Estwing tomahawk; leather or vinyl handle?

[Steely_Gunz]

Another Estwing followed me home

I bought a 26" camping axe today.

I'm heading to a cabin get away with some socially distant friends next month. My hawk isn't the best splitter and I dont want to chance ruining my "good" axes edge lest someone go wanging away on a piece of firewood.

So the obvious answer is to spend 40 bucks on a beater

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

I bought a 26" camping axe today.

I'm heading to a cabin get away with some socially distant friends next month. My hawk isn't the best splitter and I dont want to chance ruining my "good" axes edge lest someone go wanging away on a piece of firewood.

So the obvious answer is to spend 40 bucks on a beater

As much I love Estwing hammer and half hatchet I do not think you will be satisfied with Estwing camping axe splitting abilities. You still have time to grab some vintage high centerline axehead on fleabay and actually have proper, beater toll for splitting wood.

 

[Trailsawyer]

I have 2 of those Estwing "camping axes". The are useful for light chopping, but almost usless for splitting!
That said, I have carried one tied to my saddle all over the northwest during the past thiry years!

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I took the Estwing out for a, well swing this evening. Is it a splitting maul? No. Does a 26" thin bladed axe split wood better than a 19" Cold Steel tomahawk? Yes

Its an excuse to buy an axe that is less than $40. It will certainly knock a couple of dry pieces of precut campfire wood into more manageable sizes, and i won't feel bad if someone takes a bad swing and hits the dirt or rocks with it. At the end of the trip ill clean it up, sharpen out the dings, and it will live in the trunk of my car. Im not going to overthink this

 

[LEGION 12]

 

[Allan DeGroot]

I consider the leather handles to be better for Display , The Rubber/Vinyl better for actual use!

I own both!

The leather handled ones hang on a bracket on the wall, the rubber handled ones live in a toolbox.

 

[Allan DeGroot]

I bought the double-Bit axe in leather FIRST, I nought the Tomahawk Second and I bought it in Rubber
(Specifically their "Black Eagle" edition)

Also when I said it "lives" in a toolbox. I LIED, it lives under the backseat of my Mountaineer (An Explorer with pretensions

Mostly when I buy things I buy them to be USED

 

[cut it out]

My estwing lives next to my wood stove and it has like a clear finish over the leather handle. It has a cracked look to it but I like it. Great products for sure. Rubber or leather so can’t go wrong imo