Welcome back!
Here is one of the biggest questions bushcrafters ask themselves when packing up for an outing: do I take my axe, hatchet, tomahawk, machete, saw or a really big knife?
Well, honestly, it really depends on what you are doing and the wood you plan on processing. Around here in West Texas, I knife will do just fine but a saw makes work go a little quicker
sometimes. Recently, I went out to film a video about making a shelter (you will get to see that later) and cut all of the wood for it with the SK Mountain knife. All of it. And it was not hard.
Lets have a look at the different sharp objects in the pic and talk a bit about each one and what conditions I would carry them.
Saw
I normally have a saw on me. One much smaller than the one I have pictured and I do use it, but not as often as you would think. The saw gets used when I need to cut dry mesquite into shorter pieces for my fire. Batoning my knife against the grain of a cured hardwood really kills my blade and I like to save my blade in case I need it. I may occasionally use it to take down a larger dried mesquite limb, but that usually is a rare occasion. Other times, if I do not have a multitool with a small saw in it and need to cut a notch (depending on the application), I may use it then. So, a good small saw is usually good to have on you around here.
Axe
I very rarely use a hatchet or axe. There really is no need for it around here. Why? There just isn't that many trees that are large enough to require them. If there is a large enough tree, I'm not going to cut it because if that tree was able to survive here for that long, it is a very noble tree and should be left undisturbed in my opinion.
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| Good ol' wedgie! |
Note the good wedge shape of the axe head in the picture. That head is designed to split wood. Also, the extra metal in the head gives it the weight to be able to hurl it nicely at the target tree to cut wedges and drop a larger tree and the back side makes for great hammering. Most of the wood a person should gather for a small fire does not require the use of an axe at all. If you are in an area where all you have is large logs to split, then you will need the axe, but that really is going to be down to forested areas for the most part.
Tomahawk
Speaking with quite a few aspiring bushcrafters, the tomahawk is highly misunderstood on its' purpose and use. Lets clear that up real quick and I'll fill you in on why it is a horrible tool for wood processing.
A tomahawk is, more or less, a weapon used for self-defense or hunting. Please note the shape of the head here. It is relatively flat (meaning a very slight wedge) until it reaches the handle. Sure, you can drive it down in the grain of the wood on end, but it won't split wood well at all. You will have to twist it so hard that you will expend unnecessary energy trying to accomplish a task better suited for a completely different tool. Once you drive the head of this down in the grain, it is likely to get stuck at the handle and trying to pull this out of the wood can be a chore in itself.
The tomahawk is more efficient, and designed for hunting and fighting. They are built to throw or chopping flesh. You can even use one to aid in processing large game. If you have one small enough, it can be used to carve and whittle wood, but that is better suited for a knife.
Knife
Last but not least, the trusty knife. For an area like this, a knife really is all you need to process wood. You can get by without the saw and can definitely do without the axe. If you really need to split wood, the knife can be batoned
all the way through with little effort. The axe has so much more weight that you use more energy accomplishing the same task.
Most of the wood you need to built a fire should be dry and small enough that you should be able to break it by hand. Remember, if you are building a bonfire, you are taking a major risk of your fire getting out of control, so if you are way out in the toolies on foot, that could be a really bad thing.
If you are building shelters, your knife will work just fine for you will most likely be cutting green wood no larger around than your wrist. You can take down a limb with the same method as an axe by cutting out wedges of wood by batoning the knife. Green wood cuts like butter with this method and using a nice, dry piece of wood for the baton is much easier on you than slinging a couple of pounds (or more) of metal. Baton your knife! Have a backup! A good carbon steel knife over stainless will maintain a blade better and take the punishment better.
Machete
Well, the machete is more or less for dense foliage and tall grass. Makes a decent self defense weapon, but here in West Texas, they are practically worthless. I didn't even feel the need to include a picture of one. 'Nuff said there!
In the End
In this area, when it gets down to brass tacks, you really don't need tons of gear. This is speaking especially of the heavier axe. Even in a heavily forested area, you can get by with just a knife if that is all you had. The tomahawk is especially helpful hunting and processing game and is a good last line of defense against predators, especially if you learn how to throw one. So, that may be a good thing to learn. If you are shelter building, the knife and possibly a saw is the best way to go.
Really, it is all just personal preference. You carry what you like and enjoy it. Hopefully this will give a good idea of what exactly your tools can do for you and I could go into much greater detail, but that just gets wordy. This way, you build your critical thinking skills on what to do when you are on your own or want to just carry about 2,000 pounds less in your pack.
Now, please, go get dirty and be careful of the sharp objects!
Thanks for stopping by!
