Recommend a camp axe/hatchet?

EmberMike

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I had Gerber Camp Axe II and sold it. Wasn't a fan of the plastic handle. Wasn't very ergonomic either, just a straight handle.

I'm looking for something else. Wood or leather handle, 13-20" length range, under $100. Although if you have a good $100+ recommendation I'm always happy to look and wish. ;)
 

wvbreamfisherman

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I had Gerber Camp Axe II and sold it. Wasn't a fan of the plastic handle. Wasn't very ergonomic either, just a straight handle.

I'm looking for something else. Wood or leather handle, 13-20" length range, under $100. Although if you have a good $100+ recommendation I'm always happy to look and wish. ;)
I have one of these: Amazon.com: True Temper Wood Buddy Miner's Axe 1190500: Patio, Lawn & Garden

I did a little reshaping of the cheeks with an angle grinder with sanding disks, but the axe works pretty well as a camp axe. It's a little on the heavy side though.

One of these days I'll get flush enough to get a Granfors Bruks axe....
 

EmberMike

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Looks good, that's definitely the style I'm after.

Anyone know anything about Condor axes? I've seen some interesting stuff from them, no idea if its any good, though.
 

wvbreamfisherman

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I have one of these: Amazon.com: True Temper Wood Buddy Miner's Axe 1190500: Patio, Lawn & Garden

I did a little reshaping of the cheeks with an angle grinder with sanding disks, but the axe works pretty well as a camp axe. It's a little on the heavy side though.

One of these days I'll get flush enough to get a Granfors Bruks axe....
Hard to beat for the price. It's a good axe for car or canoe camping. You're not going to want to carry it very far tho.
 

ppine

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I collect axes, but rarely take anything of high quality or collector value camping. I have had them stolen out of my camps before when gone for the day. An Estwing that is all steel is a very practical tool. I like the Swedish hand forged axes for close work. It is handy to have a kindling axe or an old roofing hatchet for building fires.

I recently handles some Condor axes. They seem like they are of a very good quality for the money. Good using axes.
 
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ChadTower

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Heh, all of my axes have no brand. I got them out of my grandfather's shed when he passed. No idea where he got them but they've got to be 60 years old at least.
 

wvbreamfisherman

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Like the old joke: This is my great great grandfather's axe! It's been in the family for over 100 years. The head's been replaced twice and the handle four times.
 

ChadTower

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That would not surprise me at all. :) Hell they could be his father's axes and they were just still in the woodshed. I have no way of knowing.
 

wvbreamfisherman

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I have one of my grandfather's hatchets and a wooden block plane. He was a carpenter (housebuilder), and did beautiful hand woodwork. He never quit working hard. at 86, he brok his arm falling off a ladder painting the second floor of his house (which he'd built himself).

Amazing guy.
 

Boroffski

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ppine

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chad,
Take good care of those. Don't ever leave them in plain sight when you are away from camp.

Be sure to give some instruction to young people about using axes. When I was a Boy Scout, 2 guys in our troop put axes into their feet. It was messy. The leaders should have made a change after the first accident. My Dad used to make us take a machete because he thought it was safer.
 
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Newanderthal

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Estwing. Made in America and they work great.

Or get a kukri. Mine chops like a hatchet and I've even used it to split logs.
 

ChadTower

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chad,
Take good care of those. Don't ever leave them in plain sight when you are away from camp.

Be sure to give some instruction to young people about using axes. When I was a Boy Scout, 2 guys in our troop put axes into their feet. It was messy. The leaders should have made a change after the first accident. My Dad used to make us take a machete because he thought it was safer.

Boy Scouts are too young to be splitting firewood. Any axe heavy enough to do the job probably can't be controlled by a kid. If they had Boy Scouts chopping firewood then the problem wasn't bad instruction. It was negligent supervision. A 10 year old cannot control a 5lb splitter head and a smaller axe only forces the user to swing harder than is safe.

Yeah, back in the day, the 13 year old pitched in on the firewood. Back in the day that 13 year old didn't spend all day on a couch and could handle it.
 

EmberMike

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Yeah, back in the day, the 13 year old pitched in on the firewood. Back in the day that 13 year old didn't spend all day on a couch and could handle it.
Back in the day a kid didn't wait till 13 to get his hands on an axe and learn how to safely use it.

And also, as you mentioned, he hadn't spent the bulk of the years leading up to the camping trip sitting in front of a screen. Physical ability definitely plays a role in it.
 
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ChadTower

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Back in the day a kid didn't wait till 13 to get his hands on an axe and learn how to safely use it.

Well there's a difference between a chopping axe and a splitter axe. The chopper, yeah, that's not a big deal. The chopper gets swung away from your body and has more risk of getting a chip to the eye than of getting hit with the axe head. A splitter, on the other hand, is usually being swung downwards in an arc that could come towards your body on a rebound or miss. That's a lot riskier for someone who isn't strong enough to control the tool.
 

Pathfinder1

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Well there's a difference between a chopping axe and a splitter axe. The chopper, yeah, that's not a big deal. The chopper gets swung away from your body and has more risk of getting a chip to the eye than of getting hit with the axe head.




Hi...


How true. My Uncle lost the sight in one eye due to an incident while chopping wood with an axe.

Yet he was still an excellent sportsman...and still an excellent shot.
 
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