Hatchet vs Saw

[TintedSnow]

I’ve got my titanium stove in my pack. That obviously requires fuel. What do people run for firewood collecting? Heavier hatchets or lighter fold up saws?


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[Neverenoughhntn]

Neither. You will wear yourself out with a hatchet or saw. For larger chunks of firewood the best thing I’ve found is to get a couple large rocks. Prop stick against one, drop the other on it so it breaks at the desired length.

 

[Wrench]

I always have a arborist folder and snips. Both are used to prep fuel, clear shooting lanes, clear camp sites.....etc. I hunt in the brushiest place in North America so they are worth their weight to me.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have and use both. If you are processing a lot of firewood or have 2-3 people in camp they are worth the weight. Tend to prefer the hatchet and my most used are the fiskars models.

I really like this one by Gerber (made by fiskars) that has a small saw in the handle.

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[Jimss]

I know this isn't what you want to hear but leave your saw, hatchet, stove, etc at home! A fire will coat your clothes with smoke anyways! I hunt from before daylight to after dark and the last thing I want to do at the end of a super long day is find and cut firewood!

 

[Dexter Grayson]

I know this isn't what you want to hear but leave your saw, hatchet, stove, etc at home! A fire will coat your clothes with smoke anyways! I hunt from before daylight to after dark and the last thing I want to do at the end of a super long day is find and cut firewood!

I know this isn't what you want to hear but leave your saw, hatchet, stove, etc at home! A fire will coat your clothes with smoke anyways! I hunt from before daylight to after dark and the last thing I want to do at the end of a super long day is find and cut firewood!

It also warms your cold wet body, dries your clothes, and boost your morale. Animal is gonna smell you if they have your wind anyway. Might as well enjoy a nice fire.

 

[rob86jeep]

You can process almost the same size of wood using a full tang 4" knife as you can a small hatchet if you know how. You're also more likely to injure yourself with a hatchet than a large knife/saw. While I do have a couple really nice (and small hatchets) that I love, they never make it in my pack when doing anything backcountry.

Now there are some people who use small hatchets to help them butcher larger game animals, so if you're planning on doing that, then I would say bring the hatchet along and let it have dual roles.

 

[Jimss]

A stove can do many of the same things and is only a matter of lighting the burner!

 

[TintedSnow]

It also warms your cold wet body, dries your clothes, and boost your morale. Animal is gonna smell you if they have your wind anyway. Might as well enjoy a nice fire.

Thank you. I live in Alaska. It gets cold. I bought the stove specifically for this. I’m not new to hunting or Alaska. It’s essential for me. I usually road Hunt due to medical issues and I have a propane stove for my big wall tent. But I’ve finally been cleared to wonder off and go backpacking. So I can finally utilize my tipi tent with wood stove.


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[Krieg Hetzen]

I have found that a kukri is a great knife/tool for anything camp related. I use mine to help breakdown some of the big stuff we collect for fires, to clear out the willows or brush from around the moose before we clean it, have used it to cut and shape supports for my friends wall tent. For backpacking I would probably leave it behind as I have the Hunters Axe from Gränsfor Bruks thats 19” long and gets used for moose processing (ribs, sternum, spine, pelvis bone and taking the lower part of the legs off when I’m in a hurry) as well as being able to be used for everything the kukri does. I just try to keep the axe ready for processing and camp chores would add some time to my routine.

 

[TintedSnow]

I have found that a kukri is a great knife/tool for anything camp related. I use mine to help breakdown some of the big stuff we collect for fires, to clear out the willows or brush from around the moose before we clean it, have used it to cut and shape supports for my friends wall tent. For backpacking I would probably leave it behind as I have the Hunters Axe from Gränsfor Bruks thats 19” long and gets used for moose processing (ribs, sternum, spine, pelvis bone and taking the lower part of the legs off when I’m in a hurry) as well as being able to be used for everything the kukri does. I just try to keep the axe ready for processing and camp chores would add some time to my routine.

Why are those Gransfor axes so expensive? I’ve seen them before and have always wondered. Won’t a $20-30 Gerber/Fiskars do the trick?


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[Legend]

You need a Silky Saw. You pick the size you like but I run the big boy. You can get a full nights worth of wood in 10 minutes. It is no problem to cut 6 to 8 inch trees so you get a long burn

 

[TintedSnow]

You need a Silky Saw. You pick the size you like but I run the big boy. You can get a full nights worth of wood in 10 minutes. It is no problem to cut 6 to 8 inch trees so you get a long burn

This is what I was leaning towards.


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[valtteri]

The Granförs axes are still handmade where the Fiskars are mass-produced.

I have a Gransförs axe but quickly figured out I would never take it backpacking because it weighs close to two pounds.

Instead I use a Silky Gomboy saw and a full tang knife. Combined they weigh less than the axe alone and are more multi-purpose.
Also I think a knife is just safer than the axe. I can baton firewood with my knife just as well as with an axe, with the wood that’s usually available.

The Varusteleka Jääkäripuukko: https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-jaakaripuukko-carbon-steel/56524
Silky Gomboy: http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Folding-Straight_2/Gomboy-Folding-Saw-685

 

[mtwarden]

for a small tent stove a small saw and 4-5” decently robust knife will process all the wood you’ll need; obviously a knife can see double duty for meat processing and most of the Silky saws you can also exchange blades and thus could also see double duty if bone is needed cut too

I’ve used a lot of different saws and Silky saws simply outcut others

 

[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

Instead I use a Silky Gomboy saw and a full tang knife. Combined they weigh less than the axe alone and are more multi-purpose.
Also I think a knife is just safer than the axe. I can baton firewood with my knife just as well as with an axe, with the wood that’s usually available.

This type set up I have found works very well.

 

[Legend]

I have seen the USFS trail crew clearing wilderness trails with the silky katanaboy. Little over kill for a stove but a smaller silky cant be beat in my opinion.

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

They’re hand made, when you have an issue with it you give them a call and you talk to the man who forged it. The steel itself is really good for the purpose (bone chopping). I’ve only had the very top of the blade and the very bottom of the blade roll and that’s from bad strikes at night on bone via headlamp. I’ve had it covered in blood and slick with fat yet still kept a solid grip on it. The blade angle prevents it from getting stuck and it cuts really well. I have hand forged knives just as spendy as the axe, quality has a price. Though to be fair, I’m a buy once cry once kind of guy. When I used a Gerber for bone, the blade chipped and almost the whole cutting edge was gone just doing the ribs.

 

[*zap*]

^Silky BigBoy.

 

[Nick Muche]

Sven Saw and a lighter forest style axe have worked very well for us when we want fires at night.