Budget Axes

[Reaps72]

Hi all,

I am new to this site and wanting a bit of advice.
I want an axe to add to my outdoors camp kit, but I'm a bit of a budgeteer at heart but will pay a bit extra for real good kit. I have looked around and those bushcrafty ones, I think are a bit steep? I was brought up to respect good quality tools spotted this at B&Q Spear & Jackson 2.5lb Axe £23 that seems reasonable to me any thoughts appreciated.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=11247909&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories%3C%7B9372015%7D/categories%3C%7B9372043%7D/categories%3C%7B9372176%7D/categories%3C%7B9392052%7D/specificationsProductType=axes

[Martin]

I won't comment on that particular tool, as I've never seen or used one, but those who know me would be surprised not to hear me ask, 'What are you proposing to do with this axe that can't be done easier with a knife?'.

Martin

[Reaps72]

Well I thought a bit of wood splitting, chopping all the regular stuff (not wanting to sound patronising), which I know can be done with a good full tang knife, but I have an opinel 10 which isn't really up to heavier stuff!

My thought was mainly for main campsite jobs as when I usually get of in to the wilds I'm on a family holiday and taking my boy off on an explore! Plus I can teach him good practice as we'd have one, & probably most importantly I want one! LOL;)

[Martin]

Please don't get me wrong, I'm no expert on either knives or axes. I have spent quite a few days and nights out in the woods and have still not found a situation where I needed an axe (I've got a Bahco). For cutting limbs down in length a simple folding saw like the Bahco Laplander is just the job, and if the wood is too thick for that then it's probably too thick for the axe. I doubt that you will find yourself in a situation where you would want to be felling trees so we're really talking about cutting wood down to size. If your only knife is an Opinel No10, I would suggest looking at getting a Frosts Mora or some such knife from their range which will sort you out for splitting smaller limbs down. For anything thicker I still question why we would want to split it? Most of what we cut is for fire wood which doesn't really need to be cut.

Anyway, I could go on and on, which it looks like I already have. Each to their own, but I think the usefulness of an axe is so limited that mine never makes its way into my pack these days.

Martin

[Reaps72]

A fair point well made sir, you haven't caused any offence at all, it's difficult to get light hearted sarcasm across in writing, I apologise if I caused you any ill feeling? ! I don't know your probably completely right, it's just when you know you haven't got a piece of kit! Feels like your missing something can't quite put your finger on it? Or even as is said between my friends when someone has something that no one else has "you've got..............envy!" Knowing me I'll get one and never use it ! LOL Thanks for the advice though probably am better off upgrading my knife!
I was actually toying with getting one of those kits where you carve your own handle & put it on a blank! http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/knife-making-kits-168-c.asp Looks a bargain and the bloke who does the blades is a pro smithy!

[Tony1948]

Hi Reaps72,welcome,dont worry about Martin he's got tuff skin.but I make him right.I'v got a GB axe,I take it with me whenout in the woods but i dont think i'v had it out of it's sheath more than 1or2 times,a good knife and sore i find mutch better for camp work.But i now wot you meen about i wont one.atb.............DONT GET EATEN BY THE BEARS...............TONY.

[MikeWilkinson]

For all the basic things, splitting etc.. then I think martin is right and you can get by with a good knife, however I've found a small hatchet/wood axe pretty useful in many situations. One, for splitting larger logs down for a fire then they are certainly quicker and more energy efficient. Why would you want to split logs down - well for good control of a fire you need to be able use the fuel as the heat switch - split fuel burns faster, as you increase the surface area of the log overall, this is particularly important on solo trips when you want to keep your fire fairly small and conserve your fuel and also in winter when you want to get to the dry innerwood of large wet logs quickly.

However the major benefit of the axe is in camp craft, hewing, flattening and limbing logs is far easier and safer with a good sharp axe. When doing a lot of carving then the a small hatchet is far quicker at removing waste wood.

Every tool has its role. saws are excellent for bucking narrowish logs and removing small limbs, equally knives are good for splitting the same and for more delicate carving, the axe is better suited to some of the larger cutting tasks that facilitates the use of the other two.
Having said that though, a good well looked after axe can perform equally well as a carving tool and for sectioning small logs and in that respect is probably more versatile than either the saw or the knife.

As to budget axes, I find that many of the synthetic handles are quite uncomfortable and cause blisters quicker than a nice wooden one. I also find the blades difficult to maintain, the bit seems to chip easily and they need constant attention to keep sharp. Which in my view makes them more dangerous to use.

However do not despair, good quality axes can be found for those on a tight budget, you just need to be a little inventive with where you look. Car boot sales are a good start, quite often you can find a good old Brades or Elwel hatchet/axe that just needs re-hafting for £5. Ebay quite often has the same but a little pricer - £7-£10. And then there are websites like old school tools that often have some nice axes for around £12+.

I found my Brades Criterion at a car boot for a fiver, paid about £5 for a new hickory handle, spent about 4 hours re-hafting and sharpening, I now have a quality axe that is not only very functional, but has a lot of character to its look and is a little more personal in the terms that it was restored by myself. Not to mention that it is made from fine Sheffield Steel and a little history behind it - mine is an ex WWII engineers belt hatchet. :)

If you are going to start using an axe, then may I suggest a little background reading, not only for safety, but also for a little more in sight into the possible uses.
Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft has some great safety and basic use sections for all cutting tools as well as the axe, and the link contained on this thread is an excellent bit of knoweldge to keep under your hat.

http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?950-Woodsmanship-BS-Mason

Mike

[Reaps72]

Thanks Mike the link on woodsmanship looks mint! Just full of the kind of stuff I'd like to teach my boy & girl I'd done a fair bit when younger through the scouts (cub through to venture) & just want to pass some understanding of the world around them on! I got it in spades off my Dad (he was my scout leader too!) Cheers for the advice on the Axes i'll look around a bit more but I'd figured spear & jackson a quality garden tool manufacturer?

[Reaps72]

Nailed an Elwel 1.25lb Vintage circa 1900's can't wait to try carving something!

[Martin]

A fair point well made sir, you haven't caused any offence at all, it's difficult to get light hearted sarcasm across in writing, I apologise if I caused you any ill feeling? ! I don't know your probably completely right, it's just when you know you haven't got a piece of kit! Feels like your missing something can't quite put your finger on it? Or even as is said between my friends when someone has something that no one else has "you've got..............envy!" Knowing me I'll get one and never use it ! LOL Thanks for the advice though probably am better off upgrading my knife!
I was actually toying with getting one of those kits where you carve your own handle & put it on a blank! http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/knife-making-kits-168-c.asp Looks a bargain and the bloke who does the blades is a pro smithy!

Entirely no offence taken dear chap. Don't talk to me about the 'must have' kit syndrome, I discovered the condition ;). Good luck with the new tool, hope it proves to be just what you're looking for. When you've had a chance to use it, let us know how you get on.

All the best

Martin

[Reaps72]

Thought I'd show off what I ended up with after re-handling & a bit of a clean!

2533253425352536

[MikeWilkinson]

Looking good. Love the little bit of artwork too... ... Might have to do that to mine. :p

Just a quick picture of my various sharps, with the axe and pruning saw in the middle.

2551

Mike

[still water]

im new here also, iv got kit that goes back to when i was a boy i have three types of axes a felling axe,(never been used for felling a tree lol) a 2,1/2 lb camp axe witch has been used alot over the years and a tomerhalk type roofing axe witch is about 100 years old that iv never used. I carry a mora clipper when out witch could be and has been used for splitting and batton work. As our knives are at the top of our survival and camp craft need lists, keeping them in top condition is most important and beating the hell out of them to split a log that an axe could split safer and with less effort is not good bushcraft. Any axe is better than no axe in my eyes and some of the cheaper one can hold a good edge BUT you get what you pay for the axe head may be spot on but cheak out the handle as some are made from cheap cuts of hickery.

[Steatoda]

Hi, I'm new. I bought the Spear and Jackson 1.5lb hatchet from B&Q recently for £14.99 and its pretty good though was very blunt when purchased so I created a bevel with grinder and refined it with a combination oil stone, although the angle isn't acute enough for carving so I may need to re-grind it. I will see how I get on with it and may upgrade to GB one in the future. Hope you are getting on well with your Elwell :)

[Big T]

Not sure how much I will use it but I have an Eswing hatchet, its a nice bit of kit and quite small but still has enough weight to split logs etc. Prob more than you want to spend but its a quality tool that will last!

[KaiTheIronHound]

I have an old axe that i dug out of a box of random tools i bought from and old chippie (carpenter) years ago. Had a fair bit of rust pitting on the head, and the handle was rotten. All i can tell is it was made in Sweden (marked on the head). Its been rehandled with a medium length handle, and i love it. The tools you carry are your own preference. Personally i like my axe :)

[biker-bri]

Personally I cant justify the extra weight - a nice bottle of single malt weighs less and would find its way into my pack before an axe if I could afford one:ashamed:
Cheers hic Bri

[Big T]

Like your style bri!