It’s basically for camping.

Was thinking about something from Gransfors bruk or along that ilk. Not quite forest axe length handle, maybe a bit shorter with a 14-16″ overall length. Spending about £100.

Not pretty but the fiskars mini camping axe is good

I’ve three different Fiskars axes, and they’re great. Get used most days. The X5 looks like a nice wee version of my Fiskars hatchet. Great value, and probably all you need.

I have quite a few axes,for collecting firewood and the like, but my favourite is my Hultafors . Not expensive for the quality, about £35 when I bought it, maybe 20″ long , medium sized head.
Keeps a wicked, shaving sharp edge when used on wood, makes cutting firesticks and splitting kindling easy. Got mine on amazon years and years ago.

Mine is the Hultafors Aby. If I lost it in the woods today I would buy another one tomorrow. Just checked the length, its 20″ but sits well in the pole ties of a backpack.
Oops, no its not the Aby, those come in at £120 or so. Whichever axe that Aby replaced is the one I had. Whatever, its a great tool and I enjoy using it.

this is very similar to what I have, looks identical.
https://www.bing.com/aclk?ld=e8E9qDIYU_5kiQdPBsSDwzBTVUCUxlcMlDYhpmaabNFIGGLv_XFPmr_DW0HbPOP4JCGP68KDEPkVc3z-17F9LS7XDzImZWaJ8vLOIAEIjQ1OA_bryZAAhyQyxA_o-XRZum4PstjLnVBRi-roIeUpf2qcztyYG6pSpKFYdB3tv-Yye5L6_t&u=aHR0cHMlM2ElMmYlMmZ1ay5yZWRicmFpbi5zaG9wJTJmcmVkaXJlY3QlMmZyZXRhaWxlciUzZnByb3ZpZGVyJTNkQVdJTiUyNnJldGFpbGVyJTNkQnVpbGRpbmclMmJTdXBwbGllcyUyYk9ubGluZSUyNmtleXdvcmRzJTNkSHVsdGFmb3JzJTJiSHVsdHMlMmJCcnVrJTJiRWtlbHVuZCUyNmlkJTNkNWM5ZmU3MDAtYzAxNC00ODk0LWI0ODYtODIyNzEzMDc1YjA5JTI2dXJsJTNkYUhSMGNITTZMeTkzZDNjdVlYZHBiakV1WTI5dEwzQmpiR2xqYXk1d2FIQSUyNTJGY0QweU56QTJNak0wTkRFek1TWmhQVEUzTmpBeE15WnRQVE00TVRFJTI1M0QlMjZvZmZlcmlkJTNkSFVMODQxNzEwJTI2dHJhZmZpY0NoYW5uZWxJZCUzZDYxMDlhMDE5ZDNlODQ0OGNiYzhlMTI2MDliODRkMThhJTI2YWNjb3VudElkJTNkMTUwNDYxODkyJTI2dXRtX3NvdXJjZSUzZGJpbmclMjZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ24lM2QzOTIzNTA3MTUlMjZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtJTNkcGxhJTI2dXRtX2NvbnRlbnQlM2RwbGElMjZpdGVtSWQlM2Q1YzlmZTcwMC1jMDE0LTQ4OTQtYjQ4Ni04MjI3MTMwNzViMDklMjZwZ0lkJTNkNDU4NTk5NDI4MjU0ODM1NCUyNm1zY2xraWQlM2QyZmM1NmQxMTk4ODYxNjc1YmNlMTBkNzQ4OGZiY2U4OQ&rlid=2fc56d1198861675bce10d7488fbce89

I think 20″ is too long, was hoping for something closer to 15″. Short enough to use one handed but enough swing to split medium sided logs(I’ve a silky Gomtaro and Super Accel 21) for cutting them, as occasionally you find dead standing trees which are better than damp lying wood.

I hadn’t considered fiskars, took that more to be a garden axe, but ive taken a look at their range and maybe something like the Norden N10 of N12. Price is good on these for sure.
The X5 though is just too small. In fact it looks like a child’s axe 😆

Mate, i use the 20″ axe one handed with no problems at all, but I swing big hammers in work all day. The head is stamped 2 , i assume its 2lb, doubt its 2kg.
The handle on the hultafors is pure quality, but if the handle on the fiskars axe is the same composite as on their garden tools, its plenty strong enough. I have a long version fiskars spade, use it for the heavy stuff like digging stumps. Not sure if an axe handle would cope with a wayward blow, dont know if composite is as resistant to splintering as a wood handle. All the composite handled hammers i had have failed at the handle.

Hultafors/hults bruk use Smedbergs hickory handles which are excellent. You won’t break a fiskars, if you do they will replace it.

Hultaförs here. Used for lots of things both in the house and out. But then, they are a local company. I got the one with the 45cm shaft and I think it is 0.6kg head. The edge you can put on them is amazing.

Have the hultafors trekking axe i think from a few years ago. I also bought the carpenters axe recent (that is a beautiful axe to use and look at)

My brother gave me a Gerber Back Paxe for my 40th. It looks comically small, but it light and very effective for the uses I have put it to on camping trips. It has been on a number of canoe-camping trips and lives in the emergency bag with firelighting kit and a packable bothy shelter.

I hadn’t considered fiskars, took that more to be a garden axe, but ive taken a look at their range and maybe something like the Norden N10 of N12

Yeah, I’ve got a Norden N12. Great axe, feels really nice in the hand, well balanced and just nice to swing.

Both hands for Fiskars axes

For camping?

I have a hulfators. Treated handle with linseed oil and puck sharpened. Its brillian.

Not wanting to wee on anyone’s chips but if you live in the uk why do you need an “axe for camping”?

Unless you’ve got a wood you own or a mate owns surely you’re either at a campsite, “cheeky wild camping “ responsibly and leaving no trace (which means no fire) or you’re in Scotland or Dartmoor where the access laws most likely prohibit chopping stuff down and burning things.

I’m not suggesting you’re an idiot or naive but I come across a lot of “campfires” in my line of work that have caused damage, burnt into the ground requiring days of return visits to extinguish, serious wildfires etc. That’s not to mention the unnecessary chopping at random trees that in reality don’t burn as they’re fresh and green.

Unless you’ve got the landowners permission, and if you have, or you are the landowner that’s great. If not, keep the chopping and burning to your garden. We’ll all thank you for it in the long run.

Believe it or not we had a wildfire here last week and lockdown hadn’t even ended. The big fire at Wareham forest last year was from a disposable bbq and burnt for 2 weeks destroying 25 yrs worth of rare reptile work, as well as SssI and productive woodland. Cost the taxpayer £0.5million to put it out before the cost of replacing habitat and trees.

Also – deadwood…

Deadwood important

Hehe. I just bought a Magnusson one for £30 from B&Q. It works pretty well. £100 indeed. Sorry to be that guy but really.

Not wanting to wee on anyone’s chips but if you live in the uk why do you need an “axe for camping”?

I don’t think anyone does. The frontiersman fantasy thing isn’t really valid here in the UK – if it’s valid anywhere. In the USA where the fire is almost the entire point of camping they are very strict that you only burn the firewood they sell at the campsite.

The “Wild West” doesn’t start west of Winchester!

if you live in the uk why do you need an “axe for camping”?

Well, I took one with me when I went camping in South Devon for nine days, I took one of those little stainless steel stove things, and a small chopping block, and I scavenged through the hedge along the back of my tent for dead branches, and driftwood from the beach, and happily kept my kettle bubbling away for endless mugs of tea while sitting reading through a pile of books. The stove was sat on a small paving slab I found in the hedge, so nothing left behind but wood chips. One of the best holidays I’ve had.
It’s worth pointing out that many wildfires, including the one mentioned above, are started by idiot townies using disposable barbecues bought from the local filling station, not by people who’ve spent quite a lot of money on a quality tool…
Here’s my campsite, looking across Start Bay towards Dartmouth, chopping block with axe, a Gransförs Forest axe, IIRC, with stove and kettle conveniently to hand…

Would have thought a small folding pruning saw would make more sense for cutting up small dead fall branches. Where are you finding dead branches big enough to need splitting with an axe?

I’m not suggesting you’re an idiot or naive but I come across a lot of “campfires” in my line of work that have caused damage, burnt into the ground requiring days of return visits to extinguish, serious wildfires etc. That’s not to mention the unnecessary chopping at random trees that in reality don’t burn as they’re fresh and green.

Fair comment.

For those unfamiliar in preparing the ground for a fire you do thus.

If its a grassy area you need to cut out a square patch about 18″x18″ and dig a shallow hole. The patch you lay to the side and place it grass side down, and if there for longer than a day, and in summer, give it a good sprinkle with water to keep the roots healthy.
When leaving, remove any non burnt material, half burnt logs etc and cast them into the landscape by just chucking them away, or into the wood or such. Ash has burnt down and takes up no room so then replace the earth and set the top patch section you removed back onto it.
Jobs a good un.

People with no backwoods experience, and dont like going on a wood forage chop at random trees, but the majority of times in Scotland, and from harvested trees, theres alway a fair about left lying, to break down, plus all the branchwood.
In winter, when lying timber is wet or frozen, you can scour through the forest and find many thin section trees(8″-12″ or so) still standing that are dead. Those will give you a better drier timber to burn. In my original post i did mention that about dead standing wood,rather than lying wet wood.
Next up, its not Guy Fawkes you’re burning, so you shouldnt be having a fire that size. Siberian technique will supply you tons of heat and conserve fuel and the fire size wont be much off the cut patch size.

Sure, embers travel, so you should be aware, but they are embers and not large and 99% of the time will dissapate in the air. Sure you could argue this point, bu again youre arguing on worst possible outcome, and that argument would stop you camping the first place, or even riding your bike as theres that chance you will fall off and die 😕

Next up – How to build a pizza oven using bricks and an old metal biscuit tin, for those longer camps 😉

It’s worth pointing out that many wildfires, including the one mentioned above, are started by idiot townies using disposable barbecues bought from the local filling station, not by people who’ve spent quite a lot of money on a quality tool…

Oh I see.its a wild fire if it’s done with a disposable BBQ. It’s ok if someone’s spent alot of money to burn wood they are not supposed to in places they are not supposed to?

Countzero – I have camped at that exact spot loads of times. Lovely view and the farmer chaps a really nice guy.

but they are embers and not large and 99% of the time will dissapate in the air. Sure you could argue this point, bu again youre arguing on worst possible outcome, and that argument would stop you camping the first place, or even riding your bike as theres that chance you will fall off and die

99% is not very good odds when it only takes one in dry conditions. And it’s nothing like falling off your bike, because if that happens only you get hurt. If you set fire to the countryside it’s everyone’s problem.

I say embers, but thats somewhat misleading. embers can ‘pop’ out a fire, but its ash that floats on the wind.
Personally I’ve never seen a fire started from ash floating on the wind, and i suspect neither have you, and all those fires you are referring to come from campfires set by the inexperienced or left lying, as in the case of disposable BBQ’s
We have been lighting camp fires for tens of thousands of years, and if they caused the problems you infer they must(itself a fallacy) we wouldn’t still be having them.

Campfires dont cause wildfires, idiots do.

Of course you can go the designer direction (after all this is STW) and buy something Scandinavian or you can save some cash and buy an old WD axe.Brillaint steel and costs sod all.
Re the open fire thing. Well if you are on land with permission and use your loaf then go for it. No permission then you are out of your mind. It’s WRONG.

or you can save some cash and buy an old WD axe.Brillaint steel and costs sod all.

I have 2, although the big ones a bit of a cheapie. My hand axe is quite old and before I put a handle on it you could hang it by thread and ring it like a tuning fork. Made a lovely sound.
I think thats more a working hatchet, maybe splitting, flat blade(not curved) with a hammer end on the other er.. end.

Always found the large axe too large and thee small axe too small. Just fancied something in between and considered Finnish/Scandinavian etc because axes are what they do, so would get something well made, in excellent steel, with that forest axe sized handle.
I suppose if im stuck or dont find an ideal axe, I can make a new longer handle for the small one. That was my initial idea, but though well that leaves me a small axe down.

I camp in Scotland only, well mostly, and as far as im aware, unless youre obviously surrounded by bone dry wheat fields or heather, fire wasnt a problem permission wise*
But I mostly camp in winter. Something about winter outdoors in Scotland I prefer (maybe its those small biting critters are all dead) so wild fires arent ever a problem because as far as im aware snow isn’t flammable.
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*Waiting for the inevitable…