- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 975
I've owned the GB Wildlife Hatchet for a few months now, and it hasn't left my side when I've ventured into the Wisconsin woods. After putting some time in with it, here are my thoughts...
There are pros and cons to every debate when it comes to the size of the edged tool that is used in the bush. The basic argument is that there is always a trade-off. When the size of your edged tool goes from one extreme to the other, weaknesses become strengths and strengths become weaknesses. Larger tools are better at heavier duty tasks, but obviously heavy and sometimes more difficult to carry or wield. Smaller tools are better at detail work and fine tasks, but often fail to accomplish heavier tasks with the ease of a larger tool.
Therein lies the choice. It is a matter of preference for each of us, and our own needs, environments, skills, and a myriad of other factors will have weight in the choices we make when it comes to our tool selection.
This is a small hatchet. It is not adequate for handling the wood splitting or shelter needs of a 3 month expedition, or the regular duties of your log cabin. A larger axe would be great for this, since you don't have to carry it. But when it comes to overnight and multi-day backpacking, this is a great tool for handling the fire and shelter demands of these trips.
It is small, at under 14 inches, with a 1 lb head. An axe this size feels like nothing on your belt (yes, I wear it on my belt when I take it backpacking), has very minimal impact on the overall weight of your loadout and is advantageous in it's size for this reason.
It is a one-handed use hatchet. The handle is not large enough to use with two hands. This makes it less effective when it comes to felling or chopping larger branches or tree trunks than a larger axe with a heavier head and longer handle. Hatchets like this are also very effective when it comes to carving. Things like making wood shavings for kindling, carving a spoon, notching branches, or other bushcraft tasks are easily done with a hatchet. Depending on the task, it can often be easier with a hatchet than a knife due to the distribution of weight at the head. Choking up on it like this can help with these tasks...
Here is what I use this hatchet for...
When I go backpacking, I generally make a fire at LEAST once per day. I recently ditched my Jetboil for small backpacking wood stove, so in addition to my fire once I set up my camp, I also will sometimes make a small fire to heat up some tea, boil water, or make some dehydrated meals throughout my hike. This is incredibly short work and easy to accomplish with a little practice and the right tools. Here is what I typically do...
As I'm hiking, I keep my eyes peeled for good tinder. Collect it along the way and you won't have to waste so much time when you need to start a fire. Next I collect some deadwood that's about wrist sized or a little smaller. Then I section it with my Silky Folding Saw to get the right size for splitting with the hatchet. Then I split.
My Silky Saw and my GB Hatchet can take this...
Cut it like this...
Chop and split...
Until it all looks like this...
And then you put it all together and it looks like this...
GB's fit and finish is second to none in my opinion. You can see the craftsmanship in several ways. This is an image looking straight down the hatchet to see how well in line the head is with the handle... As you can tell, it's perfect.
And as all GB axe heads are, this one is engraved with the axe makers initials-- MM. This stands for Mattias Mattson. They are proud of their work, and it shows.
I would highly recommend this hatchet. It is a great tool for bushcraft, backpacking, or anything that requires an edge. Due to the finger clearance when the edge is flat down on a cutting surface, it actually does food prep as well or better than a lot of other wilderness knives that I have that aren't designed for this. Even though it's on the small side, if you are looking to keep weight down it's a great choice. A slightly larger axe, like the Small Forest axe, would be a better all around bush craft axe, but then again is the weight trade-off. I will most likely get one someday....
At any rate, just quit listening to me ramble and buy the damn hatchet already.
JGON
There are pros and cons to every debate when it comes to the size of the edged tool that is used in the bush. The basic argument is that there is always a trade-off. When the size of your edged tool goes from one extreme to the other, weaknesses become strengths and strengths become weaknesses. Larger tools are better at heavier duty tasks, but obviously heavy and sometimes more difficult to carry or wield. Smaller tools are better at detail work and fine tasks, but often fail to accomplish heavier tasks with the ease of a larger tool.
Therein lies the choice. It is a matter of preference for each of us, and our own needs, environments, skills, and a myriad of other factors will have weight in the choices we make when it comes to our tool selection.
This is a small hatchet. It is not adequate for handling the wood splitting or shelter needs of a 3 month expedition, or the regular duties of your log cabin. A larger axe would be great for this, since you don't have to carry it. But when it comes to overnight and multi-day backpacking, this is a great tool for handling the fire and shelter demands of these trips.
It is small, at under 14 inches, with a 1 lb head. An axe this size feels like nothing on your belt (yes, I wear it on my belt when I take it backpacking), has very minimal impact on the overall weight of your loadout and is advantageous in it's size for this reason.
It is a one-handed use hatchet. The handle is not large enough to use with two hands. This makes it less effective when it comes to felling or chopping larger branches or tree trunks than a larger axe with a heavier head and longer handle. Hatchets like this are also very effective when it comes to carving. Things like making wood shavings for kindling, carving a spoon, notching branches, or other bushcraft tasks are easily done with a hatchet. Depending on the task, it can often be easier with a hatchet than a knife due to the distribution of weight at the head. Choking up on it like this can help with these tasks...
Here is what I use this hatchet for...
When I go backpacking, I generally make a fire at LEAST once per day. I recently ditched my Jetboil for small backpacking wood stove, so in addition to my fire once I set up my camp, I also will sometimes make a small fire to heat up some tea, boil water, or make some dehydrated meals throughout my hike. This is incredibly short work and easy to accomplish with a little practice and the right tools. Here is what I typically do...
As I'm hiking, I keep my eyes peeled for good tinder. Collect it along the way and you won't have to waste so much time when you need to start a fire. Next I collect some deadwood that's about wrist sized or a little smaller. Then I section it with my Silky Folding Saw to get the right size for splitting with the hatchet. Then I split.
My Silky Saw and my GB Hatchet can take this...
Cut it like this...
Chop and split...
Until it all looks like this...
And then you put it all together and it looks like this...
GB's fit and finish is second to none in my opinion. You can see the craftsmanship in several ways. This is an image looking straight down the hatchet to see how well in line the head is with the handle... As you can tell, it's perfect.
And as all GB axe heads are, this one is engraved with the axe makers initials-- MM. This stands for Mattias Mattson. They are proud of their work, and it shows.
I would highly recommend this hatchet. It is a great tool for bushcraft, backpacking, or anything that requires an edge. Due to the finger clearance when the edge is flat down on a cutting surface, it actually does food prep as well or better than a lot of other wilderness knives that I have that aren't designed for this. Even though it's on the small side, if you are looking to keep weight down it's a great choice. A slightly larger axe, like the Small Forest axe, would be a better all around bush craft axe, but then again is the weight trade-off. I will most likely get one someday....
At any rate, just quit listening to me ramble and buy the damn hatchet already.
JGON
Merry Xmus
I gotta agree with as far as the SFA being a good all around axe. I have the Hunter model which is about the same except for the poll being flayed for big game skinning and the hickory handle stippled for the blood/ fluids while on duty. Yet I must say you cant beat a small hatchet like your wildlife in that its so easy and rarely an issue for taking on an outing where as sometimes we dont want the added size and weight of a 18" or so axe. My mini is so light and small its easy to forget, 12oz total! I asked Santa for the new GB Kubben which has the same head as your wildlife, but with a shorter adze handle. I guess I'll find out tomorrow morning what I think of it
