Axes and hatchets

[Dynggyldai]

Greetings, tribesmen!

I've just bought a small carving hatchet in real life from a local blacksmith. My other axe is a Fiskars X10.
Fiskars axes are not really liked in my country as hard-core axe users don't trust the hollow plastic handle. However, I like my X10 a lot.
I thought this forum would be a good place to ask regular Fiskars (and derivatives, such as Gerber) axe/hatchet users, especially those who have used other axes too: what are YOUR experiences with them? Have you ever seen that dreaded handle break? What do you use them for?

[Erkka]

I thought this forum would be a good place to ask regular Fiskars (and derivatives, such as Gerber) axe/hatchet users, especially those who have used other axes too: what are YOUR experiences with them? Have you ever seen that dreaded handle break? What do you use them for?

I have a Fiskars axe for chopping firewood. After 15 years of regular use the handle displays absolutely no signs of failure.

For other uses I have a set of vintage axes, blades by Billnäs. They are great to work with, and I enjoy the feel of the wooden handle.

[Dynggyldai]

I thought this forum would be a good place to ask regular Fiskars (and derivatives, such as Gerber) axe/hatchet users, especially those who have used other axes too: what are YOUR experiences with them? Have you ever seen that dreaded handle break? What do you use them for?

I have a Fiskars axe for chopping firewood. After 15 years of regular use the handle displays absolutely no signs of failure.

For other uses I have a set of vintage axes, blades by Billnäs. They are great to work with, and I enjoy the feel of the wooden handle.

I looked around the internet to see some Billnäs axes, so I came across some other traditional Finnish axes. The distinctive long socket seems to improve durablity when the axe is swung around, AND seems to improve grip when the handle is grabbed up close to the head for detailed work. I have never seen anything like it. However, I might have to travel to Finland to actually grab one of these long-socketed axes to see if it actually improves grip, as everyone has a little different taste regarding grip.
This mini-research made me come across a so-called havukirves/hakokirves. Finnish and Sámi folk seem to really understand that for many jobs one needs a tool in-between a knife and an axe: this havukirves and the leuku/stuorraniibi are not widespread as woodworking tools in the rest of the world.
Have you ever used a havukirves? Can a heavier leuku/stuorraniibi do its job? Could it be that Sámi folk would favor the stuorraniibi while the Finnish would rather use a havukirves?

p.s. I like the texture of raw unvarnished wooden handles too, they are just tacky enough but not too abrasive to the hands.

[Dungeon Smash]

I'm not sure the exact definition of a havukirves, but here in the US there's a company which makes a tool they call a "woodsman's pal" which I think might be similar:
https://www.woodmanspal.com/

[Erkka]

That "woodman's pal" looks a lot like the tool we call vesuri.

If I understand correctly, havukirves or hakokirves or kassara has non-sharpened curved part on the blunt side of the blade. In that case the curved part is used to lift up and to move small branhces. But in vesuri the purpose of the curved part is to protect the blade when you are cutting young trees and you often accidentally hit soil or rocks.

All in all, in most cases similar tasks can be done either by a small hatchet or a bigger knife. But these spesialiced tools are especially good for purposes they are specially designed for 

[Dungeon Smash]

Ah, I see.  I think the vesuri, we would probably call a "bill-hook machete".



I work clearing trails in a National Park and have worked in similar forestry-related fields for a long time so I find these types of woodsman tools quite interesting.

[StefanPravda]

That "woodman's pal" looks a lot like the tool we call vesuri.

If I understand correctly, havukirves or hakokirves or kassara has non-sharpened curved part on the blunt side of the blade. In that case the curved part is used to lift up and to move small branhces. But in vesuri the purpose of the curved part is to protect the blade when you are cutting young trees and you often accidentally hit soil or rocks.

All in all, in most cases similar tasks can be done either by a small hatchet or a bigger knife. But these spesialiced tools are especially good for purposes they are specially designed for 

Do you purchase the wood in the video? Or do you chop it yourself? Do you need a license for cutting wood? Was thinking about a small cabin, I don't have the skills to build it, tho your videos make it look easy

This was the video: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlsipzU5_Ok"

[Erkka]

Do you purchase the wood in the video? Or do you chop it yourself? Do you need a license for cutting wood?

In Finland most of the woodlands are privately owned. And a forest owner doesn't need a special license to cut down trees in one's own woodlands. Yet, some level or regulation and bureaucracy does apply, but that is more like filing a yearly report of how much timber one has taken for private use.

That is the general situation, considering the way the society and legislation works in Finland. But personally I don't own any woodlands, I only have a small patch of yard. So the logs I'm carving in that video are storm-felled trees from neighbour's forest. The forest owner gave them for me for free, as they were afraid that if the fallen trees are left to rot in the forest bed that will boost insect and fungi which will then spread to nearby trees killing them.

Was thinking about a small cabin, I don't have the skills to build it, tho your videos make it look easy

I think the basics of builing a log cabin are pretty simple if one has the basic skills of handling an axe. But to really make it tight and winter-proof, that requires some experience and advanced skills, I think.

[StefanPravda]

Thanks. Your laws are simpler than here. But here everybody breaks the laws regarding forests and cutting trees, so our so complex laws are worthless. I consider auto inviting myself to a cabin building crash course in Finland Your cabin videos assemble lego games lol.