Back country hatchets and axes

[mtwarden]

That’s a beautiful knife! Who is the maker?

Thanks! It's a Bark River Camp II; I have the matching little brother for it too

 

[Zork]

gb outdoor axe blows every other hatchet on the market out of the water in both performance and weight.

 

[The Ri Guy]

Thanks! It's a Bark River Camp II; I have the matching little brother for it too

First the quilts and now the knives -- seems we have a lot of gear in common!

+1 for Bark River, my Fox River knife is an absolute tank and although it's my primary processor, I have used it to split wood.

 

[mcseal2]

I take the GB small forest axe when I am not concerned with weight to much, or if I’ll use it a lot. Mine has been to Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, Canada, and used a lot around home.

Last AK trip I took a GB Outdoor axe to save weight. It’s a darn nice tool also and weighs 21oz compared to the Small Forest at 34oz. It can’t handle as big of jobs as easy, but for tent stakes, little jobs around camp, and kindling it works well.

A saw and knife can do most jobs the axe can so I don’t always pack one. Every tool has its place though, so I’ll take one if I can.

 

[The Ri Guy]

Just curious for all my fellow GB SFA users -- does yours hold an edge like crazy?

I've had mine for a few years now, and two weeks ago was the first time I've ever had to sharpen it. Use it all year round for delimbing trees and splitting smaller logs, pounding stakes, etc.

That axe is magic, I swear!

 

[Shraggs]

Some of mine. Ferber is ok, it’s modified

the gb outdoors man I love for light duty

This snow and kneely is 30 years old when quality was good.

the funny gerber is an effective light weight chopper

 

[*zap*]

the gerber machette is a good batoner.

 

[Shraggs]

forgive me, haven’t posted pics if sharp stuff in years. Covid boredom!

mtwarden and I have talked about choppers... a sample of mine.

left are two BR goloks. A beast of a knife chopper at 11” blade and 17 oz. if I could only have one outdoor tool for wood work this is it.

the falkniven A1. Best batoning knife I’ve used. Only 6” knife that actually chops.

BR sts 8”. Second best batoning. Close second in chopping to golok. Reason is 154 cm stainless can be a little brittle and not best choice with hardwood or frozen wood. The 4” companion is very capable do all survival.

 

[Shraggs]

a few saws.

Bigboy with extra medium blade, fixed root saw, gomboy, large pocket boy.

next to the savan saw us a katana boy. 19.5” blade. Build yourself a log cabin quietly...

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have a Gransfors Bruks small forest axe and a GB mini belt small hatchet. I am pretty sure that I could skin and debone an elk pretty handily with the hatchet.

 

[mtwarden]

next to the savan saw us a katana boy. 19.5” blade. Build yourself a log cabin quietly...

I keep one behind the rear seat of my truck, like having a chainsaw that doesn't smell in your truck

 

[Shraggs]

Human chainsaw pretty good description too

 

[Agross]

Anybody tried the adler canoe axe? Or the hults bruk aneby?

 

[bliner]

I have a H&B forge med camp axe that I really like at about 1.5#. Better chopper than a hatchet but still pretty light.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Squamch]

In my pack- a silky pocketboy saw.
In my partner's pack- a Gerber brush axe.
In my truck toolbox- The biggest axe fiskars make. Did you know they have a lifetime warranty? Overstrike and crack the handle, take er back and get a new one!

 

[mcseal2]

Just curious for all my fellow GB SFA users -- does yours hold an edge like crazy?

I've had mine for a few years now, and two weeks ago was the first time I've ever had to sharpen it. Use it all year round for delimbing trees and splitting smaller logs, pounding stakes, etc.

That axe is magic, I swear!

You are not wrong. I’m big on never letting tools get dull, especially ones with convex edges. I touch up edges each trip. That said going from Gerber to GB the touch ups are so minor, probably unnecessary. Makes me feel good to put it away honed and oiled for next trip.

 

[Southeast]

I learned about Gransfors Bruk here at Rokslide and had the pleasure of taking their Outdoor Axe along on a Brooks Range moose hunt last fall. Using it was an entertaining way to pass some mid-day time. It's amazing how those little things can split wood!

 

[browning2480]

I have never had a need for an axe and found a saw to be more productive. Am I missing something? I don’t have a small stove, so not a real need to split wood. I did buy my son an Estwing with the blue handle. We never seem to take it though.

 

[JR Greenhorn]

It's probably what you get used to as much as anything. I grew up with good axes but crappy bow saws, and I still prefer to us an axe most of the time. That said, for me an axe is faster than a saw. I had a tree fall and block the driveway a few weeks ago, and I got to test this repeatedly on similar size logs. Certainly the axe burns more calories, though.

For backcountry use where efficiency matters (e.g. big mileage day but supper depends on a campfire [which is probably poor planning, really]), it seems to work best to cross-cut with a saw and split with an axe/hatchet. Usually a hatchet becomes a batoning operation.

Of course avoiding the need for split wood is easier yet. That may not always be the best plan/option, such as if it has been raining, and the only dry wood is inside of a log.

 

[Trial153]

Another vote for GB outdoor axe…. It is super useful tool and considering the weight to utility you be hard pressed to find better. Helps that it’s classy and takes on character with use.