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The Vital Axe

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    • I had an ultralight KA-BAR backpacking axe for about 72 hours. Learned that they can't take anywhere near as much abuse ad a KA-BAR knife.

      It was a shame too, was a beautiful axe.
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      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      I had an ultralight KA-BAR backpacking axe for about 72 hours. Learned that they can't take anywhere near as much abuse ad a KA-BAR knife.

      It was a shame too, was a beautiful axe.
      find someone to weld it, check with a local community collage or high school (make a friend) and see if they have a welding program...prolly wouldn't cost you a thing...maybe a 6 pack.

    • There's nothing like a hatchet for making quick work of producing dry shavings from wet wood. Chop at an angle on the end of a good sized piece of dead wood about 4" from the end until dry wood is found. Keep at it until sufficient kindling is obtained and exercise good fire building skills.

      A friend and I used to snowshoe into an area on the Olympic peninsula. We had scouted the area the previous summer and before snow accumulated we stashed a Dutch oven, an ancient 3 person Army style tent, and a hatchet. We also stockedpiled sufficient firewood to last for the several winter camping trips we had planned.

      The hatchet was a valuable tool during these outings as usually the snow depth exceeded 8'. It was used for cutting pine boughs to insulate the tent floor.

      However with the advent of LNT, a hatchet has become less useful except in the most extreme conditions.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • Trebor wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Trebor wrote:

      A friend gave this too me for Xmas last year. Said it may come in handy during a hike....
      Does it work well as a throwing axe? Looks like it would.
      not sure, never tried throwing it. Maybe one of these days I give it a toss or two
      You'll probably do that after 20 minutes of trying to cut a log in two.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • IMHO, non of these are worth a crap, non have a decent cutting edge. I've been looking for one with a curved blade and slight hollow grind to make it easy to sharpen and get sharp enough to keep you from working yourself to death. I saw one a while back when I was not looking for one but have no idea where it was. I have two double edge axes, one with a blade as described, the other with an edge similar to these hatches shown, one is good for cutting, the other good for exercise.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Interesting take Drybones - I have not heard that before.

      Hatchets are best for splitting & cutting wood, or bush-craft. - few feature a hollow grind, more suited for knifes such as a Mora. In fact when viewing specs on Hatchets - its not even mentioned on most websites. It would help if you knew the name brand. I would be interested to find out.


      Curved blades are more on the hatchets & tomahawk styles, and one of the video's above show a curved blade, IMO its better for skinning carcasses, perhaps shaving wood, curved blades are ill suited and disappearing for splitting.

      The Survival Farson has a very sharp curve.

      This video addresses your concerns

      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Fiskars makes incredibly bad scissors, so I wouldn't trust their axes nor hatchets.

      Stolen during a move, but I used to have two 3/4 felling axes I received from my grandfather. One had a 3.5 pound and the other had a 3.75 pound ax head. There was a Y-shape just back of the bit on the blade, both sides.

      I looked at a local antique place, they sel via booths, and there are several older aexs and hatchets in there for around $80-190 per item. They look in good shape with a nice flat bit part of the blade. No Y-shape on them though.

      So you might check your local antique stores... and tell the seller you want to use them to chop wood with.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Unique Para-cord Farson Survival Tool




      There is a leather sheth available

      amazon.com/Farson-Blade-with-L…=8-3&keywords=farson+tool
      I'm late to the party again.

      That thing above looks like a cheap knock off of the ATAX that was designed by Ron Hood (RIP).



      When possible and/or appropriate, I take my hatchet out with me. Great bushcrafting tool that covers many needs. Combine that with my little Mora knife, my Bahco Laplander saw, a good ferro rod, and my canteen set-up and I could stay out for an extended trip pretty comfortably. Not UL any any means, and not much LNT either, but a damn effective combination.
      *

      For once I'd just like to hear myself say, "Great job, self! Why don't you just take the day off."

    • Trebor wrote:

      A friend gave this too me for Xmas last year. Said it may come in handy during a hike....
      This is currently one of my favorites to take out with me. Except mine has the coating worn down from use, so it's not quite this pretty. Now that I'm a little jealous of the look I might have to see about just taking it all the way down and polishing it up. Yours looks really good! :thumbup:
      *

      For once I'd just like to hear myself say, "Great job, self! Why don't you just take the day off."

    • g00gle wrote:

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Unique Para-cord Farson Survival Tool




      There is a leather sheth available

      amazon.com/Farson-Blade-with-L…=8-3&keywords=farson+tool
      I'm late to the party again.
      That thing above looks like a cheap knock off of the ATAX that was designed by Ron Hood (RIP).



      When possible and/or appropriate, I take my hatchet out with me. Great bushcrafting tool that covers many needs. Combine that with my little Mora knife, my Bahco Laplander saw, a good ferro rod, and my canteen set-up and I could stay out for an extended trip pretty comfortably. Not UL any any means, and not much LNT either, but a damn effective combination.
      Yea there are now lighter versions... I am guessing you found the light bulb and I have the LED version - its OK I got slapped over on a survival forum about the Farson. Too many old timers. Do you own a ATAX?
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Yea there are now lighter versions... I am guessing you found the light bulb and I have the LED version - its OK I got slapped over on a survival forum about the Farson. Too many old timers. Do you own a ATAX?

      Nah, don't own one. Thought about it ever since he started showing off prototypes for the thing a few years back at Dirt Time. But 'tween my Mora and my hatchet (and sometimes my folding saw) there just isn't much I can't do in the woods that I would do with the ATAX. Just can't justify buying it yet. ;(

      I'm one those weirdos that rarely buys anything new until I'm fairly sure the old one is done for. The ATAX handles a multitude of chores (well) but why spend the money or carry the weight if light and simple is still working, ya know?

      Now, a buddy of mine... He has an ATAX, a Tom Brown Tracker, some other huge jungle knife (designed by Myke Hawke, I think) and a whole other half-ton bag of bells and whistles that I have yet to see get any actual use besides being a trophy.

      Oh, but he's prepared with some notch stuff if the PooFan in his basement!
      *

      For once I'd just like to hear myself say, "Great job, self! Why don't you just take the day off."