Originally posted by SkagSig40
I don't own a hatchet but I have been told an average size khuk(15 inch)performs as good as a well made hatchet and much better as a weapon.
I'm just relating my experience.
Last night, on several well-dried pieces of firewoood, 18" long hardwood log quarters, I tried:
1) 15" HI Ang Khola
2) 18" HI Ang Khola
3) cheap $5 camp hatchet
4) Fiskars 17" axe (#7851)
5) Cold Steel Trailmaster
My goal was to reduce the firewood to kindling, as I had to make a series of small fires in the wood stove to set some new gasket cement I had just applied.
The 15" Ang Khola and the cheap hatchet didn't penetrate the log much.
The Trailmaster penetrated, but got stuck.
The 18" Ang Khola penetrated nicely, but only to a depth a bit past the spine, whereupon it also got stuck. Levering it to pop it loose deformed the edge of the blade somewhat, requiring repair after the experiment.
The Fiskars split the wood right cleanly through, not getting stuck. I think it was because the head is much more wedge-shaped than the other implements.
The Fiskars axe required less effort, and felt safer - less tendency to glance off the hardwood into a leg, or twist in the hand. The blade of the axe was also completely undamaged from the splitting, unlike the cheap axe, and the two Ang Kholas. The Trailmaster edge survived fine.