Best Axe: How to Choose

1. Carpenter’s
2. Chopping
3. Meat
4. Double-sided
5. Camping
6. Trees Felling
7. How to choose a good axe

Quick Overview – 5 Best Axe

• Husqvarna 26″ Wooden Multi-Purpose Axe – Best axe for tree felling with long handle.
• Estwing Special Edition – Great American made camper’s axe.
• Fiskars 378841-1002 – Best splitting axe.
• Helko Werk 1844 – Great Germany forest woodworker axe.
• SOG Tactical Tomahawks – Most affordable survival tactical axe.

Comparison of the Best Axe

AXE TYPES

Carpenter’s axe

The tool widespread enough and as far as the name goes is used for carpentry works. Has a direct cutting part. The ideal carpenter’s tool has a medium thickness blade and an ergonomic wooden handle. Professional carpenters sharpen the straight blade according to their personal preferences.

Pros:

• Well balanced
• Has a sharp blade
• The blade is fixed to the axe in several ways, which prevents unexpected injuries

Cons:

• Not suitable for cutting firewood
• After purchase, you have to sharpen it by yourself

Chopping axe (Splitting Maul)

Chopping axe is a heavy tool, made in the form of a prism. It’s intended for a pusher, and effectively copes with this problem even if the blade is obtuse and there are nicks on it. Equipped with a long and lightweight handlebar made of impact-resistant plastic or wood.

Pros:

• Low weight
• Good price
• Wide choice
• Good balance
• Increasing impact force

Cons:

• The quality of the model is difficult to determine at a glance
• Narrow specialization – such a tool is not inappropriate for other work

Butchers Axe

This type is intended for cutting meat and bones and used by professional butchers. It can be replaced with usual home multipurpose one. It is ideal for cutting carcasses in cafes and restaurants.

Professional product for cutting meat has a considerable weight, wide blade and high density of steel (famous producers use alloy steel). Most often a handle is made of wood.

Pros:

• Heavy weight makes it easy to cut the most solid material
• The blade is sharpened with a certain acute angle, which makes it easier to work with meat carcasses
• High safety margin
• Durable

Cons:

• Classic weight of more than 6 lbs requires the use of great physical strength
• The wooden hilt dries up with time

Double-Sided Axe

The double-sided axe has two blades of the same size and thickness. Due to this a good balance of the tool is achieved. The blades are made of high carbon steel and can be ground differently. One side is sharpened more often than the other because such hatchet used for different tasks.

Pros:

• Double blade allows you to perform multiple tasks with a single tool;
• The axle can be easily replaced with a new one if necessary;
  is used as a throwing tool.

Cons:

• High weight;
• No impact function;
• Injury hazard;
• High price;
• uncomfortable handle.

Camping Axe (Tourist, Hunting, Survival)

 

Camping axe may be used for different purposes (cutting, splitting a tree etc.). A distinctive feature is the low weight and size to make it easier to carry.
You can often see this type of axes made entirely of metal with a rubberized handle. It provides a good grip on the tool.

Usually survival axe has a very light weight and compact size. The blade can have semi-circular edges to make it easy to carry in a backpack. Manufacturers most often pay special attention to the design of such a tool and always provide it with a case.

Pros:

• Light weight
• The tool is equipped with a protective cover
• Sharp blade that allows using the tool as a knife
• Handle length no more than 20 inches

Cons:

• High price (usually well above average)
• The blade may cover with a layer of rust after long use, especially after prolonged use in the cover)
• Not suitable for cutting firewood and logs

Axe for Trees Felling

This kind of a tool is used for logging. The axe is difficult to use for other works because of its heavy weight. The cutting part of the head is processed very carefully by manual and mechanical forging.

Manufacturers always use the most high-strength steel grade. The handle is most often made of gycore, a variety of nutmeg.

Pros:

• An impressive weight increases the impact force;
• Powerful and comfortable handle;
• The blade is rounded, which reduces the risk of injury.

Cons:

• high weight;
• narrow focus;
• hinders movement through the forest.

How to Choose a  Best Axe

Good axe is a quality tool which will provide its operation for a long time. The main characteristic is the quality of steel. In order to evaluate it, you should take an axe by the handle, and make a click on the cutting part (for example, with a nail or finger). In this case, the sound of the metal is evaluated. If the metal “rings”, it has a high density. Otherwise, the sound will be deaf, which indicates a low density of the metal. In simple terms, the second version of the axe will quickly become dull, it needs frequent sharpening. Damage to the blade is possible even from hitting a knot.  Such a tool is very difficult to work with.

As for the axe handle, it may be made not only out of wood, but also of impact resistant plastic. Compared to wood, the plastic handle does not dry out, but the cost of such a tool will differ significantly. Usually the problem of dried wood is solved by soaking the axe in water.