Small hatchet vs big knife.

UffDa

UffDa

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I decided to do some cleaning up in my yard today. I have some dead aspens that needed removing. Usually, I use a small folding garden saw. I have an old Corona with a plastic handle and a Japanese blade. I think it cost me around $10 6 or 7 years ago.

I decided to try something else. I attacked the tree with a recently acquired Swamp Rat Chopweiler. It did an excellent job on the limbs. The tree has been dead for about 2 years, so it's dried out. (No sense in rushing into these things) The trunk is 3" in diameter where I started chopping. The Chopweiler would bite pretty good, but after about 20 chops it looked like I wasn't getting anywhere. Next, I whacked away at it with my Wetterling Mini. Much better. It would take 1/2" chunks out of the fairly tough wood. Still, my arm got pretty tired and I was only half way through. The Mini didn't do that great a job on the smaller limbs. I finished the job with the saw.

BTW, both the Chopweiler and the Mini have the original factory edge. Both are very sharp.

Conclusion. In the hands of someone younger and stronger, the results may be different. For me, the Chopweiler did a better job on small limbs. The Mini did a better job of chopping. I think the saw does a better job overall. It's faster, neater and takes less effort.
 
i would agree with your statements. i always carry a kershaw saw in my pack that is a clone of the bahco laplander. it will buzz through wood like butter. i wouldn't solely rely on it though as i don't think it has the durability for a true survival tool. that is where the knife, hawk, and hatchets come into play.

you should try a machete on the tree, i have had very good results with a cheap machete on these type of tests.

thanks for the review:thumbup:
 
I was contemplating getting a nice hatchet, but in the end decided that my modest set of khukuris and hunter/skinner/bowie blades had that range pretty well covered. They're not quite the same animal, admittedly, each with their good points, but I really like being able to use the khuk's sweeping recurve as a draw knife (pushing away from the user though).
 
Well it is good to have tools, and a good little saw really complements a nice hatchet and knife. everybody always needs more stuff
 
What's a good folding saw for stuff 3" or less? Mine is OK, but the blade bends easily. The teeth are hard, but the back is dead soft.
Hey! It was only10 bucks.

For anything over 3" I drag out the Sawzall.
 
I enjoy using a hatchet/ax more than a saw or large knife. I like to try to improve my technique/aim, etc. I find the large knife to be harder on the hands. A 19" handled ax would speed up your task quite a bit. I recently acquired a Gransfors Small Forest, and love it.
 
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