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WonderMonkey
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01/29/2019 08:22PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I have a hatchet but it's too small to do base camp activities. A forest or small axe is too big and I won't carry it on my backpack trips. A class of axes that have become popular are like the below. This thing is shaped to put your hand up near the head of the axe and have control for feather sticks, carving, etc. or put your hand in the normal position on the handle and split modest wood.

I'm going camping this weekend and will put it through the paces. I plan on making my own stakes (because, that's why), feather sticks for getting a fire going, and processing wood for the fire.

Gränsfors Outdoor Axe
 
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adam
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01/29/2019 09:06PM  

Nice axe! These come so sharp you can shave with them.
 
flynn
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01/29/2019 10:05PM  
Congrats on your new Gransfors! I have their Wildlife Hatchet and Mini Hatchet. Started with the Wildlife and it's a great size, but wanted something even smaller for hiking as a belt knife replacement (+ animal encounters that a knife is less suited for). I don't expect to ever have to use a hatchet against a bear or anything else for that matter, but part of me sleeps easier with it by my side at night. Plus I just like to look at it and hold it. :) I almost got the Outdoor Axe since it's made for splitting, more than the wide head of the Wildlife Hatchet, but wanted a slightly better all-rounder. Hatchets in this size class aren't for felling large trees or splitting 8" logs or anything else you'd expect a full size axe (~24"+) to do. They excel at many things that a full size axe doesn't as well! I am considering attempting filleting fish with one of the hatchets this year if the opportunity presents itself.

Make sure to strop it lovingly as often as possible (I don't always after every use but should) and it'll stay razor sharp. Indeed you can shave with them. I was shocked to find my new baby Mora Eldris knife came shaving sharp as well! I also used #000 (ultra fine) steel wool on the handles of both and gave them two coats of boiled linseed oil (one coat per ~24h). The handles look even better now and have a slightly better grip. I'm thinking about doing some whipping of the handle like this guy here (Doug Linker/Doug Outside).

Enjoy!! I think you're gonna love it.
 
01/29/2019 11:56PM  
I don’t know about shaving with it, but I got this axe 3 years ago and I love it.

T
 
01/30/2019 07:30AM  
Boy that's a nice looking axe! At $250 it's a little too pricy for me to take into the woods and watch my kids and friends beat up. I don't wince too much when I see sparks fly from my Gerber. LOL
 
flynn
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01/30/2019 09:13AM  
AmarilloJim: "Boy that's a nice looking axe! At $250 it's a little too pricy for me to take into the woods and watch my kids and friends beat up. I don't wince too much when I see sparks fly from my Gerber. LOL "


That's really overpriced, they normally run around $130. Worth it as long as you'll take care of it - it'll take care of you!
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 11:41AM  
adam: "
Nice axe! These come so sharp you can shave with them. "


I knew they came sharp but was surprised on HOW sharp! I'm treating the handle now.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 11:42AM  
flynn: "Congrats on your new Gransfors! I have their Wildlife Hatchet and Mini Hatchet. Started with the Wildlife and it's a great size, but wanted something even smaller for hiking as a belt knife replacement (+ animal encounters that a knife is less suited for). I don't expect to ever have to use a hatchet against a bear or anything else for that matter, but part of me sleeps easier with it by my side at night. Plus I just like to look at it and hold it. :) I almost got the Outdoor Axe since it's made for splitting, more than the wide head of the Wildlife Hatchet, but wanted a slightly better all-rounder. Hatchets in this size class aren't for felling large trees or splitting 8" logs or anything else you'd expect a full size axe (~24"+) to do. They excel at many things that a full size axe doesn't as well! I am considering attempting filleting fish with one of the hatchets this year if the opportunity presents itself.

Make sure to strop it lovingly as often as possible (I don't always after every use but should) and it'll stay razor sharp. Indeed you can shave with them. I was shocked to find my new baby Mora Eldris knife came shaving sharp as well! I also used #000 (ultra fine) steel wool on the handles of both and gave them two coats of boiled linseed oil (one coat per ~24h). The handles look even better now and have a slightly better grip. I'm thinking about doing some whipping of the handle like this guy here (Doug Linker/Doug Outside).

Enjoy!! I think you're gonna love it."


I was excited when it showed up. I was walking out the door to go to Yoga with my wife and it was sitting there. How in the hell am I supposed to relax and let my mind clear when I have a new axe at home IN THE BOX? Hunh, Yoga Lady!

I have a hatchet I'm going to practice sharpening/stropping before I do anything to my Gransfors. I want to do it correctly right out of the gate and not have to reprofile because I messed it up.

I'll watch that video later tonight and maybe whip me a handle!
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 11:46AM  
timatkn: "I don’t know about shaving with it, but I got this axe 3 years ago and I love it.

T"


I know the steel could support that edge but I don't think it's what I want for a multi-use axe.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 11:47AM  
AmarilloJim: "Boy that's a nice looking axe! At $250 it's a little too pricy for me to take into the woods and watch my kids and friends beat up. I don't wince too much when I see sparks fly from my Gerber. LOL "


I paid under $200 for it, but your point still stands. If I base camp maybe I'll take my hatchet similar to your Gerber for them to use.
 
Rs130754
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01/30/2019 12:38PM  

I have a hatchet I'm going to practice sharpening/stropping before I do anything to my Gransfors. I want to do it correctly right out of the gate and not have to reprofile because I messed it up.


I strop often as I think it prolongs the time between dragging out the whetstones. I glued a piece of leather split side up on the back of my kitchen knife block. To this I treated it with a green compound from Bark River. I believe it is about 6K grit and it puts a nice polish on my edges.
 
MidwestFirecraft
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01/30/2019 02:20PM  
Been through many axes and hatchets and finally settled on the Wilderness axe for winter and canoe camping and the Outdoor axe for everything else. The handle is so skinny I was afraid to use it, but it excels at splitting and cutting smaller pieces of wood. If I wasn't so taken with my GNS I won't even bring a knife if I had the Outdoor axe with me. Great purchase, you won't regret it.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 02:30PM  
Rs130754: "

I have a hatchet I'm going to practice sharpening/stropping before I do anything to my Gransfors. I want to do it correctly right out of the gate and not have to reprofile because I messed it up.


I strop often as I think it prolongs the time between dragging out the whetstones. I glued a piece of leather split side up on the back of my kitchen knife block. To this I treated it with a green compound from Bark River. I believe it is about 6K grit and it puts a nice polish on my edges. "


I believe it as well. When I was younger and in the outdoors more often I did things like this. Until just recently I've been caught up in life but am now getting back to doing things for me personally. I say that because I have to get back into a groove of taking care of things how they SHOULD be taken care of instead of running into the house to get ready for the next thing and dealing with things like sharpening and caring for my things later.

So ... I'm going to so something similar to what you did. I have an area downstairs with all my gear and I can set up a small "edged" area where I can do whatever is needed to be done to my knives, axes, etc.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 02:33PM  
MidwestFirecraft: "Been through many axes and hatchets and finally settled on the Wilderness axe for winter and canoe camping and the Outdoor axe for everything else. The handle is so skinny I was afraid to use it, but it excels at splitting and cutting smaller pieces of wood. If I wasn't so taken with my GNS I won't even bring a knife if I had the Outdoor axe with me. Great purchase, you won't regret it. "


I carry a leather handled kabar in honor of my grandfather, who carried one in Italy. I am going to go through a cycle of camping and force (reasonably) the use of my axe to see where it fits. In theory, like you, I could see not taking my fixed blade. Should I take a finer bladed knife though? Probably. We shall see.
 
flynn
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01/30/2019 02:50PM  
Rs130754: "

I have a hatchet I'm going to practice sharpening/stropping before I do anything to my Gransfors. I want to do it correctly right out of the gate and not have to reprofile because I messed it up.



I strop often as I think it prolongs the time between dragging out the whetstones. I glued a piece of leather split side up on the back of my kitchen knife block. To this I treated it with a green compound from Bark River. I believe it is about 6K grit and it puts a nice polish on my edges. "


Totally. If I had stropped my hatchet in between uses during my June trip last year, I wouldn't have needed to use my CC4 sharpening stone on it when I got home. I was afraid of ruining the shape but I was careful and checked the angle often. Don't use coarse grit and it's pretty hard to screw up I think. I still have yet to make a big strop for home, but I want just a strip of leather to use in the BWCA (takes up less room).
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 03:18PM  
flynn: "
Rs130754: "

I have a hatchet I'm going to practice sharpening/stropping before I do anything to my Gransfors. I want to do it correctly right out of the gate and not have to reprofile because I messed it up.


I strop often as I think it prolongs the time between dragging out the whetstones. I glued a piece of leather split side up on the back of my kitchen knife block. To this I treated it with a green compound from Bark River. I believe it is about 6K grit and it puts a nice polish on my edges. "


Totally. If I had stropped my hatchet in between uses during my June trip last year, I wouldn't have needed to use my CC4 sharpening stone on it when I got home. I was afraid of ruining the shape but I was careful and checked the angle often. Don't use coarse grit and it's pretty hard to screw up I think. I still have yet to make a big strop for home, but I want just a strip of leather to use in the BWCA (takes up less room)."


Good thinking on one for when you are out and about.

Also I watched that whipping video. I'll have to give thought if I need or want that. Looks very cool, but I'll have to see if I feel I need more grip or not.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 03:35PM  
I'm sure you found this video but the guy you linked has a strop video.

Strop Video
 
flynn
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01/30/2019 04:46PM  
Yup, Doug has a bunch of great videos. I highly recommend his Canoe-Catch-Cook-Carve solo video. He also did a video showing the Mini Hatchet and what it excels at, which is one thing that sold me on it.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 06:08PM  
flynn: "Yup, Doug has a bunch of great videos. I highly recommend his Canoe-Catch-Cook-Carve solo video. He also did a video showing the Mini Hatchet and what it excels at, which is one thing that sold me on it."


I subscribed and will go through is stuff over a period of time but I'll look for that one first. Thanks for the point!
 
MidwestFirecraft
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01/30/2019 06:28PM  
WonderMonkey: "I carry a leather handled kabar in honor of my grandfather, who carried one in Italy. I am going to go through a cycle of camping and force (reasonably) the use of my axe to see where it fits. In theory, like you, I could see not taking my fixed blade. Should I take a finer bladed knife though? Probably. We shall see."


That's a hard question to answer without knowing you or your system. The most frustrating thing about only having the outdoor axe is the sheath and that it is carried on the side of my pack. When you want to cut down your dehydrated meal bag so food doesn't get all over your hand, you can't just pull your knife out of your sheath. You have to walk over to the pack, take the mask off, and put it away. Picking a sliver out is much more difficult etc. That having been said it is certainly doable. Carving is stakes and such is very easy.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 06:49PM  
MidwestFirecraft: "
WonderMonkey: "I carry a leather handled kabar in honor of my grandfather, who carried one in Italy. I am going to go through a cycle of camping and force (reasonably) the use of my axe to see where it fits. In theory, like you, I could see not taking my fixed blade. Should I take a finer bladed knife though? Probably. We shall see."


That's a hard question to answer without knowing you or your system. The most frustrating thing about only having the outdoor axe is the sheath and that it is carried on the side of my pack. When you want to cut down your dehydrated meal bag so food doesn't get all over your hand, you can't just pull your knife out of your sheath. You have to walk over to the pack, take the mask off, and put it away. Picking a sliver out is much more difficult etc. That having been said it is certainly doable. Carving is stakes and such is very easy. "


If I was to leave my fixed blade at home I'd bring a smaller knife to take care of the tasks like cutting open a bag and things like that. My knife would just move a step smaller.
 
01/30/2019 06:53PM  
IMO Worth every penny, all twenty thousand of them.
 
MidwestFirecraft
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01/30/2019 07:45PM  
WonderMonkey: If I was to leave my fixed blade at home I'd bring a smaller knife to take care of the tasks like cutting open a bag and things like that. My knife would just move a step smaller."


Good call.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/30/2019 08:14PM  
Finishing the "Canoe-Catch-Cook-Carve solo video" video. Nice and relaxing.
 
01/30/2019 09:28PM  
I have thier Wildlife hatchet and small splitting ax. They are the best. You’re going to love it!
 
WonderMonkey
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01/31/2019 06:10AM  
Just gave it the second application of boiled linseed oil, the last before I use it this weekend. I'll clean it and continue the treatments on Sunday.
 
BearBurrito
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01/31/2019 08:25AM  
I have looked at these for many years, I would love one, but haven't pulled the trigger yet
 
01/31/2019 09:23AM  
I never really understood spending that much on an axe. What's the difference between this and one of similar size and weight at the hardware store? I've seen them for about $15. Maybe I could save a half a pound with something like this, but I can't see it being worth 10 times the cost or more.

You're going to be swinging them at the ground and the wedge does most of the work, so what's the point of focusing so much on the sharpness of the edge? You are splitting, not chopping. I like my sharp knives and can see spending a lot on them, but an axe seems like something to use and abuse.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/31/2019 10:18AM  
A1t2o: "I never really understood spending that much on an axe. What's the difference between this and one of similar size and weight at the hardware store? I've seen them for about $15. Maybe I could save a half a pound with something like this, but I can't see it being worth 10 times the cost or more.

You're going to be swinging them at the ground and the wedge does most of the work, so what's the point of focusing so much on the sharpness of the edge? You are splitting, not chopping. I like my sharp knives and can see spending a lot on them, but an axe seems like something to use and abuse."


With this class of axe you don't just split and chop, you do some of the work that some would do with a knife. Finer detail work where your hand is up near the head of the axe. For example feather sticks or tarp pegs. You could certainly do that with a knife but I'll evaluate if I need to bring my fixed blade or not.

Part of this is also "I want it" so make no mistake there, it's part of the appeal. However the "I want it" came from a want to process small wood for a fire AND overlap my fixed blade. I'll most likely ditch my fixed blade and go with a finer edged knife.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/31/2019 10:21AM  
BearBurrito: "I have looked at these for many years, I would love one, but haven't pulled the trigger yet"


I won't know until about a year from now if the purchase was worth it. I'll force it's use to find out where it belongs in my outings. When a year has passed I'll have done all my normal outings plus my Quetico trip.
 
flynn
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01/31/2019 10:46AM  
A1t2o: "I never really understood spending that much on an axe. What's the difference between this and one of similar size and weight at the hardware store? I've seen them for about $15. Maybe I could save a half a pound with something like this, but I can't see it being worth 10 times the cost or more.


You're going to be swinging them at the ground and the wedge does most of the work, so what's the point of focusing so much on the sharpness of the edge? You are splitting, not chopping. I like my sharp knives and can see spending a lot on them, but an axe seems like something to use and abuse."


It's a good question honestly.

You've got the high carbon steel, which can be made VERY sharp, but rusts easily and must be taken care of. Because the steel is so sharp, you can do a lot of fine work with it, like cleaning a fish or wild game. If you had a better tool for it on you, like a fillet knife, or a larger carving knife (for game), sure, those would be ergonomically superior to using a large wedge. That being said, these small hatchets are suitable for everything from filleting fish to making tent stakes to chopping small trees to splitting logs. They are bushcraft tools. There are also different head shapes that excel at different things; the Outdoor Axe has a narrower head, good for splitting but not as good for chopping as the wider wedge head of my Wildlife Hatchet, which isn't as good for splitting.

As a Boy Scout (in my early days, but you stay one for life), you learn to always be prepared. It is illegal to cut live and dead standing trees in the BWCA, but if I was in a true survival situation (BWCA or elsewhere) the laws would not concern me. I would of course try to use downed logs for shelter or firewood before ever cutting dead standing. The hatchet is good for any wilderness outing, which is why I got the Mini Hatchet for hikes - I likely won't be splitting any wood larger than 2-3" in diameter with it; it's purely for peace of mind, for shelter building and self defense. Not only can you clean fish and game, thinly slice vegetables, make a shelter, prep firewood (chop, split, make feathersticks), and even strike a ferro rod (using the top of the head), but you can defend yourself with a hatchet as well.

Now, I don't ever desire to have to defend myself from a bear using a hatchet, but I'd much rather have a small to medium sized hatchet than an 8-12" bladed knife. At least with a hatchet I might be able to dodge and swing, whereas with a knife you know you have no choice but to engage at point blank range. It's basically not gonna help you unless the bear is on top of you and you're able to get the knife up to its face/throat. A hatchet will again possibly allow you to dodge and swing. In either scenario (knife or hatchet) you should be focused on keeping distance so you never have to get close enough where a weapon is needed.

Read the book "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen. I read this when I was in middle school I think and it gave me an appreciation for a hatchet as a single do-it-all tool. It could save your live someday. A $15 splitting axe is a very different tool. You don't need a $150 hatchet though, definitely not. Get one with a wood handle though, because if it breaks in the wild, you can make a new one. Not likely with plastic handles like on my Fiskars X17 (23.5", great splitter). A good hatchet is like a best friend. Reliable.

As WonderMonkey says, you might not "need" it, but if you want it, and you know you will try to put it to good use, I see no reason not to go for it. If you're able to justify the expense in your mind (knowing what you'd use it for), it's not a waste of money. I know I love mine and I intend to give them a workout this year.
 
WonderMonkey
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01/31/2019 01:42PM  
Great post.

It may come down the individual, like someone using an alcohol fuel stove versus a gasifier versus none of that. It felt right to me so I'm going to see if it works out.
 
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