Roofing hatchet for the woods? Yes or no?

Wood Splitter

Wood Splitter

Joined
Jul 16, 2011
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I have been looking at getting a good hatchet recently, and have been eyeballing the GB Wildlife Hatchet... But its total cost (with shipping/tax included) would be about $148.00:eek:

I can't get a Wetterlings in Canada for any less then a GB, so that’s out of the question.
I do like the look of the Hultafors Bushcraft Hatchet, but its still only a little less then the GB.

I was reading around online, and have found tons of people saying what good axes/hatchets Plumb make. That got me thinking...I have seen tons of Plumb roofing hatchet on the bay for a fraction of the cost of a GB, and they look to be in really good shape (most of them that is). I love restoring axes, so something like this would make a good project for me....The only question left is, how well would one perform woods duties?

I want to be able to chop/limb some dead wood, split it, and be able to shave feather sticks.
I also believe they have a hardened hammer poll, which is another huge advantage for me personally.

I'm no noob when it comes to axes, but I have no experience with roofing hatchets.

So what do you guys think, would an old Plumb roofing hatchet perform good in the woods?

Please give me your thoughts!

Splitter:cool:
 
But does council make any hammer-polled axes?
Nessmuk spoke approvingly of the old Mount Vernon GW pattern as opposed to a "clumsy hand axe". His illustration of the gw looks like an old shingling hatchet to me.
The only reason I can think of why a roofing hatchet wouldn't work, would be if it was tempered too hard for heavy chopping.
Woodsplitter, why not get one and try it? It would be nice to have a hatchet you can hammer with without feeling guilty.
 
Many roofer's hatchets have narrow blades designed for splitting shingles. You can limb with them but you'd be happier with something wider. Carpenter's hatchets have a wider more utilitarian blade. There are several models still in production, Plumb, Vaughan, Estwing, etc. And these things are on the 'bay all the time.
 
Peg is right on. I did see a bunch of those types of hatchets on the 'bay for pretty cheap (& buy it now).
 
Yeah, that size is fine. I'd just stay away from the 2" wide roofing hatchets unless you're using it for shingle or shakes.
 
Wood Splitter said:
Well the hatchet I'm looking at has a 3 3/4" to 4" edge... that's pretty wide.
Click to expand...



That's the size of my old Carpenters hatchet with a Ball Pein handle. It splits and chops great. It's been my fireplace splitter for 40 years. Before that it was my Dad's.
 
Yes if you have one and want to do some light work. they do pretty good chopping, thin blade sharpened nicelywill make chip fly, ain't gonna chop down a redwood, but hell on saplings. when I was young i would wander down to thicket and chop down oaks and hickories up to four or five inches. But that was 35 years ago give or take and my dad gave me that old beater hatchet a few years back. Nothing to talk about but they will work for you.
 
I've earned my living with Estwing Roofing Tools.
They are by some of the best striking tools known to mankind ever.
If you have to buy just one hammer, buy a full steel Estwing period.

When it comes to Roofing Hatchets, I've used just about every brand available, have owned and
used antique hatchets and have even been tapped by one of the biggest manufacturers of hammers
to opine on their products as a tester (FTR, it was "not" Estwing).

I've owned both types of Estwing Roofing Hatchets. For work, I prefer the Estwing Shingler's Hatchet.
I've turned the handles green with my own sweat and with everyday use, swinging a 2lb Estwing,
I've worn them down in 3-4 years (which is considered an excellent life span for any roofing hammer/hatchet).

Estwing Shingler's Hatchet
ESTE339.jpg


Why it doesn't work well for general work outside of either roofing or demo work is because
it's striking surface is actually slanted "from" a direct 90 degree angle so that when it hits a
the field of a pitched roof, it is less likely to "not" hit a roofing nail head square on.
Regular hammers have a 90 degree head because they usually hit floors or walls
which ideally are struck at a 90 degree angle by the worker.

Even an inexpensive "nothing to lose" purchase will leave you very disappointed.
They are far more flexible and can't hold an edge as long as a dedicated axe does.
Great for digging, demolition work and would be better suited for an urban environment,
but not for the woods. That is my personal opinion Roofing Hatchets for "other than roofing"
use and I say this as a 2nd Generation Roofer with over 30 years of experience. HOWEVER,
if I didn't have access to an axe and had to snatch a tool, I'd definitely take this over a standard
claw hammer any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It is far more versatile than a regular hammer.

In conclusion, a Roofing Hatchet would not be a good tool for the wilderness.
I, as a Roofer, will be going with an Eswting Camper's Axe.

My 2 cents.

:)
 
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