 at knifecenter.

A hatchet actually has a hammer head on the side opposite the blade and a notched place on the under side of the blade for pulling nails. Used by roofers of old mostly.

Hatchet derives from hachette, the diminutive of hache, what a frenchman of old would use vs a axe by an englishman, hopefully not on each other. As posted, a hatchet is a one handed tool, often with a hammer head developed for various woodworking as opposed to wood procuring duties. They are popular survival items because of the reduced wieght and bulk vs a true axe (note the old Alaska and Canadian flying survival kit regs specified a full axe.) Their close proximity to the body call for added caution in use- by french or english.

Wow, that looks like an excellent unit. Thanks for the info.

That thing looks like it has a secondary bevel on the edge...
That would tend to destroy its efficiency when chopping.

WAY too heavy too...
Take a look at the little Bark River mini-axe... http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/biggame/mini-axe.html
It is TINY

But it is capable of BIG jobs...
It was used(with wooden wedges) to split THIS <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />



You can read a review and the splitting story HERE.
I have one, and it is an amazing little axe.

That little honey is just plain cool. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

-- Craig

For the extra 8oz, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with a steel handle over a wooden one.

the Bark River is twice as expensive as the Timberline and larger, even though lighter in weight, it is still too big in my opinion. I don't have either one, but would lean towards the Timberline if choosing between the two. JMHO

Just an idea.......use a hand forged tomahawk with or without handle(you could cut a handle in the wilderness)

http://www.fortturner.com/store/index.htm

Look at the size of it in my hand in the link for the picture that did not come out...

Here's what I use. Good for chopping, good for hammering, easy to carry on belt.

Estwing Tools

Oh - and I forgot to mention - that flat on the back of the head is a good striking spot when you're using the hatchet as a froe (splitting wood).

I thought I might have some useful information on this topic. For ten years I carried a hatchet while surveying in Northern Idaho and the mountains of western Montana. We were surveying through forest so the hatchet in use much of the time, for blazing trees, pounding in hubs and clearing limbs from the line of sight. At all times I kept it sharp enough to shave.
IMO, what you want in a hatchet, is a buffer between your hand and the head of the hatchet. Historically, if you look at other hand tools where a tool head is connected to a hand/arm via a handle, typically it is wood (in the case of shipwrights caulking mallets, even more buffer was added...slots in the mallet head). If you are going to set up a camp, make a shelter, soft bed, and gather firewood, the hatchet is going to be in use for quite a while.
I would hate to use the Timberline for any amount of time.... it wouldn't be long before the hand/arm/wrist would cramp-up from the shock transfer up the solid steel handle (however, if one needed a lever/pry bar, the Timberline would be a better choice as a combination tool). I tried an Estwing hatchet but it's balance was off.
My preference back then was a Plumb hatchet with a wooden handle. That was 30 years ago and it's still a functional hatchet. Now, my preference for a BOB is something and lighter and totally maintenance free. I found a very light shock handled hatchet made by Fiskar (Good steel). So far it looks and feels very good, it even has a hollow handle where one could stuff other useful items. I'll put it to the test in the spring when I'm trimming trees. My old Plumb hatchet is in my vehicle survival kit. You can find these hatchets for as little as $20 on ebay.

Ebay Link

I've a couple similar to this timberline, and about all I use them for is bark shaving poles or skinning big game. The head is relatively thin and the edge is at a pretty shallow angle. In practice, they work like an Ulu with a handle. It'd be good for more intricate carving type work, but perhaps not practical at all for general timber service. You could make some dandy kindling with it, though. It would make a real nice froe on smaller pieces, but I wouldn't try driving it through anything more than 4" in diameter or you'll like peen the back of the head or the handle excessively.

As a skinning tool, I've found absolutely nothing that works better.

Thanks for all your posts. From what I've read here, I think I'm going to go with a Gerber/Fiskars for the fopllowing reasons:

Axe head, to use for hammer or maul
Hollow handle for storage and energy transfer
Better shaped blade

Now all I have to do is decide which model. The weight/length descriptions don't make a lot of comparative sense. I need to find a store and see them in person.