hunting Axe's and hatchets?

[Barry Wensel]

If you happen to be going to the PBS Banquet in March, I donated a beautiful new Damascus hatchet with an antler handle for the auction. It's REALLY nice. bw

[Roverrich]

Cold Steel Trail Hawk is a great little hawk. With a little work you can even customize it. Here is mine w/ the head stripped of paint, a mustard patina applied and some burning on the handle for decoration. Holds an edge well too.
 

[ISP 5353]

I use a Gransfors Small Forest Axe. Fantastic small axe for hike in camping, setting stands and clearing shooting lanes.  I have several hatchets, tomahawks, and axes, but the Gransfors is my favorite.

[DEATHMASTER]

I have a gransfor game ax is a little larger than a hatchet with a rounded back to help skin.
I would love to see how people carry there's   Mine lives in my truck and would take with if could find a good carry method.

[tracker12]

Boy those Gransfors are really nice.  I might have to get me one of those.

[Stumpkiller]

Hatchets are heavy and bulky.  I have a couple I carry for muzzleloading and camp.

   

The small one is a H&B Forge Squaw Hawk and the large one is a JT Forge English F&I War issue.

A better choice, IMHO, is a Finnish leuku knife and a ratchet pruner.  Lighter, smaller, multi-use.

The upper knife is an 8" leuku (by Puukkojunkkari) and will lop a 1" branch with a single strike.  (The lower is current Finnish army issue and a sweet blade).  Great combo for hunting and camp.  1095 steel and Rockwell 60 to 62.  

   

Add a pair of lightweight Fiskar pruners and you can quietly and easily build camp, make kindling, build a ground blind or clear a shooting lane.

   

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Izzy,  If it will be more of a camp tool and less of a daily Carry, you may consider just getting a good quality Hatchet with a sheath,  This way you can keep it in your car and have it at the ready.

[Roger Norris]

These Bowie knives are heavy enough for hatchet use....top is a LaClair Bowie, bottom is Idaho Knife Works Natchez Bowie.

[Roger Norris]

The Woodmans Pal is a great hatchet/machete also....

[chinook907]

Izzy - especially if its more for camp, I really like my 26" Estwing. Pretty light really, and bombproof.  If you watch close when the Iditarod sled dog race is on tv you'll notice it's what most of the mushers use, a pretty good testimony. You can really get some work done with it. I've packed it a bit and it carries well in the hand or in the pack.

I've also got the smallest size gerber hatchet, it's very light and used to keep it in the seat pouch of my snogo. It's ok but probably too small really. I was chopping alder to clear the trail for my snogo once in below zero weather and the blade actually started flaking off; after awhile it looked like it was knapped !  It was the cold, and it was below zero but I don't remember it being too far below. A friend reground the head and its been fine since.

[Izzy]

Thanks for the responses. Boy do I suck at will power, just what I need an axe collection now.        

      Sure are some nice vintage ones out there.

[Bullfrog 1]

Fiskars is my go to. Many models to choose from. The splitting hatchet and axe is awesome.   BILL

[Biathlonman]

If you don't want a collection don't pick of a Gransfors.  You can't touch one without feeling the handmade quality and immediately start shopping for another!

[ISP 5353]

Originally posted by Biathlonman:
If you don't want a collection don't pick of a Gransfors.  You can't touch one without feeling the handmade quality and immediately start shopping for another!

^^^^YEP!

[adkmountainken]

trust me bro buy a cheap Cold Steel to just play around with until ya find what ya want, chances are you will be happy with it though.

[Izzy]

Ken, that's my plan. The problem is I have 2 or 3 more on my must have list too.

[njloco]

X2,  what  Kenny  said, if  your  gonna  carry  the  extra weight, a  nice  hawk can't  be  beat, but if  you  want  the  best of  both  worlds, a woodsman's pal is the ticket.

[ron w]

I got a Woodsmans Pal.......best money I ever spent, great making blinds and working around  camp.......  

[Hobow]

Axes have a strange way of multiplying, I may post a pic later to illustrate my problem...

In my opinion the best value for the money is buying a vintage head and rehanging it if needed or buying a new Husqvarna axe or hatchet.  They are Swedish built by Hults Bruk/Hultafors and perform as well as a Gransfors at a much more reasonable price.  I paid $69.00 for my Forest Axe, you can't find a better axe for the money when buying new.

[olddogrib]

Wetterlings large hunter's axe. (big hatchet sized)