You have up to $175 to spend on axes, do you buy multiple cheaper ones of different kinds or do you opt for an all rounder option?
>>2770477Two midrange ones, since the expensive ones I know (gransfors, hultafors etc) are all shit.specifically:>a good felling axecurrently, the only real felling axe being produced is he Ochsenkopf Kanada dualbit. all other "felling axes" have handles that are too short (needs to be long enough so a glancing blow will hit the ground instead of your feet), and all single bits I've handled were unbalanced and would turn if not swung perfectly.>a lightweight, short axe for removing branches to get me to the trunk in the first place and making kindling later onThough irl, I use a short machete for these jobs instead.That's assuming that I'm splitting with a maul and wedges or a powersplitter (instead of a dedicated splitting axe), and don't plan on doing any carpentry work (which would require a scissorground hatchet, at least, and preferably also a hewing axe, but good luck finding either below 200$).
>>2770479>since the expensive ones I know (gransfors, hultafors etc) are all shitHow so?
>>2770477>All rounder?I opt for a good splitting axe because I use an actual chainsaw for felling and brushing out a tree
>>2770509Design. Can't speak to the quality, since I never bought one, but when you compare them with actual tools from a century ago, there's a few things that are immediately obvious:>lengthA felling axe should be long enough that if you glance on a strike, the head will hit the soil rather than your leg or foot. For the average european man of 175cm, that means that the handle needs to be 85-90 cm long at the very least, with the exact minimum length depending on the head's shape. However, most manufacturers instead pick their handle lengths based on the maximum length a postal package can be in their countries, giving you lengths in the 60-80cm range. Using those is just plain unsafe.>weight distributionWhen you're felling (or splitting, for that matter), your hands should be relaxed, letting the inertia of the axe do it's job. For that to be possible, you need the axe to be balanced around the center line of the handle. On a double bit, that's a nobrainer, and every single doublebit I've handled was balanced. But on a singlebit, it means that you need extra weight at the back of the eye. Forged axes generally have that, but those modern "fold sheet metal and weld it together" axes don't. As a result, when swinging them, they have a risk of twisting in your grip, which will cause glancing blows.>handleThis one is a bit unfair, to be honest, since a good handle will break if you use it wrong. But the handles you get on literally every mass-produced axe nowadays are way too thick. A well-mad handle will flex on impact, dispersing the force before it reaches your hands and joints, while a thick, solid handle will transfer it all straight to your wrists.>inb4 shillI'm not saying Ochsenkopf is great. Mine was shipped blunt, and covering a blade in varnish is idiotic. But at least it can be turned into a good axe with some work.
>>2770509>>2770535 cont'd bcs charlimitOne other thing you need to realize is that most people don't use "felling axes" for felling anymore, but just to clear branches so they can maneuver their chainsaw and to drive in wedges. For that, those meme-tier scandinavian axes and even the fiskars plastic toys will work just fine.But even when you're just felling 5-10 trees / year like I am, you should invest in a proper tool. Preferably a vintage felling axe in good shape, and if (like me) you can't find one, the Ochsenkopf is the next best thing.
>>2770536>But even when you're just felling 5-10 trees / year like I am, you should invest in a proper tool. Preferably a vintage felling axe in good shape, and if (like me) you can't find one, the Ochsenkopf is the next best thing.I just use axes for the fun of it. Making some firewood and getting exercise is just a byproduct/bonus. If I really wanted to work it like it was my actual job, I'd just use chainsaw too, and a machine splitter. But where's the fun in that?
>>2770536IDK about head balance, I’ve not swung their feller yet, but Council Tool offers a 36 inch handle (91cm) on their felling axe, and I like the head balance on the pack axe of theirs I bought. When I fell trees (45 this year, way more than average), I’m usually using a Johnsered, red oak wedges and an ash beedle.I’ve been thinking about buying a feller, because a couple times this year I was really wishing I had more axe while working in some nasty pin oak on a new bit of forest. I’m trying to get the snags out and to select for the better trees, and these pin oak snags are just ridiculous saw traps, they’ve got tension in weird directions and move a ton as you work. There’s a lot of cuts that would just be easier and safer with a felling axe than a saw.
>>2770477ive had kinda cheapo axes for all my life and ive never thought i needed better (picrel costed me 15 bucks)
>>2770477Why would you spend that much on a useless meme toy instead of getting a good knife and learning how to baton?
>>2770722Because it's a fun toy for adults. I like knives too. I baton with my Skrama and it's the reason I don't use a hatchet.
>big Fiskars splitting axe>small Fiskars splitting axe>a hatchet
>>2770688same here. I hate consoomer axes
One good chainsaw is all you need
>>2770661>Council Tool offers a 36 inch handle (91cm) on their felling axeHadn't heard of them before. Their doublebits look alright (except for the handles being too thick, but that's a problem all other manufacturers seem to have, too). Some of their singlebits clearly have extra material at the back of the eye, so they should be properly balanced (ex. their "Dayton" felling axe).Not an option for me, sadly, since shipping and import would be too expensive, so I'll have to stick with my doublebit, but from the pictures at least they look alright.>>2770646>If I really wanted to work it like it was my actual job, I'd just use chainsawWhy? Chainsaws are a lot more dangerous when cutting down healthy trees. If a chainsaw bounces, best case, you destroy your safety gear, worst case, you're dead. With an axe, the only thing that can happen (on a healthy tree) is that it glances, strikes the soil and get's dull.Of course, on dead / unhealthy trees, things are reversed, as the impact from the axe can make branches drop. That's where using a saw makes sense. Tough even then, I'd rather use a normal saw rather than a chainsaw. It's not much slower, either - my 50cm hand saw will cut down a 30cm tree in the time it takes me to fuel and lubricate a chainsaw.
>>2770477In the US council tool. It depends on your use for the axe. Realistically for camping you need maybe a boys axe and that's it. If you need shit for splitting I guess you can spend all that.Europe has far more options in terms of brands at the mid range level
>>2770477A hatchet and a felling axe between 2kg and 3 kg depending on how brawny you are will do any homestead related (IE woodlot maintenance) chores you might have, and you could get a nice traditional style from a good name for both in that budget. If you are camping and not maintaining a wood lot, a boys axe instead of a felling axe would be a valid choice.If you wanna do green wood carpentry or something, you need a left hand and a right hand Scandinavian grind, so you’ll need to look for vintage tools.
>>2770805>Why?Other than using timber harvester machinery, chainsaws are pretty much the standard tool at professional larger scale tree felling. Sure it has some mitigable risks involved, but that hasn't stopped people from using them.Manual work is better when you are just to pick up some individual trees rather than industrial harvesting. Remember your training, and have your safety gear, and you can do that kind of work for decades.
>>2770477Get an Estwing camp axe, spend the rest on a knife and a folding saw, or a Fiskars axe, mora knife and laplander and call it good. No need to go expensive for just camping, with a trio of tools you'll be able to build a fire, shelter or even furniture if you're planning on being there a while.And you can spend the leftover money on some rations or booze.
>>2770477Buy Fiskars. It's good enough, cheap and gets the job done.1. Split small/medium X172. General use X183. Larger split x21 - x25 / x324. Kindling / rough carpentry x7 / x14>>2770536I know it's /diy/ so people shit talk fiskars because it's popular but they're the best axes for the money and never need any maintenance except the blade
>>2770477Agdor Montreal head and Fiskars splitting axe
>>2770760>disposable axes
>>2772417Do you want to live forever?
>>2770477is it a good idea to sharpen up old rusty axes you got at home? my familiy hasnt used axes for decades but a bunch of htem remain here, but in the high humidity weather they've been getting rustyid say they range from 10 year old to... 50 or 60 year old axes
>>2772448Sand them first, then sharpen.If you don't have that available to you, then just bin them and buy new Fiskars equivalents. It's not worth paying someone else to do it for you, unless you have some personal connection to the items.
>>2772417>25 year warranty>outlasts you trad axe (and probably you) anyway unless you are literally trying to break them
>>2772417Are you retardwrangler or whatever his name is?>yeah this axe works better than my old shit but it looks cheap and doesn't have soul, so I will continue to use old shit
>>2772448They're gonna fly off the handles the second you swing them.
>>2770805Everyone’s handles are too thick because the wood for handle stock these days is looser grained wood from younger trees, so they need to be thicker for strength reasons. Yes, this makes them dead in the hand and makes them transmit too much force, but if you just thin the stock handle, it’ll be untrustworthy. I still thin the handles on own axes, but I am accepting that it’ll not last like the old tool handles did or like the handle I’ll make myself once the factory handle fails.
>>2772417how exactly are they disposable? Ugly, sure, but the handles will last longer than most wood handles.
>>2773246>last longerDepends. A plastic handle won’t rot, a wood handle won’t degrade due to UV, a plastic handle will survive long-striking better, a wood handle won’t ever get frost-jacked.Being longer lasting isn’t really a concern, a good wood handle lasts longer than a human lifetime if the tool is treated well and skillfully used. I have a mess of tools with wooden handles my great grandfather made when he was a young man. I don’t need a handle that will last 400 years, I need a handle that fits my hands well and performs the task at hand while causing minimal fatigue or pain to my hands and arms, and IMO the handle on my great grandfather’s felling axe and the handle on my Council Tools Woodcrafter are better by these metrics than my Fiskars axes. Don’t get me wrong, they are fine, but better is not simple and IMO they aren’t.If you don’t know how to care for a wood handle and aren’t using your axes enough to make it worthwhile to learn this skill, they might be the best choice for you, but I won’t say that they are the best choice for everyone, because they aren’t the best choice for me.I do really like the X7 hatchet for Quetico trips though, it performs well for campfire tasks and is under 650 grams.
>>2770477I wrecked so many over the years and the amount of hassle it is to replace them and try to find a decent Hickory handle almost makes it just easier to buy a new one. The Only Exception was a small ax that I used for log hewing with a flat face on one side which is specialized and very hard to replace
>>2770477the two main axes you need are general purpose one, think 26-30 inch 2ish lb head, and a big splitting maul, or a wedge and sledge hammer. other than those 2 a saw and small knife are better than third or more axes. if you're building a house you'll want big saws.walmart chinesium pot metal axes won't hold up even when used for soft woods. you need to spend the 75+ dollars to get a quality steel and a good heat treat. you will hit rocks and dirt eventually, its only a matter of time. fiskars is the bare minimum, cold steel makes good value products. husqvarna is rebranded gransfors bruk at half the price. if money is really a problem look at pawnshops are refinish older ones, tools to do so are cheap it just takes time and effort.
>>2772363>people shit talk fiskars because it's popularNah, I shit talk them because they're useless as felling axes and bad for splitting. The fellingstuff I wrote half a novelon further up, so not gonna repeat that all here. tl;dr: the handles are too short.For splitting, the short axes you'd use for making kindling are too blunt, with blade geometry like a large splitting maul, and the plastic handles in general transfer much more shock than a good wooden handle.>>2772448>is it a good idea to sharpen up old rusty axes you got at home?Yeah, and don't believe the fiskars fanboy. Don't sand them at all, they'll just rust again. remove the loose rust with a wire brush, then use either molten wax or thinned linseed oil to soak the solid rust. that'll stop it from rusting further. Then sharpen, preferably with a belt grinder on low rpm, or a file or an anglegrinder (with almost no pressure, and plenty of water for cooling) if you don't have a belt grinder.Also, rehandle them, obviously.
I buy a cheap hatchet at some box store and sharpen it. I'm not chopping down redwoods I just need something to split already nfs chopped logs or maybe take down a dead small tree. Then I use the rest of the money on cocaine and hookers.
I'd buy the Husqvarna muti purpose axe and hatchet. They are high quality and made in Sweden.
often times when i'm car camping i'll buy a couple bundles of firewood and need some kindling. should i be using an axe, hatchet, hand saw, knife and baton? i have a small fiskars hatchet i use for this currently, but i feel like there's probably a better way
>>2778589Fiskars splitting hatchet
