An Axe - Seriously?

[GregSplett]

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.

What you are going to find is that there really is not any "dry wood for a good part of the year.The dry heart wood is your best friend.You are also going to find that wood is a lot bigger.Branches and debris laying on the ground start to rot immediately,giving you a smokey,ashy fire with little heat.

I thought about getting a splitting axe.I heat my work shop with wood and already had a couple box store splitting mauls.I get a lot of my wood from a logger friend of mine and it is usually butt cuts of various sizes,I will take a ten pound maul every time.I could not justify it in my mind.Putting the wood stove in the shop was what turned me.I go out in the woods and fight to split with my axe when at home it was easier with the maul.

It was hard for me to take my axe off the list.I was an eagle scout and earned my right to use one at a young age.

 

[thethePete]

Oh for sure, with big, 20"+ rounds, I can see a maul being great, especially if the wood is wet. Weight is king in wedges and sledges. (As long as you can still get a good swing)
As far as heating the shop, I cannot believe you don't have a wood splitter... I pretty much refuse to do seasonal firewood with anything but at this point. An axe/maul is good for a campfire, and punishing children*.

The other nice thing I find with a good axe is that there's usually a spot on your rig that it can live full time with no impact. Mine stays under the back edge of my driver's seat tucked out of sight and mind. A hatchet is useless IMO.

If you're considering an axe, I like my Fiskars (but don't hit the handle, I already had to get mine warrantied for that once), or honestly, I bought that Yardworks (big-box) one, cleaned it all up and put my own edge on it. It's indestructable, holds an edge wonderfully, and has a very very narrow profile which makes packing it even easier. The weight is in a good spot (right up near the head, like a good hammer, or a maul). It's decent in wet wood (we do have a lot of pine around here), though its performance does taper off in bigger wood.

*MAKE THEM SPLIT WOOD WITH IT! WHAT DID YOU THINK I MEANT?!?!?!

 

[GregSplett]

I like splitting wood.Hell I got to do something to keep me feeling like I can kick my boys ********:sombrero:

I bout a yellow handled axe out of the box store years ago.The handle is like rubber.I just used this weekend to cut some stumps out of the ground in the front yard.God I love abusing that thing because out in the woods it was useless.So then I went to an Eastwing,too stiff in my opinion.Wierd deflection and vibration.I love my wood handles.

The hatchet is useless to most people but here is why i carry it.
Between the auger and my hatchet I make some fun stools and such.I am a carpenter by trade and a wood worker for the fun of it.

 

[thethePete]

Awesome video. Oh, a good hatched has a small place in the world, but there are too many other things that surpass its usefulness for me. I'm only just starting into wood working at all. I'm a mechanic by trade and my father is a metalworker. Wood is like a dirty word around here, but as the old guy gets older he's finding a small interest in carpentry.

I split wood to kill off stress or frustration, and sometimes just for exercise, but if I'm doing the wood to heat the house or camp for the winter, I'll take a splitter.

See, I found the estwing style handle of my cheapo axe only really vibrated if I hit a nasty hard spot, and even then not so bad. I like the fact that you can't bugger up the handle in the middle of nowhere with it, since they're all one piece.

 

[PirateMcGee]

time for two axes on the roof :coffeedrink: http://www.amazon.com/Leveraxe-Spli...nkId=YQ4MHRPNILRZ3IFS&creativeASIN=B00KOUACZY

 

[CountryHandyMan]

Chainsaws are nice and I prefer to carry one but I never leave home without my Fiskars axe. Sometimes things don't go as planned, chainsaws break down, my axe just keeps chopping. But then again I'm a map&compass guy alongside my GPS/tablet. I doubt you'll ever convince us Eagle Scouts otherwise

 

[GregSplett]

time for two axes on the roof :coffeedrink: http://www.amazon.com/Leveraxe-Spli...nkId=YQ4MHRPNILRZ3IFS&creativeASIN=B00KOUACZY

I notice the video shows it splitting wood but not chopping it?

 

[GregSplett]

Chainsaws are nice and I prefer to carry one but I never leave home without my Fiskars axe. Sometimes things don't go as planned, chainsaws break down, my axe just keeps chopping. But then again I'm a map&compass guy alongside my GPS/tablet. I doubt you'll ever convince us Eagle Scouts otherwise

I am just a map and compass guy. Gps hate our trees and I can not stand looking at a little section of a map I look at the whole thing.Helps me navigate with landmarks like peaks and such.stuff you can see when you look up.Around here you are either going up stream or down stream.I do a lot of off trail exploring.

Someday I will probably fall back to my boy scout motto.

 

[K2ZJ]

I notice the video shows it splitting wood but not chopping it?

That's why he said two axes on the roof.

 

[Happy Joe]

In my experience there are ax people, ax elitists, and non ax people; Honestly, the only use we have had for an ax in the last 40 years or so is to split kindling (and then only because a friend brought it, and it was a novelty). Some four wheeling friends claim it can be handy if a downed tree blocks the trail (although most can be driven over, around or dragged/winched out of the way).
The better axes seem to be the old "professional" axes used by wood cutters (usually double bitted) and the spendy/pretty elitist models. However, I have to wonder; why spend the money (or refurbishment time/effort) on an item that is so rarely needed....to each their own, I guess.
I do carry a folding bow saw (large Svensaw) for firewood prep and have occasionally used a chainsaw (if someone else brings one) after dragging a long dead snag back to camp. I have never had occasion/need to cut a tree down while camping (we only do primitive camping).
Enjoy!

 

[OutOfBounds]

I live in northern Alberta, Canada. Anyone heading in to the northern backcountry without an axe is one of two things; 1. An inexperienced city slicker or 2. A fool.

An axe is an essential backcountry tool as far as I'm concerned.

 

[fog cutter]

why do you need earmuffs with and axe?

 

[peneumbra]

You need earmuffs for the same reason you need one of those red-and-black plaid jackets. And, since we're discussing questions, let me axe you this: would you rather collect cutting tools, or collect anvils?

 

[Happy Joe]

Maybe its un needed by folks in a desert or those afraid of sharp tools & getting hands dirty.

I live in the far from treeless Rocky Mountains. If I need to drop a tree on home ground I get out the chainsaw. However this is a expedition (camping implied forum) and I have yet to need to drop a tree while camping or chop one, even to clear a road (although I have winched and driven over numerous trees on the trail and even used the saw to remove one probable metal bending limb on a fallen tree). Not afraid of hard work, sharps nor dirty hands.
I can see the use for an ax in an area where wood heating is used, but personally have no use for those in/under the spider webs in the shed.
If I were going to venture, off road, into the far northern forests in a vehicle I might even sharpen and carry one. They are, in my experience, far from a necessary tool when camping most places in the lower 48 of the US... This is just me however; if you want one or find it useful enough to justify the weight/storage, carry one; no implication will be made/stated by me about you or your decision...
Like I said there are ax people, ax elitists and non ax people...

Enjoy!

 

[fluffyprinceton]

 would you rather collect cutting tools, or collect anvils?

(Absolutely the funniest line in this entire thread!)

Yes my friends...that is the question - the answer to it is 610 posts...

A Pulaski for me -