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Axes and Hatchets and Machetes rule my life...

nitesite

nitesite

Average Guy
Moderator
"Philanthropist"
...<not really> :)

But over the years I have found myself more looking forward to another cutting/chopping/slicing "thing" than another gun.

YEP. "I'm Dave and I have a problem." <GROUP> "HI Dave"

Now I am so deep into it that I now search yard sales for vintage axe heads because they are so superior to modern stuff which you find at the hardware store (yeah the premium $150 Swedish and German stuff today is totally wonderful but the hardware store stuff is mostly junk).

In our home there are German 13" and 15" hatchets, and a 19" Husqvarna carpenters axe from Sweden, then a 28" forged 2.25# boys axe from Council Tool, and a beautiful 36" 4.5# felling axe with amazing steel.

I've got it so bad that I had my felling axe head under restoration for over six months while I unsuccessfully searched over 20 hardware stores/co-op stores/Lowes/Home Depots/on and on and on....

... until I found a perfect axe handle with the most perfect grain you could ever find. This axe handle should be in a freaking museum.

I have a Condor Village Parang that is absolutely wonderful, yet I think 99.999% of the worlds populace will die without ever hearing about such a thing. :) But everyone would LOVE to have one if they ever held it.

And I spend time in my reloading room sharpening and honing all of them and stropping them until they don't just shave hair, they ALL can split a hair. What a ridiculous way to waste my valuable and quite rare free time. But I'm in the reloading room anyway so I guess it ain't that bad.

I even sharpen chainsaw blades in the reloading room when the thought strikes me because "they need to be ready and sharp".

I am not just a gun guy any more... I am an axe junkie.

There. I said it.

And you know what? All this has cost me fewer dollars than one expensive pistol or shotgun.

This is some fun times, for me at least, because I have become a nerd for stuff that chops wood.
 
I too like the bladed things. Not to the extent you do, and I certainly don't have the patience to make them that sharp. I can get to a working edge and I'm done.

I would like to have more. I can always find blades I like. But it's like the guns I have, I have to justify why each one is here. Now hatchets and axes are something I don't have yet. Except for one small camp hatchet.
 
Rossignol said:
I too like the bladed things. Not to the extent you do, and I certainly don't have the patience to make them that sharp. I can get to a working edge and I'm done.

I would like to have more. I can always find blades I like. But it's like the guns I have, I have to justify why each one is here. Now hatchets and axes are something I don't have yet. Except for one small camp hatchet.
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I'm obsessed with blades. Tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, and fat ones.

Lately I've been letting my camp hatchets and axes collect dust. I've been reaching for my Esee 6 knife whenever I need to chop or clear brush. Fantastic steel, good edge retention and easy maintenance.


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I really like edged things. I like good cutting and swinging axes, but my favorite is probably my eastwing double bit (bladed) ax. It's small enough I can strap it on a pack and can use it as a tomahawk and large enough to gather wood for a campfire.

For large chores, I prefer a good chainsaw and splitting maul.
 
Guns and blades go hand in hand, tools for survival. I too have taken to enjoying the sharpening of an axe, and fitting of a handle. Not just to axes, but hammers, shovels, etc. I fully understand the frustrations of trying to find a "proper" handle for a given tool. So many, that are so wrong. Nothing more relaxing than hand fitting, and fine sharpening a good tool.

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Oh and I forgot about my Ontario 18" machete and the Ka-Bar Zombie Killer machete.
 
I've been very pleased with the quality of my CRKT woods chogan tomahawk. It's a good chopper, not a very good splitter. Good steel, and pretty good handle. I keep it in my daily driver. With an Ontario RAT 5. The four wheeler carries a Cold Steel kukri machete. And hardware store hatchet. 20 inch Ontario machete, and Marbles camp axe in the little barn. Cut down Ontario machete in the animal shed.

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The only real hatchet that I ever owned was a Camillus that I got as a Cub Scout. It was quite old and my mom picked it up used at a thrift store in Glendale Arizona. Dad put a new handle on it for me about 1963. I don't know whatever happened to that hatchet and it may have been stolen, being in my toolbox at the same time that I lost dad's bayonet.

I had a lovely little three quarter size Craftsman axe from the 1950s that my dad gave me, but unfortunately someone lifted it from my garage.

I chopped wood with that axe every time we went camping.

All I have now, aside from a True Temper root axe, the new bayonet, and Dad's old Navy knife, are these S&W stainless throwing knives & this little stamped steel tomahawk. Everything else I own is small.

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hawkwrap.jpg
 
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I discovered a tree down right after dinner. It's down where I shoot and hunt. I'm listening to coyotes now as I type and am planning to hunt this evening so I went down the hill to check it out. Found the tree blocking the path.

I skipped the bladed stuff and totally husqvarna'd it. 20" bar, 450 rancher. I like my 20" tools. Now I gotta get the 4 wheeler and a chain down there. Told my youngest we'd build a fort.

IMG_1592.JPG
 
dieselmudder said:
I've been very pleased with the quality of my CRKT woods chogan tomahawk. I keep it in my daily driver. With an Ontario RAT 5. The four wheeler carries a Cold Steel kukri machete. And hardware store hatchet. 20 inch Ontario machete, and Marbles camp axe in the little barn. Cut down Ontario machete in the animal shed.
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Nice lineup.
 
CMQ-

I know absolutely NOTHING about throwing knives. Maybe something new to learn about.
 
nitesite said:
Helluva a nice chainsaw Brad. Very nice. You keep the chain sharp too, that's obvious.
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It belongs to my wife's uncle actually. But he left it in her mom and dads care when he moved to Florida. My father in law is really hard on equipment. The first time I borrowed it, it wasn't worth using. I tore it down and can't adequately describe what all it needed. But chain sharpening was the least of it. I've put a good deal of time and care into it and now it's like butter. Man it runs good! Before, the oiler was so bad awful clogged and the bar had been in the dirt so many times that it was discoloring from heat. Fortunately not yet warped or worn too wide to keep the chain on. But the adjustment was out so the chain kept coming off anyway. My in laws were ready to junk it. I asked them to give me a chance at it and all I ask is to let me use it when I need it and I'd keep it maintained.

I guess in a way, it's similar to taking care of the bladed things. Take care of the tool and it takes care of you by doing its job.
 
Hey guys....

Hope you don't think I am being an elitist, cuz I am not/

The axes I own don't total up to very much money. Fun doesn't need to be expensive.

Here is a perfect example of what $25 can get you in the axe world....

 
nitesite said:
CMQ-

I know absolutely NOTHING about throwing knives. Maybe something new to learn about.
Click to expand...

I am embarrassed to admit that I spent so much time shooting and loading & messing around with my guns that after I made these I never actually threw them ! ...and they are still as pristine as you see them in the photo.

My one piece of advice to you is to start with a medium sized knife. Big knives are hard to throw, while small knives are easy to throw but less easy to calculate the flips, as they flip much faster.

I'm sure I learned to throw a bayonet from watching war movies or Combat on TV. I found the M7 bayonet a lot of fun to throw once I got the hang of it. BUT, the tip was delicate enough that I bent it about five eighths of an inch back from the point. I freaked out when I straightened the blade without breaking it. I thought for sure it would break.
 
nitesite said:
Hey guys....

Hope you don't think I am being an elitist, cuz I am not/

The axes I own don't total up to very much money. Fun doesn't need to be expensive.

Here is a perfect example of what $25 can get you in the axe world....

Click to expand...

I don't think you a snob by any means at all! :)

Also, I apologize for the temporary derailment of the topic with the chainsaw.

But to the video, I watched the whole thing! I really like listening to that guy, and what a nice axe too! That's my kind of tool. It looks perfect for carrying on a pack where a camp axe wouldn't be enough and this doesn't seem overly large. I like it!
 
Rossignol said:
I don't think you a snob by any means at all! :)

Also, I apologize for the temporary derailment of the topic with the chainsaw.

But to the video, I watched the whole thing! I really like listening to that guy, and what a nice axe too! That's my kind of tool. It looks perfect for carrying on a pack where a camp axe wouldn't be enough and this doesn't seem overly large. I like it!
Click to expand...
I follow Cody (Wranglerstar) regularly. From what I can tell he's up in Oli700's. Area. His videos are very good, and covers allllllll aspects of homestead living, I especially like the hand tool, and wood working content.

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My needs in this area are simple.

Throwing hatchet... dagger... halberd.
 
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