Hatchet or small axe --- which to buy?

J

JLKII

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I'm seeking advice on deciding on whether to buy a small axe, like Granfors Bruks Small Forest axe, or a hatchet like their Wildlife hatchet.

This will be used on general camping trips of one or two days duration to collect and split firewood, make fuzz sticks, tentpegs, etc. It might be used for cutting down small trees of three or four inches diameter.

What would be better for the uses I have listed? I'm leaning towards the small axe and choking up on the handle in a one-handed grip if needed, but I would like to hear from those with experience in using both.
 
I'd take the advice of the old timer woodsmen that you can read about in the classic woodcraft and camping books and go with a smaller crusier axe like the GB Hunter or Small Forest axe. The old way of measuring the proper length of handle was to hold the bit in your hand firmly and the handle end should fit snug in your armpit. So this is generally an 18" axe for the average man. 1.5 pound head is common at this length. The Small Forest and Hunter models by GB fit this measurement perfectly. Both axes in case you dont know are about the same except the Hunter's poll is flayed for skinning big game. Also I think the handles have a slight difference. My Hunter is straighter I believe than the SF. If I was limited to one axe I'd pick the Hunter.:)
 
psp7 said:
I'd take the advice of the old timer woodsmen that you can read about in the classic woodcraft and camping books and go with a smaller crusier axe like the GB Hunter or Small Forest axe. The old way of measuring the proper length of handle was to hold the bit in your hand firmly and the handle end should fit snug in your armpit. So this is generally an 18" axe for the average man. 1.5 pound head is common at this length. The Small Forest and Hunter models by GB fit this measurement perfectly. Both axes in case you dont know are about the same except the Hunter's poll is flayed for skinning big game. Also I think the handles have a slight difference. My Hunter is straighter I believe than the SF. If I was limited to one axe I'd pick the Hunter.:)
Click to expand...

Are axes usu measured overall length or just the handle? Where should your arm be pointed during that test? I've been making hatchets lately but nothing I can hold like that and reach my armpit (23" overall if my arm is down and palming the bit)... I'm tall but not a freak (I thought).

My 2 cents on which hatchet... longer handle is better for chopping, lighter overall is better for carrying... more important is how you use it
 
Yeah my small forest axe is a good 6 inches shorter than my arm. I think the Scandinavian forest axe is about an arm's length. I really think that I would generally get the biggest that met my criteria. I wouldn't carry one that was much bigger than the small forest axe in my pack, but if I am at camp working up some firewood I want to work more efficiently.
 
If you have used an axe before, and know what you are doing, I would go with a SFA. If on the other hand you are just starting out with chopping tools, I would go with the hatchet and just get a good saw. There are more low cost options for hatchets that SFA substitutes, so you may want to try a lower cost hatchet like a Husqvarna or Graintex and use it to develop skill with the tool and judge what your next axe should be.
 
There are pros and cons to each... I will spell them out for you as clearly as I can.

The biggest difference between the two is that the Small Forest Axe can be used two handed, making it more of a powerhouse when felling trees or splitting larger wood. The hatchet is a one handed tool.

The hatchet is much more comfortable riding on a belt, and can fit in a pack easier. That is the trade off with the size.

The hatchet is very capable in the right hands, but many bushcrafters say that if you can deal with the weight, the small forest axe is the more capable and well rounded of the two.

This video shows that finer work can be done with the Small Forest Axe as well, but if you think a majority of your needs will be the smaller stuff, the hatchet might be more your speed. With the small forest axe, your ability to fell trees and split larger wood is your biggest capability gained with the size.

[youtube]dFpZJ2ICR5M[/youtube]

In addition, here is a full review I did of my Wildlife hatchet.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=802342&highlight=jgon

JGON
 
IMO for bushcraft, the SFA is far more versatile because of the length gives better power for felling and bucking smaller trees as well as splitting, while having a head light enough to do detail work easily and being very packable.

The references made to sizing the axes above, holding the axe by the head and having the butt of the half in your armpit is the recipe for the cruiser/Hudson Bay/Boy's axe -- many names for a 3/4 axe. The haft will be 24-26" (measured overall length to answer another question). In the GB lineup, this would be their Scandinavian Forest Axe.

If you go into the woods with the idea of doing the fine work with a knife and the heavier work with the axe, then the 3/4 axe will offer the best balance of real power and packability.
 
wnease said:
Are axes usu measured overall length or just the handle? Where should your arm be pointed during that test? I've been making hatchets lately but nothing I can hold like that and reach my armpit (23" overall if my arm is down and palming the bit)... I'm tall but not a freak (I thought).

My 2 cents on which hatchet... longer handle is better for chopping, lighter overall is better for carrying... more important is how you use it
Click to expand...

My 2 pesos worth. Maybe next time try just giving your input without critiqueing someone else. ;) Starting out with two questions makes me think you do not know what you are doing.

If your making hatchets, maybe you should pm this person for some lessons.
 
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nativecajun57 said:
My 2 pesos worth. Maybe next time try just giving your input without critiqueing someone else. ;) Starting out with two questions makes me think you do not know what you are doing.

If your making hatchets, maybe you should pm this person for some lessons.
Click to expand...

:confused: I saw nothing about his post that was antagonistic... he was just asking a question about sizing. The old woodsman standard for a jack-of-all-trades axe by measuring handle of a good by holding the bit in your hand having the knob fit snug in your armpit equates to about 21-24" for most people, not the 19" psp7 quoted. GB doesn't actually produce anything in this length, their Scandi being 25" and their SFA being 19".

Since people who prefer this axe length today tend to be into bushcraft or other activities where the mindset is about limiting weight and increasing versatility of tools and personal knowledge, the SFA is generally favored. Personally, I love the versatility of the SFA, but find it to be just the bare minimum for two handed use and wish GB did produce something with a 22" haft as it's two handed capabilities would be greatly increased without affecting it's ability to do detailed work very much.

Also, since we're posting videos, here's the obligatory Ray Mears one:
[youtube]MVXj7JvKpHA[/youtube]
 
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Is the Wetterling Large Hunting Axe a good model to buy, or is the Gransfors Bruks SFA a much better axe?
 
K Williams said:
Is the Wetterling Large Hunting Axe a good model to buy, or is the Gransfors Bruks SFA a much better axe?
Click to expand...

ehh, their pretty comparable in everything except price.:D
The Gransfors will have a little better finish, and sharper.
You may need to do a little work on the Wetterlings,
just to get it a little sharper than it is already is.
All it really comes down to is what name you
want on your axe and what you want to pay.

Don't get me wrong, though, for some unknown
reason I like Gransfors Bruks better, probably
because one of my first good axes was a Gransfors.
 
PDE said:
ehh, their pretty comparable in everything except price.:D
The Gransfors will have a little better finish, and sharper.
You may need to do a little work on the Wetterlings,
just to get it a little sharper than it is already is.
All it really comes down to is what name you
want on your axe and what you want to pay.

Don't get me wrong, though, for some unknown
reason I like Gransfors Bruks better, probably
because one of my first good axes was a Gransfors.
Click to expand...

Yeah - a good portion is the name, but I'll add that there's also the 20 year warranty and nice customer service. My GB Scandi came to me with a slightly cut up sheath, so I contacted them and got a replacement sheath shipped to me for free :thumbup:

Also, I find the profiles on GBs tend to be thinner (more a felling-type profile than a multipurpose/splitting) and the edges to be more acute and always razor sharp. My only wetterlings, a 10"er, came with a rather obtuse grind and unable to cut paper - took me about 2 hours to reprofile it and get it as sharp as my GBs.
 
I apologize as I was confused on the length. I have too many GB axes:D. My Scandi Forest axe(25") fits that bill I mentioned as when I hold the bit in my hand the handle end fits snug in my armpit just as the oldtimers advised for their perferred woods crusier axe. The GB Hunter I have is about 6" shorter. Yet, I still stand by my selecton of the Hunter model with flay poll being the best choice for me if I could only have one axe in the wilderness. :)
 
psp7 said:
I'd take the advice of the old timer woodsmen that you can read about in the classic woodcraft and camping books and go with a smaller crusier axe like the GB Hunter or Small Forest axe. The old way of measuring the proper length of handle was to hold the bit in your hand firmly and the handle end should fit snug in your armpit. So this is generally an 18" axe for the average man. 1.5 pound head is common at this length. The Small Forest and Hunter models by GB fit this measurement perfectly. Both axes in case you dont know are about the same except the Hunter's poll is flayed for skinning big game. Also I think the handles have a slight difference. My Hunter is straighter I believe than the SF. If I was limited to one axe I'd pick the Hunter.:)
Click to expand...
I have often wondered about the poll of an axe used for skinning an animal. I have used my fist and a knife to remove the hide so I wouldn't tear holes in it. I would think that a regular shaped polled may not be as smooth but would works as well. I don't think you would be putting excessive pressure to remove the hide. Just enough to separate the the skin from the meat. Maybe the poll is used to soften the hide staked out? I have never heard it explained. Hand to snug fit in the hand is the same measurement for a boys axe. If I had t choose only one, it would have to be the small forest axe for my needs.
 
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