An Axe - Seriously?

[Louisd75]

i understand you've probably done this for hundreds of years will absolutely no ill effects, but this use tends to open the eye.

Oh no, that would be dangerous. That's why I usually hand it to my copilot and point, "Hammer here." But in a all seriousness, sometimes your regular hammer just isn't enough and nobody carries a sledgehammer around, so that's what they made the butt of the ax for. If I am incorrect, someone please let me know.

i tried but you won't believe me.

Some splitting axes are designed for the poll side to be used as a hammer for driving wedges, but not all. Typical felling style axes do not have a thick enough cheek for the poll to be used as a hammer. Over time the thinner cheeks will either deform or split, causing the handle to become loose and likely making the axe head unable to be re-hung. As a good example, take a look at the Stihl axes mentioned a few posts up: http://www.stihlusa.com/products/hand-tools/axes/

If you take a look at the pictures and read the descriptions, you'll see that only the two splitting mauls are intended for the poll to be used as a hammer. The splitting axe, though similar in shape as the maul, isn't designed for hammering. Does it really matter? It's your axe, I don't really care how you abuse it so long as I'm not in the line of fire. I use my axes as intended and skipped the heavier poll (heavier axe heads get tiresome if you've got some real chopping to do). Instead, I have a small sledge hammer that fits into my tool roll.

 

[GregSplett]

Loggers here in logging land use them all day long as hammers.But they are driving plastic wedges.

I am sure you could open the eye depending on the material you are hitting.if your handle is bone dry and the head is tight you are golden if not soak it in a mud puddle.

It is a tool used to get a job done right?

 

[southpier]

... It is a tool used to get a job done right?

someone will need to build a bridge between theory and practice.

$18.99 wally-world - use it for anything including digging a poop-trench.

$189.99 Gransfors Bruks - use it to impress Skeeter at the local kill-yer-own-fowl res-trant.

 

[GregSplett]

someone will need to build a bridge between theory and practice.

$18.99 wally-world - use it for anything including digging a poop-trench.

$189.99 Gransfors Bruks - use it to impress Skeeter at the local kill-yer-own-fowl res-trant.

Fired a guy once for using my favorite chisel to open a paint can,I get it.

 

[91AzXJ]

Some people don't have room to carry a chain saw when camping. I usually carry a sharp hatchet but have carried an axe as well.

 

[Idaholandho]

It is a priceless tool for me and have carried one for years. Here is a shot of my current mount in my Tacoma.

 

[GregSplett]

I think a lot of it depends on where you play.I noticed the original poster was from north California.I live over on the lee side of the Olympics.

Our trees are big and wet.If one falls across my road an axe is not the tool of choice for clearing it.so I use my chain saw.The one I drag around is just an old Husqvarna 16".does not take up much space.Actually fits quite nicely in the kitchen sink.So now I cut the tree with my chainsaw and bring the wood back to camp to burn it.I need to split it.My experience is that an axe likes to get stuck in the round.That is why I carry a chain saw splitting maul and a very sharp hatchet.

Now I could see an axe being much more useful in a drier climate such as Idaho.Trees are drier,smaller.Much more suited to cutting with an axe.Some of the pics I have enjoyed here you could split your wood with a multi tool.

 

[thethePete]

What firewood could you possibly be cutting for camping that you need a splitting maul and an axe wouldn't suffice? If it's not dry enough to split with an axe, and you can still cut it with a 16" bar, it's not gonna burn for ****. I live in Northern Ontario, where we have very dense mixed forest, and I know I've yet to cut something down that was useable as firewood that wouldn't split easily with an axe. A maul seems like total overkill unless you need a sledge for some reason too, then it's a decent compromise.

I now carry a nice, Fiskars composite splitting axe, it has a slight flare on the cheeks to help with splitting, but does great for chopping when limbing or removing a small tree; Up until now I always carried a cheap Yardworks axe with an "Estwing style" handle, where the head and handle are one piece. Worked awesome and no reason to change other than the Fiskars were on sale. Pretty much impossible to break the handle on the Yardworks one, and if you touch it up every couple trips it works as well as any high-end axe.

 

[GregSplett]

What firewood could you possibly be cutting for camping that you need a splitting maul and an axe wouldn't suffice? If it's not dry enough to split with an axe, and you can still cut it with a 16" bar, it's not gonna burn for ****. I live in Northern Ontario, where we have very dense mixed forest, and I know I've yet to cut something down that was useable as firewood that wouldn't split easily with an axe. A maul seems like total overkill unless you need a sledge for some reason too, then it's a decent compromise.

I now carry a nice, Fiskars composite splitting axe, it has a slight flare on the cheeks to help with splitting, but does great for chopping when limbing or removing a small tree; Up until now I always carried a cheap Yardworks axe with an "Estwing style" handle, where the head and handle are one piece. Worked awesome and no reason to change other than the Fiskars were on sale. Pretty much impossible to break the handle on the Yardworks one, and if you touch it up every couple trips it works as well as any high-end axe.

This is why I said dryer climates.You average 40 inches of rain where i get 140 inches of rain.

Actually if a tree fell across the road I would not take it back to camp as it is probably a green blow down.The only dry wood is standing dead.yes you can take them down with an ax but the problem lies in the fact that the tops like to break out of them as our trees here rot incredibly quick.Tops coming out of trees are true killers.

Now picture camping where you get an average 140 inches of rain and you might understand the size of the fire needed to enjoy camp.

I have nothing against an axe.I just have found that around here they are just not that useful camping.

I wish i coulg get pics up on this board it might help.Every time I try it claims up load failed.

The chainsaw actually is more for clearing roads anymore as I pack my own dry firewood so I do not need to cut so much on site.Finding dry wood out here is rather hard 8 months out of the year.

 

[Scoutn79]

I wish i coulg get pics up on this board it might help.Every time I try it claims up load failed.

You may need to shrink the size of the file.

Darrell

 

[GregSplett]

You may need to shrink the size of the file.

Darrell

I think you are right.My fishing partner took them a couple weeks ago up on the Hoh with a new camera.I look at it later
thanks

 

[GregSplett]

This is why I said dryer climates.You average 40 inches of rain where i get 140 inches of rain.

Actually if a tree fell across the road I would not take it back to camp as it is probably a green blow down.The only dry wood is standing dead.yes you can take them down with an ax but the problem lies in the fact that the tops like to break out of them as our trees here rot incredibly quick.Tops coming out of trees are true killers.

Now picture camping where you get an average 140 inches of rain and you might understand the size of the fire needed to enjoy camp.

I have nothing against an axe.I just have found that around here they are just not that useful camping.

I wish i coulg get pics up on this board it might help.Every time I try it claims up load failed.

The chainsaw actually is more for clearing roads anymore as I pack my own dry firewood so I do not need to cut so much on site.Finding dry wood out here is rather hard 8 months out of the year.

Maybe this vid I took a couple weaks ago will help.

 

[thethePete]

GregSplett:

Oh, I know PNW is a rainforest, and I wasn't speaking of chopping down a tree with an axe. I take down dead standers with a chainsaw, and use the axe to split it at camp. I was just commenting that it'd be an awfully big tree to justify carrying something as big as a maul over a proper splitting axe, which can double for limbing a felled tree. I mean, Hike your own Hike, and all that, but I would rather swing a 3lb splitting axe over a 6lb splitting maul since I likely won't be splitting wood much bigger than 16" around. That's why I said I can't see how you could be cutting something dry enough to use immediately, with a 16" bar, and need a maul instead of an axe. I'm actually moving to BC in the next few months, so I may find out what you're talking about the hard way, but that's just my two cents on the matter.

 

[southpier]

as much of an anti-axedite as i am, this looks like a helpful tool: http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/23874

 

[thethePete]

^ There was already some talk about the advantages of a Pulski over a trational axe. And I agree, if you had to carry just one single tool into the bush, that one would be tough to beat.