How is the steel on Estwing Hatchets and Axes?

lwetzel said:
I am shopping for an ax that actually cuts. I was looking at Fiskars products online. However while reading a couple of the negative responses on Amazon, I ran across Estwing's name both times. What is your take on the difference?
lwetzel
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The Fiskars axes and hatchets are awesome. I like Estwing but I think the Fiskars stuff performs better. My Husqvarna A2400 is by far the best axe I have used, though.
 
lwetzel said:
I am shopping for an ax that actually cuts. I was looking at Fiskars products online. However while reading a couple of the negative responses on Amazon, I ran across Estwing's name both times. What is your take on the difference?
lwetzel
Click to expand...
I have both. The Fiskars has a head that is shaped more like a wedge. It is much better at splitting wood than the Estwing, because from the time the edge hits the wood, it opens up pretty quickly. If you think about it in terms of knife geometry, it is kind of like a knife that has a sharp edge, but then is thick behind the edge.


The Estwing on the other hand, is much more like a hollow ground knife. You have the edge, and then it stays pretty narrow until you get to the poll. It is a much better cutter, but I find that for chopping it gets stuck in the wood much more easily than Fiskars, and falls way behind when we talk about splitting. But when you need to press an axe into a cutting role, it outperforms the Fiskars.
 
I had a quick search and Estwings site states "finest American steel" sounds better than good old 1055 I guess which from searching numerous sites states is the steel Estwing use. It seems also the hardness is 50-55 hrc which is fine for an axe.

I'd personally pay the extra and go Gransfors or Hults Bruks or Council tools if in the US, better HT and overall better Axes. Or pay a similar amount as an Estwing and go for the German Oxhead brand who I think make the Stihl Axes which are cheap and apparently pretty good. Unless you like the one piece construction and leather of the Estwing.
 
Soilarch said:
The little hatchets have always caught my eye...and I finally saw their full-size axe in store the other day. Not sure how I feel about that handle on the axe...but how/what is the steel they use.

Or is the same old cheap head with a steel haft and Estwing handle?
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Cheap or not, it almost survived JoeX test:

 
19-3ben said:
I have both. The Fiskars has a head that is shaped more like a wedge. It is much better at splitting wood than the Estwing, because from the time the edge hits the wood, it opens up pretty quickly. If you think about it in terms of knife geometry, it is kind of like a knife that has a sharp edge, but then is thick behind the edge.


The Estwing on the other hand, is much more like a hollow ground knife. You have the edge, and then it stays pretty narrow until you get to the poll. It is a much better cutter, but I find that for chopping it gets stuck in the wood much more easily than Fiskars, and falls way behind when we talk about splitting. But when you need to press an axe into a cutting role, it outperforms the Fiskars.
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For chopping, I would like to see a head to head competition between the two. My money would be on the Fiskars.
 
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DMG said:
The Fiskars axes and hatchets are awesome. I like Estwing but I think the Fiskars stuff performs better. My Husqvarna A2400 is by far the best axe I have used, though.
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I don't mind my Fiskars splitting maul and splitting axe as Hulk smash tools, but for a regular sized axe I'm planning to get a Council Tool (I had a decent full-sized axe but it got borrowed and never returned). I have the Estwing Camper's Axe and Sportsman Hatchet, and I can say with some confidence that my Husqvarna forester's axe and Prandi hatchet aren't going to ever be jealous of them anytime soon. Estwing make good beaters that pay for themselves when you hand them to people who have bad aim.
 
Here's my old Estwing. Years ago the stacked leather handle starting drying out and falling apart so it spent a lot of years wrapped with friction tape. A few years ago I coated the handle with Plasti Dip. I don't know what kind of steel it is but it must be good enough;). It has been used and abused for over 60 years and still does the job.

Estwing-0000477.JPG
 
After reading this thread I am embarrassed to admit that I bought a Truper hatchet from Menards for $15. Probably a piece of excrement. I will find out this camping season.
 
Here you go, Gideon's Tactical did a review of the fiskars vs estwing as well.


I haven't had a fiskars hatchet for a long time but as long as it was sharpened, it worked. I prefer longer handles though as I feel they're safer. I still have the fiskars chopping axe (x15?). The longer estwing sportsman has been an interest of mine but at that length, the full metal handle seems to add a lot of weight away from the head. Still, seems like it would be a tool to last a long time at the cost of performance. Sometimes, reliable durability is nice to have.
 
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