Best Bushcraft Axe
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- This is my take on the perfect Bush axe. The one axe that will do the best of both tasks you need an axe to do...splitting , and felling. Many axes will do a better job of one or the other but in my experience, this is the best "in between" kind of axe. Enjoy!
Bahahahahaha WHO GETS TO SEE THAT! hahahhaahha i feel special in just HEARING that tree fall!! God bless you and yours!
I believe your dog loves you Dave!
She's a good dog
i absolutely agree with you when i want to do bigger woodwork in the forest. the amount of "bushcrafter" who call themselves such can usually not handle an ax, let alone that they have a clue which ax shape is really suitable for their needs.
i don’t like mass products like gränsforse or similar manufacturers. I differentiate for myself whether I really have to work with the ax all day in the forest or whether I am really "only" traveling as a bushcrafter. if the backpack is heavy, the ax head is lighter up to 1.2kg and is 62/65 cm long. There are also very good axes in this class, but they have nothing to do with the aforementioned mass-produced products as they are bought by the majority.
It's refreshing to see & here about something other than a Gransfors Bruk SFA for once. There is no doubt the Swedes make decent axes but we're agreed on that axe in your hands. I have used one almost identical in length & weight for close to home or long term uses in the woods or at the cabin & it is a favourite. Good size, weight, wedge shaped head & handle length although for a pack I rarely go over 2 1/4-2 1/2 lbs & a 28" helve. Usually it's a 24" 2lb axe & even smaller. It all depends on length of journey & stay in the woods, season/climate & the purpose of use.
Absolutely. I like a full size head for the fact that if you have to cut wood for heating the "inside" of a shelter or small cabin, then you will be, most likely, bucking larger wood with a saw and then splitting with an axe and when it comes to larger rounds a lighter axe comes up way short for splitting. If your dealing with an open air fire, then your wood can be any length.
If I were to look for a bushcraft ax I would be disappointed I think. I would need a felling ax, a splitting maul, and a good small hatchet with a razor sharp blade for splitting kindling and finer detail work. If I was looking for a hatchet for helping me skin big game I would want one with a rounded poll for removing the hide better, but a square poll works best for pounding stakes and wooden pegs. Therefore to be a "bushcrafter" I would need 4 separate tools to make all of the jobs easier IMO.
I used the term "bushcraft" to help get the video to the intended audience, but I never use an axe for much other than splitting firewood or chopping.....And I use two separate axes for those things. You're spot on....there is no single "do-it all" axe.
32 written down. Thanks Dave.
Good straight forward information! I may hv to get both hatchet n axe!
This video I think is great because of your practical, common sense, well-rounded coverage of the topic. Plus - pretty funny that a tree fell during the making of your video!
I had cut that tree a couple days before and it was hung up in another tree....but it was windy that day and the timing was perfect.
Nice- paired with your hatchet you could do just about anything I would think.
Totally agree. You could leave a knife at home if you wanted to with that hatchet...its such a thin bit.
THE BEST AXE is the one that lets the owner get the job done quickly and easily, but especially SAFELY.
One of your best points is that there is NO universally perfect axe. One you might swear by, others will swear at.
Maybe you could do a video on axe handle replacement, since if you have a good axe head, replacing the handle can turn a good axe into an awesome axe.
Dave, you made a great point... ‘There is no perfect axe.’ That’s so true and why most people have several axes. It’s like trying to find a perfect hammer. It can’t be done. Right tool for the right job. It’s why there are so many hammers available. Your axe definitely looks like it strikes that happy medium. That would be my choice as well. My friend, another great video. Stay safe and God bless you and yours!!
Would a haft shorter than 32" make sense for a shorter person?
I think that tool stores need a tree out back so you can actually TRY different axes to find your favorite... but then, of course, now there's the conversation about liability for mishaps. TYPICALLY shorter handles for shorter people. Whatever you can handle safely while making lots of monster chips. For me, axes are good... Silky saw is MUCH better.
awesome video man!
Thanks coolkid survival! good to see you back!
My favorite axe is a Rinaldi.
Good choice for a woods axe imho although your claim that a 36" haft wears one out I find odd. It takes more energy to accelerate a 3.5lb head on a 28" haft than on a 36" and you must swing noticeably harder to gain the same striking ability with the shorter haft. I find that a shorter haft on a full size axe beats me up more.
That aside I have to say that a bushcraft axe is not usually an over all woods axe. Bushcrafters want carving ability with a compact size and are also convinced that a thin bit with abln extremely hard edge are necessary. Those two things (all found on the over hyped Gransfors Bruks) make an axe that fails spectacularly when actually used as a working tool. A working tool, a real woods axe, has to be worth every pound and inch it is. For me I still really like my pulaski for woods camping these days. I dont consider myself a bushcrafter (based on the original description out of England) and often laugh at people who attempt to call everything done in the woods bushcraft. Im just someone who has lived and worked in or around the woods my entire life with thirty years hands on experience with axes.
Thanks for the comment. I agree about the GB axes. They are great tools, but they would never do for anything I use an axe for. Maybe I should clarify: i like a 30-32" for felling, and a 36" for splitting. Like you I base my opinion on years and years on a axe handle. One thing that makes a HUGE difference to is the handle. A super thin handle makes any axe feel "alive" and easier to swing. That said, I have a 4lb jersey on a 30" super thin straight handle, that feels lighter than a lot of 3.5 lb axes on longer handles.
Bushradical I'm like you. I love thinner axe handles. My old Plumb feels awesome in the hand and swings like lightning. Lol
faultroy none of the old men I grew up around in logging or that used wood to heat their home that I saw ever had a boys axe. I use one for hunting trips and such but not for serious wood gather.
@faultroy I agree wholeheartedly about work ethic. My maternal Great Grandfather and Grandfather both worked for the lumber mill. My paternal Great Grandfather started the dairy farm I grew up on. When I was young both of my Grandfathers taught me the meaning of uncompromising hard work. My maternal Grandfather died doing what he loved. He had a heart attack while topping an old spruce that began to lean toward their house. As a boy it was my job to cut the firewood for both our house and my Grand Mother’s, after feeding and milking that is, lol. Hard work for a boy but very satisfying, and it gave me focus. Before I graduated high school, the lumber mill closed and my small farm could no longer compete with the massive dairy farms that started popping up. Off to the military I went. 20+ years of military service and few survival schools later I was hooked on self-reliance (bushcraft). I moved to Montana and have never looked back. I still buck plenty of wood for the fireplace but I also go for walkabouts in the mountains. Those walkabouts may last a few hours or a few days just depends if I find what I’m looking for.
I am an adventurer by heart and action. I truly understand the difference between simply walking around in the woods looking for firewood as you do vs climbing over the next ridge just to see what is there. The difference is, you are seem content in your comfort zone and I am an adventurer with an unending urge to see over that next ridge. I leave the 4lb axes and splitting mauls at home and grab my Gransfors Hunters Axe and head out. I doubt you will ever understand, as I believe you are set in your believe that you and your ways are superior and all that buck your thoughts are inferior to you. You seem jaded, closed mined and insecure. Only you can fix that, if you choose to.
"My main complaint is that inexperienced uses are rewriting history to pretend that the 3/4 axes were the rule rather than the exception. "
- Nobody but you seem to be interested in changing history. More specifically you seem determined to merge two separate but important histories. 1. Cutting Wood(logging/firewood) vs 2. Adventurers, discoverers and self-reliance. And you are wrong, small axes were and still are the rule for those who choose to leave civilization. For those who venture miles past their comfort zone. For those whose comfort zone is very uncomfortable. You will not understand this, so you should just stay very close to your comfort zone, your “Safe Space”, I believe it is called nowadays.
"It should be noted that indigenous North American Indians did not use the axe for bushcraft applications at all. They were able to get along pretty well in making fires without needing an axe to make feathersticks lol !!!"
- I do not pretend to be as self-sufficient as the early Native Americans (they are not Indians, Indians come from India…I digress), so I rely on a few modern tools while living in the mountains. That axe will build my shelter, skin animals and yes cut fire wood when necessary.
"This fetish by city people pretending that the Gransfors Bruk Forest Axe is the best thing since sliced bread is now becoming a Cult."
- I was born and raised on a dairy farm then moved to the mountains. And if being adventurous, yearning to discover and living like the Mountain Men with my small axe is a cult then I am guilty as charged. But it beats becoming a bitter old man.
@faultroy You know what Your problem is? You've become metrosexualized. That means that for all Your blatherings about Your background, You've actually lost the connection with Your roots. You've become gentrified.
- Shows just how backwoods I am I had to look up what metrosexual and gentrified even means. According to Dictionary.com
Metrosexual
; a young, urban, heterosexual male with liberal political views, an interest in fashion, and a refined sense of taste.
Young, no
Urban, no
Heterosexual, yes
Liberal, LOL no
Fashion, I wear Carhartt’s and wool.
Refined Taste, I’m not exactly sure what that means. I eat deer, elk, antelope, bear and moose. Also, the occasional beaver when Paps brings one by. Not really a fan of beaver and he knows it, I think that’s why he keeps bringing me one.
Gentrified
Very or excessively refined or elegant. Subjected to gentrification.
- I did just buy a Tikka rifle and a few years back I bought a GB Hunters Axe, so I guess that could be subjective. Although I do not find the Tikka to be all that elegant, I believe it might be refined. I don’t find the GB to be refined or elegant but what the hell do I know about such things….Opened Door…..
I like it, I will try and work these into my vocabulary, lol.
Before responding to this post, I was looking at a Boys Scout Manual that was published in the year 1950. Prior to this printing (1950) They had printed OVER 14,000,000 copies. In those days, the standard woods gear for a Scout was a hatchet and a Boys Scout Pocket Knife. That was it. Since then, (68 years later) the standard is still the same with woods bumming Boy Scouts--a hatchet and a pocket knife. No drama. No Hunters axes. The idea of a 3/4 axe came about because young boys and women were not able to effectively whield a full sized mans axe. So they created a "Boy's Axe." It was actually designed by the Editor of the Boys Scout Magazine for Young boys and teenagers. That is WHY they called it the "Boys Axe." It wasn't called "The Boys Axe" because it made a superlative "bushcraft axe." It was called a Boys Axe because.... wait for it..." IT WAS USED BY BOYS THAT COULD NOT WIELD A FULL SIZED AXE. Not me saying it, but the man that designed the axe. No Man would have created the Boy's Axe because He was "well, a man..." lol !!
- Long before there were organizations dedicated to pedophilia (Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church) axes were much smaller than one would think. Up until around the 18th Century, man used stone/steel hatchets and axes more on the “Boys Axe” size opposed to the large feller size. It wasn’t until just prior to the industrial revolution that large axes were created. Your ignorance must be blissful to you.
There is no such thing as a "Hunter's Axe. " This was a marketing gimmick created by Gransfors Bruks to sell axes. It had nothing to do with Hunters. It is the same with Gransfors Bruks axes. They are hobbyist axes that I have never seen one man in the USA use in His work. Now why would that be? Well, as near as I can figure out, working men are not that STUPID. Most people that know how to use an axe aren't going to pay $140.00 USD for a $40.00 Axe. That is just the facts of life. When You can show me how many men that actually work for a living doing logging running around with Gransfors Bruks axes, and waxing poetic and BRAGGING about paying $140.00 USD for a $40.00 axe, then come back here and criticize me.
- The premise of the rounded Pole of a Hunters axe has been around for thousands of years. One side of the stone axe was sharpened and used for chopping and the other side was rounded and used for removing and fleshing hides. These are still being used by many tribes around the world. The current Hunters Axe is a smaller version of the old Butchering Axe which had a very pronounced round pole for removing large hides. The Butchering Axes are no longer made because modern technology, the hides are now simply pulled off mechanically. Again, your ignorance must be blissful to you.
Your' Grandfather never had a "hunter's axe." That is a modern construct which you are more than welcome to, but don't bullshit everyone. You can grab a Doily and implement it in woods , but that doesn't make it Bushcraft.
- You are correct neither of them was hunters or explorers or adventures. They had no need for such tools. We did have just about every size and type of axe/hatchet imaginable. All had their place and purpose.
I'm not set in my ways, I just don't like people bullshitting other people. If You want to prance around in the woods smelling the Daisies being an "adventurer,' that is entirely up to You. And if You want to run around in the woods with Your "Hunter's Axe, " by all means do so. But in truth, the "Hunter's Axe is a glorified hatchet and that is it. And as hatchets go, it is a pretty crappy one at that with the main complaint about them being that they have a very small cutting radius at least for my tastes. But they are Fashionable and "Cute." But that doesn't make them effective in the field."
- I like it I have hit another projection nerve with you. What happens in the mountains stays in the mountains, lol, Que the Banjo music. You are most certainly set in your ways and immensely insecure about your own manhood. You should look up the term projection, it fits you as perfectly as it does the radical libs on TV.
A far better axe is a standard all steel Estwing Sportsman Axe. The Estwing will not only outperform the Hunter's axe by 10 fold, but it is completely bombproof, and costs about $40.00 USD on Amazon, and it is a true survival axe that You can literally stake Your life on. Is it as well balanced as a Hunter's axe? No, it isn't. But it is a working man's tool, and also a legitimate survival tool. And what You lose in balance You more than make up for in toughness and survivalability. I've used both, and anyone that wants purchase my "hunters axe," will be more than welcome to. It is a very nice axe, but I don't go into the field to smell the Daisies. I've got shit to do.
- The Estwing Sportsman Axe was the first axe I carried while elk hunting here in Montana. It’s more of a hatchet than axe. When I was young and inexperienced, I carried a saw for hunting but an old trapper friend here pointed me in the right direction. Saws are ok but a good hatchet or small axe is far superior. The Estwing is definitely rugged and has been a valuable tool in my backpack. I have no idea how many Elk sternums it has cracked open for me. I picked up the GB Hunters Axe a few years ago at a rendezvous in Ennis Mt. And it is awesome, well worth the extra money. Swings and feels better, it is also a lot easier to get and keep a sharp edge.
a dull axe is a dangerous axe my friends 🪓
That's kinda big for a bushcraft axe. Good for homesteading though.
You're totally right. The reason I titled it bushcraft axe is because there is so much interest in axes, from the bushcraft community. When I go out in the bush ( usually remote fishing) I always take a full size axe like this because I'm splitting wood with it more than anything else. I use a big knife for hacking work and a small knife for little stuff. The axe is mostly used for felling, bucking, and limbing. Thanks for the comment. Cheers!
Ok, I bought an old beat up ax today at a garage sale, almost didn't cause it's a double head ax and I wanted one that had a flat side too, but it was 3 dollars and I needed one and hadn't been able to afford a new one, so I just couldn't pass it up. I though I'd get a new handle or something and try to clean it up since I'm always really broke as hell and as I said, the price was right, can't beat 3 dollars. Got home from work tonight and boom, one of the first suggested videos was an ax video of yours. Well, since I knew you were the ax guy and the knife making guy, I trolled your channel till I found the repair section etc. and I've got a question....The ax is pretty old, looks like something my dad would have had and the person I bought it from was way older than me and I'm 60 so I'm thinking it's pretty old. It has the shaped v "cuts" on the sides of the blade near the cutting edges like your 32 inch one you recommended here and it's got a 32 inch handle too, it's a bit rusty, not near as bad as the "from the grave" one you restored, but there is some rust and pits and a small chip near the top edge and it's badly in need of sharpening. Looks like it's been sitting in the weather for some time.... I've got several rasps of my dad's but no grinder, (hadn't been able to afford one yet. It's been tough since I divorced my ex 12 years ago so I buy tools when I find them at garage sales or flea markets.) The handle is dry but usable and I'm not gonna chop down big trees like you do, but small ones I need to remove so I think it will work. The question is what would be the best way to get it to usable shape and sharpen it? I see vinegar to get the rust off, but how to sharpen the edge etc without a grinder? Should I just take it to a knife guy? Don't know if I can afford it... just asking. Thanks for any info you can give me, I love you and your wife's videos and they prompted me go watch the Alone series y'all were in and which I enjoyed very much. I was stoked to see you guys lasted so long!! Girl in the Woods rocked that show and I loved the cabin you guys built... now... THAT was RADICAL!!!
Thanks for the kind words! As for the axe, ...if you plan to keep it on its current handle, then you can't soak it in vinegar. You would probably be best to sand it by hand. Start with some 80 grit sand paper and work up in grits until it looks like you want it to. As for the bits....I would just use a file. Its just about impossible to ruin an axe with a file......power tools on the other hand you have to be careful. And the standard "bench grinder" is about the worst thing you could use. Let me know if you have other questions, and I will try to answer them.
thank you! I will.
Dude i just found your channel but man we seem to think along the same lines i have a Collins Dayton pattern on a octagon 32" i re handled as well as the Hudson Bay (see comment) . I like your no non sense approach a free will thinking , it's so refreshing . No boutique this and super steel that just hard use proven tools . The stuff that tamed this country and worked just fine then as it does now ! I'm watching you , well done .
Thanks Chris! Glad you enjoy the channel brother. I think there are a lot of us that appreciate good, rustic, basic gear. And, that side of things doesnt get the props it deserves. I'm shooting a series right now on un-sung gear. Stuff that never gets attention and is cheap and awesome. I think you'll like it. Cheers
I like your chain of thought on this subject. I’m a big GB fan, but I can tell you that because of their light head and short handle, they can be a lot of work trying to use them. My next camping trip I’m going to take a 3 1/2 pound axe and compare. I have a strange feeling that your right. Unless you’re backpacking with an axe, then I’ll take my GB Small Forest axe to save on the weight.
Really like your work.
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks! Folks seem to love a 19” axe but as I’m looking to upgrade from my budget hatchet and am 6’4” this seems more what I’m looking for for processing wood for my winter campfire in New England. Any recommendations for current axes like this? The council tool Dayton has some mixed reviews.
Can't think of any other UA-camr I would trust more on this topic.
Thanks Dave
Thanks Dave just the refresher course I needed. Cover every question i had in this series.
Ha! Totally agree. Check out the old DSI danish felling axe I restored. That said - for bushcrafting I never bring more than a wetterling #118 and a folding saw.
Hey Lars, I'll check that out.
Thanx for the axe info !
Any time!!
Great work on video mate
Thanks Dean.
I agree with serenity bushcraft. It looks like a "True Temper" to me too. I have one that looks just like it. 3.5 lb. head. However for a bushcrafting axe I prefer a lighter head and shorter handle (2.5-3 lbs. and 28"). It's just a little more versatile, such as finer wood carving tacks. It's also easier to pack. I've even used mine to skin deer in the past. Just my personal choice.
Thanks.
Very nice video! Thank you😊 I would take the GBA Scandie! Its the Katana of Axes and like a lightsaber! Thanks again
right on
That looks like an old Tru Temper Flint Edge. Good axes for sure. Great video also. Cheers.
Thanks SB!
I guess I would take my Norse Hawk by Colsteel with me. It is a norse combat as well as throwing as well as tool axe from which you can disassemble the head in no time to make it a Uluknife-ish tool also. The bare handle can be used to knock out fish when fishing and spares you to look for something else. Being made out of 1055 Carbonsteel makes it easy to keep in shape and maintain the edge in general. Felling a larger tree with it will be a bit of a task but it won't waer you of that bad. I like how lightweight and yet effective the overall design of the head is.
Greetings from Germany and keep up your videos. Alaska is beautyful, I envy you man.
I'll check them out. I would never try to substitute a tomahawk for an axe, but I love a good thin hawk. Thanks.
I use my Norse Hawk for splitting kindling! Light and handy!
Hey Bushradical, do you know anything about Powr-Kraft axes? I just got one off ebay without handle for cheap, does anyone have a source for 32 inch straight handles? Thanks.
I think several power craft axes Ive seen over the years looked like re-branded True Tempers.
Love your videos. Agree with you on your axe choice. I was raised a farm boy back here in Michigan. My grandfather rented land to deer hunt by lachine. The old guy that owned the land was a lumberjack in Michigan and Canada. I learned a lot from him. An your axe better be razor sharp. So that's the way I keep mine. it's a old plumb axe
I totally agree that a lumberjacks axe should be razor sharp, but I don't think a campers axe should be as sharp....reason...a camper will generally use an axe to cut a bit of green wood for things around camp - chop dry logs in half , etc.....but then end up splitting campfire wood with the same axe. Razor sharp axes used for splitting hurt people. Just my opinion. Is Lachine mi. up by La'Ance?
Bushradical I do agree with you but it's the way I was raised. We butchered our own animals. My dad was a type of person that your knives better be razor sharp too. But hey we're all different. You just keep making the great videos. An I'll keep watching
Totally agree on the knives thing! My knives are never as sharp as I wish they were and I'm always sharpening them. I bet one of those jig things works great that holds the stone at a true angle to the blade. I'm getting better with a stone...slowly.
Dave, lachine is between Hillman an Alpena. It was property that backed the Thunderbay river. Good old cedar swamps. Yep I grew up in the swamp. Lol!!! Also spent a lot of time in my youth in Mio at my grandparents. Loved hiking the fire trails or going by horseback.
#667
The whole f'n lot of ya's should have been novelists....
What?
@@Bushradical Not you Dave, it's that some of the replys that you get are like novels.... nothing bad meant by my remarks I hope...keep on chopping and splitting !
I prefer my old Plumb 2.5 lb boys axe on a 28" handle. It's plenty big enough to fell the size trees I'd be felling if I even had to fell one while out at hunting camp or general camping. Now,if I need to get serious about felling a bigger tree with an axe then I use my old Bluegrass/Belknap 3.5 lb felling axe.
Both good axes.