During the long years of its existence, the ax underwent major changes and was improved. In this article we will talk about what models exist today and how to choose the right tool for yourself.
Axes for working with wood
A versatile ax with a wide working part and a thin blade is widely used in everyday life - with its help you can chop wood and get rid of trees in the country and process wood during construction.
A cleaver, a big ax with a long handle, is useful for chopping firewood in a country house and in a country house. Its working part in the form of a wedge is sharpened at an angle of 35 - 40 °. The blade does not chop wood fibers, but separates them. Today, axes for firewood with a displaced center of gravity are relevant. The design feature is a ledge on the right side of the working part of the tool. When cutting wood due to overweight, the working part deviates to the right, immediately separating the split part of the log. In addition, the ledge does not allow the blade to go too deep into the wood, and therefore it does not have to waste forces on its extraction.
A carpenter's ax with a handle of medium length usually has a straight cutting part and a slightly rounded cutting edge. It is used in the construction of houses from the log house and curled logs. With it, it is convenient to perform auxiliary work in a carpentry workshop - for example, a selection of grooves.
The joiner's ax is used for woodworking in the workshop, as well as in construction. It is similar to carpentry, but has a smaller size and a straight cutting edge. With it, it is easy to handle small blanks.
Felling ax is a professional tool, indispensable in logging operations or during expeditions (for example, you can use it to clear the road or organize a crossing). Large weight and impressive dimensions make it possible to make a wide swing to cut large trees. The wedge-shaped blade divides the wood along the fibers, so the felling ax can be used when harvesting firewood in field conditions.
The taiga ax, like the felling ax, can be operated in extreme conditions. The edge of the blade is rounded, and there is a recess at the bottom of the blade. With such an instrument they chop, prick and cut wood. It is very popular among hunters who use it to make tackles and to build huts, shelters and decking in the forest.
Ax-sledgehammer is designed to work with rough wood and blocking wedges. The working part includes a blade and a massive butt. The weight of the instrument can exceed 3 kg, which makes it possible to apply a sufficiently large force, hammering the wedges.
Other types of axes
Tourist hatchet has a compact size and can be hung on the belt in the case. With it, you can chop wood for a fire, clear your way through the deadwood and will be a good helper in the campaign.
A chopping ax is used for chopping meat. It is used in meat processing enterprises, food industry and trade. The tool has a flared working part and considerable weight to apply strong blows to chop the bones.
Fire ax is used to open doors and destroy structures during fire extinguishing and rescue operations. It has a narrow blade, a pickaxe can be provided on the reverse side. The handle is usually made of synthetic materials - fiberglass or nylon. There are tools with a dielectric handle for carrying out dismantling works on objects that are under voltage.
Ax blade
The working part of the ax is made of steel, undergoing the process of hardening and sharpening. In order to understand how high-quality the blade is, you need to tap on it with your fingernail: if the sound is resonant, then the steel is of high quality.
Sharpen the blade in different ways, with the result that it can be convex, elliptical or triangular. Finnish axes are sharpened in an unusual way: the bottom of the blade is at an acute angle, and the top is blunt.
The cutting process is noticeably simplified, if the blade is polished - then it is easier to easily enter the wood. There are axes with an anti-friction blade coating, due to which friction is reduced when entering the working part even into raw wood.
Ax handle
In the classic ax, the handle is wooden, made of hard woods: oak, beech, ash, maple, pear. The wood should be well treated, without cracks, knots and other defects. It is important to pay attention to the location of the wood fibers - they should go along the handle.
Usually the blade is fixed in the handle, wedging its end. However, such a mount loosens with time, and the blade begins to jump off the handle. A more reliable option is a metal handle that forms a single whole with the working part. For convenience, the handle is usually glued with a rubber anti-slip pad. All-metal axes are very reliable, but rather heavy.
Another material for the manufacture of the handle - fiberglass (fiberglass). It is lightweight, resistant to shock loads, does not burn and is not afraid of moisture. The handle is not deformed, does not crack and does not swell when used in extreme conditions. The working part can be mounted in two ways: the handle is inserted into the ax of the ax and sealed with an additional insert, or plastic injection molding technology is used when the working part is firmly pressed into the handle - the latter option is more reliable.
When choosing an ax should pay attention to the shape of the handle. It should have a slight bend so that it is comfortable to hold the tool and with a thickening at the end so that when striking blows the ax does not slip out of hands. Some models have a small hole for suspension, which is useful, for example, if you want to chop ice, and there is a risk of dropping a hatchet into the water.
If you need a tool for hiking, fishing or working in a carpentry workshop, it is worth picking up an ax with a small handle, 230-300 mm long. Average axes (handle 400 - 700 mm) are suitable for solving household tasks in private households. It is easy to operate with them, without putting serious efforts. For chopping firewood and felling trees a wide swing is needed, which can provide an ax of impressive size with a handle up to 800 - 900 mm.
For a convenient and safe chopping of firewood, the optimal length of the ax should be equal to the length of the user's hand. They check it like this: the end of the handle is clamped under the arm, and the blade is in the palm. If you managed to comfortably take the working part in your hand, the tool is suitable for work.
Ax weight
Great weight is good because with a strong backswing, you can split hard wood, you can work with large pieces and carry out dismantling work. For this purpose, tools weighing from 1.5 to 2.5 kg are used. For daily work in the garden, harvesting firewood, chopping meat, choose axes weighing 600–700 g, average by weight. easier camping equipment is best.
Reference article based on the expert opinion of the author.
Ax - how much of this word! This is an opportunity to warm up and cook food, build a temporary shelter, chop up the meat and bones of a wild beast, open a can of canned meat with one blow, cut out a new ax. There are not so many people with whom he saves a life, and also ennobles and enriches it. A man with an ax in the city is surprising, and in the forest only respect.
Ax (hatchet) - the main tool of the carpenter, a reliable assistant to the tourist and the hunter, the traveler in the forest zone, the ancient invention of man. Logs can be sawed with a saw, but chocks on logs are better to cut with an ax (ax). About global manufacturers of axes and talk today.
The classification of axes is surprisingly diverse: carpentry, universal carpentry, woodcutter ax, cleaver, blacksmith's ax, butcher's ax, fire ax, tourist and other specialized ones. The most popular, versatile axes, designed for carpentry, cutting and, cutting and logging. The chopping edge of the versatile ax is thinner and wider, providing a neat, easy-to-apply cut in fresh wood. We will deal with foreign names: if the word “Felling” is present, the ax is intended for felling of wood, “Splitting” - for chopping firewood, “Carpenter” - for carpentry works, “Carving” - for woodcarving.
Comrades from Gransfors Bruks have been manufacturing axes since 1902. Among the Swedish axes, it is Gransfors Bruks that is famous for the most consistently high level of quality of its products, and the price of them is higher than that of its competitors. Each ax is hammered by hand and if the product is liked by the blacksmith, he releases it “into the light”, leaving a personal () stigma, thereby bearing moral responsibility for the quality of the product. The manufacturer guarantees that the ax will serve you faithfully for at least two decades, subject to simple rules of operation and sharpening.
All products of this famous brand are presented in the following series:
1. Forest Models: Small Hatchet, Hand Hatchet, Wildlife Hatchet, Outdoor Ax, Hunter’s Ax, Small Forest Ax, Scandinavian Forest Ax, American Felling Ax.
2. Splitting models:Splitting Hatchet, Small Splitting Ax, Large Splitting Ax, Splitting Maul, Splitting Wedge.
3. Log-building and Carpentry Tools: Small / Large Carving Hatchet, Large Carving Ax, Carpenter’s Ax, Small / Large Straight Adze, Small / Large Gutter Adze, Broad Ax (model 1900, 1800, 1700), Mortise Ax, Swedish Drawknife.
4. Double Bit Axes.
5. Ancient Axes.
2. Hultafors (in Russia)
The history of the Swedish company Hultafors began in 1883, when the young engineer Karl-Hilmer Johansson Kohlen began making a folding measuring tool, which was very relevant during the transition of Sweden to the metric measurement system. Until 1970, Hultafors produced mostly traditional working measuring tools. In 1990, Hultafors buys Tors Hammare and expands its range with axes, hammers, sledgehammers, mountings. Among the Hultafors line of axes are axes of all kinds: carpentry, axes, axes for lumberjacks, throwing axes, hunting and tourist axes. All axes are made in the old traditions and differ from competitors by high-quality Swedish special steel, forging, hardening, packing and wedging. Handles are traditionally made from hickory wood. Today the range includes 16 models of axes weighing from 0.5 (Trekking Ax Mini) to 2.5 kg (Splitting Ax SLY). All axes are sold with branded leather covers.
3. Hults Bruk
Hults Bruk is one of the oldest (since 1697) producers of axes for the Swedish armed forces and civilian use. They offer 13 ax models with hickory wood handles and forged blades made from Solid Swedish steel: Tarnaby Hatchet (blade weight - 0.6 kg), Salen Hatchet (0.8 kg), Torneo Felling Ax (0.8 kg), Kalix Felling Ax (1.0 kg), Atran Felling Ax (1.6 kg), Gran Splitting Ax (0.9 kg), Bjork Splitting Ax (1.6 kg), Jonaker Hatchet (0.45 kg), Almike Hatchet (0.8 kg), Aneby Hatchet (0.8 kg), Kisa Felling Ax (0.8 kg), Tibro Carpenter Ax (0.8 kg), Motala Double Bit Ax (1.7 kg) cost from $ 89 to $ 379.
Axes are sold in the online store Сampsaver, but not sent to the Russian Federation.
4. Husqvarna
The company is known as the largest manufacturer of gasoline saws, lawn mowers and garden equipment, as well as tools for cutting stone and for the construction industry. All axes produced are divided into two groups: with a wooden handle (Limbing Ax, Hatchet, Sledge Ax, Small and Large Splitting Ax), and a composite handle (universal H900, A1400, A2400, S1600 and S2800). Only 10 models made in Sweden. An interesting and affordable manufacturer in the Russian Federation. Reviews of Hatchet and Forest Ax can be viewed and. Whoever has chainsaws of this brand on the farm should have an ax 😉
5. Wetterlings
Swedish ax maker with a rich history and “good” prices. In the spring of 1882, engineer Otto Wetterling left the train at the station Storvik. For several years he studied the process of producing axes in the USA. Today, the company Wetterlings, consisting of 10 people, makes universal axes for hunting and for carpentry, heavier axes for cutting trees and logs.
Steel is supplied by the Swedish company Ovako, which is a leading European manufacturer of long products. Wetterling buys steel rods in five different sizes. Steel from 100% recycled scrap. A total of 14 models of axes and axes are on sale: Hudson Bay, Compact Hatchet, Scout Hatchet, Wilderness Hatchet, Hunter's Hatchet, Outdoor Ax, Bushman Ax by Les Stroud, Scandinavian Forest Ax, American Forest Ax, Splitting Hatchet and Splitting Ax, Splitting Maul, Broad Ax. Unfortunately, the quality of steel axes were claims - one and two. You can buy and. Warranty - 20 years.
6. Fiskars
Fiskars was founded in 1649 and is one of the oldest industrial companies in Finland. The line of axes Fiskars Xseries includes universal axes for woodwork and carpentry, tourist axes and axes for axes for cutting logs of various sizes. The ax is made of durable and lightweight FiberComp material (fiberglass-reinforced polyamide) that resists wear, moisture and temperature changes. SoftGrip rubber handle coating makes the ax easily noticeable and does not slip in your hand. Butt pressed into the ax, which ensures a secure fit and the blade will never fly off.
The stamped-forged steel heads of all Fiskars axes are characterized by exceptional quality. All axes of Fiskars are completed with a cover with a reliable lock that opens easily and allows you to easily reach the tool at any time. The strength of the blade is due to double hardening and precision grinding of the edge, and the PTFE coating protects it from corrosion and reduces friction by 25%. One of the most accessible axes in the Russian Federation. You can buy it even by going for bread. 🙂 The line of axes is represented by the following models: X5,, X10, X11, X17, X21, X25 and X27, ranging from 1.8 to 5.0 thousand rubles.
The family company Svante Djarv from Sweden is engaged in the production of axes and hand tools for working with wood. A very austere site, but these tools are valued by professional woodcarvers and carpenters, restorers. There are 5 models of axes for carving (weight from 0.4 to 1.5 kg), 4 axes for splitting (0.7-2.4 kg), as well as models Backpack ax, Narrow ax, Flat adze, Little Viking ax.
Rare axes in our hearths. The cost of products from 5 to 17 thousand rubles.
8. Helko
The German company Helko has been producing axes of interesting design since 1844. North America has its own division, Helko North America.
Helko axes are interesting primarily for their innovative constructive: 6 axes of the TOMAHAWK series (weight 0.7-2.3 kg) have a fiberglass handle and blades attached to it with two screws; The axes of the VARIO 2000 series have a wooden ax, but their blades are also attached to the screws; the exclusive Top Line series has metal blade protection near the blade, which rests on the screw on the side; Classic Line axes (polished blades, weight 0.7-3.0 kg) and Traditional Line (weight 0.6-2.8 kg) have a hickory handle and a blade made of German C45 steel. And that is not all! In general, and other things - a decent manufacturer.
The company Victor Ax + Tool was founded in 2011 in the city of Grand Rapids (Michigan, USA). Today, the company offers a good selection of axes (11 models), an ax to them, care products and accessories. All axes are made of hickory and alloy steel grade 5160 (manufactured by Council) and cost from $ 110 to $ 180. How do you rightmost hatchet, eh?))
10. Condor
CONDOR TOOL & KNIFE dates back to 1787, when GEBR WEYESBERG COMPANY was founded in Solingen (Germany). Today, under this brand knives for hunters and fishermen, axes, machetes, various throwing weapons are produced. Country of origin - El Salvador, hmm ..
They do not have much axes. Single blade models: SWEDISH PATTERN AX, WOODWORKER AX, MICHIGAN PATTERN AX and a splitter GS SPLITING AX GERMAN STYLE with 1060 HIGH CARBON steel blades; with two blades: CHOPPING & SPLITTING CRUISER AX, THUNDER BAY DOUBLE BIT CRUISER AX (440C STAINLESS STEEL), DOUBLE BIT MICHIGAN AX. You can buy in many foreign outdoor online stores or in the Russian Tojiro.ru
11. Marbles
American brand manufacturer of axes, knives, compasses, founded by Webster L. Marble in 1892 in Michigan. Some ax models have an interesting blade protection (and against the blade) built into the ax handle. The ax blades are made of 1045 carbon steel. You can buy Marbles axes online at Smkw.com online store: Double Bit Hatchet for $ 20, Camp Ax for $ 25, Single Bit Hatchet for $ 17, Safety Ax - Cosmetic Second for $ 20, Limited Edition # 5 Belt Ax for $ 18 and others. But again, everything is done not in the United States, but in El Salvador and China.
12. Garant
The Canadian company Garant was founded in 1895 as a small family production of forged tools. Today Garant offers 19 models of axes in three series:
- Pro Series: Ax canadian (1.0 kg), Carpenter Ax (1.0 kg), Chain saw ax (0.8 kg), Ax (1.36 and 1.6 kg), Hatchet total control (0.6, 1.0 and 1.6 kg). Convenient and beautiful.
- GARANT: Hatchet (0.6 and 0.7 kg) with hickory ax, Canadian ax (1.0 kg), Hatchet hunting (0.7 kg) and Michigan ax (1.6 kg) with Thermo Plastic Rubber handle.
- ECONO: Hatchet (0.6 kg) and Ax (1.0 and 1.6 kg) with a fiberglass handle; Ax (1.0 and 1.6 kg) with hickory handle
13. Council Tool
American manufacturer of axes and various tools - Council Tools - was founded in 1886 as a family business. Today it has developed and offers the following models of axes: Dayton Pattern (14 models), Jersey Ax (6 models), Double Bit (3 models), Hudson Bay Ax (2 models), Pick Heads (4 models), Pulaski Axes (3 models ), Velvicut Axes, Broad Hatchet, ApocalAxe, as well as the Velvicut Premium Axes line, completely made in the USA from 5160 alloy steel.
14. Best Made Company
The American company Best Made Company was founded by Peter Buchanan-Smith in 2009 in New York. Today, she offers clothing, household goods, bags, axes, and other tools. A little ponta, quality and gloss - and the goods went “to the masses”.
Models American Felling Ax (1.8 kg) and Hudson Bay Ax (0.9 kg) with various handles (18 colors) and 5160 alloy steel blades, model Straight-Hold Hatchet (0.6 kg) of alloy steel 1060. New in 2015 - Japanese Axes axes (Bakin, Jigata, Warikomi models) from Mizuno-san made from Japanese steel S45C and oak ax. Tourist camper Swedish Camp Ax are made in Sweden by the company Wetterlings.
15. John Neeman Tools
Latvian manufacturer of exquisite, but terribly expensive tools for working with wood (axes, knives), bows and leather goods. Axes (worth $ 340- $ 730) are made only on pre-order for 6-12 months. The blades are made of “laminate”, in which the cutting edge is made of high carbon alloyed tool steel L6, and the handles are made of local elm. In total in the catalog 19 models of axes and axes, incl. medieval replicas.
16. Vorsma
Our beauties. No comments. Without prices.
The ax appeared in man's arsenal from time immemorial as the first, after a stick, tool with a silicon blade. He was both an improvised tool, and a weapon in the hunt, or protection in case of danger. As human development, axes also changed. Bronze, iron, steel ... In the process of evolution, the quality and purpose of the tool changed. Today, the ax has ceased to be a weapon and is firmly entrenched in the household or tourist backpack. Chopping down a tree in a hike, chopping wood in the country - all this can not be imagined without it.
New alloys for the manufacture of blades, thoughtful ergonomic shape handles, rubber lining for easy grip. All innovations are impossible to list. And in fact it is all the same "old friend" - an ax.
We have compiled a list of the best axes, based on expert assessments of experts and feedback from real buyers. Our recommendations will help you to make a choice, the best requirements and desires. There are many competitors on the world market for home and summer cottages, but we have selected the best manufacturers and recommend paying special attention to them:
- Fiskars
- GARDENA
- Husqvarna
* Prices are valid at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.
Axes: For firewood
For firewood / Handle: fiberglass / Type: Cleaver
The main advantages
- Professional grade tool for cutting trees and making firewood
- The blade of an ax passes double training that provides the high durability and durability of the tool. Blade shape was designed not only for splitting logs, but also for efficient cutting of trees
- Anti-friction coating of the working surface reduces friction and increases the wear resistance of the chopping part, facilitating work with the tool
- The elongated handle of the ax contributes to a good swing and provides high impact power
- The blade is securely fastened to the ax handle. By means of an injection-molded handle, the handle is firmly pressed into metal for safe use.
For firewood / Handle: fiberglass / Type: Cleaver
The main advantages
- A cleaver with a unique blade shape that is easily stuck in the wood and just as easily removed back
- Perfectly ground in the factory, the ax is covered with silver coating to mask possible damage, unlike other manufacturers' black and orange colors.
- The blade passes double quenching, which provides increased reliability and durability of the tool
- Thanks to the anti-friction coating, frictional force and wear of the cutting surface are reduced, as well as no rubbish or resin sticks to the ax.
- Anti-corrosion coating prevents metal oxidation and protects the ax from rust, extending the service life
For firewood / Handle: fiberglass / Type: Cleaver
The main advantages
- Cleaver ax for splitting wooden logs of large diameter in the process of preparing firewood
- The piercing-cutting geometry has been designed to create the perfect balance of weight distribution and to maximize the effect with minimal force.
- Non-stick blade coating reduces friction and increases impact energy, which increases tool efficiency
- The ax is reinforced with fiberglass to reduce weight and increase the reliability of the handle.
- As a protection against damage, in case of a slip, the upper part of the handle is covered with a stainless steel overlay.
Show all products in the category "For firewood"
Axes: For a hike
Handle: fiberglass / Type: Universal
The main advantages
- Universal tool for professional use by joiners and carpenters, but can also be used for domestic purposes.
- Blade design allows splitting small wood or chopping small trees, which slightly expands the capabilities of the tool.
- The hardened ax blade is enhanced with a special coating that significantly reduces friction. This facilitates the splitting of wood and reduces metal wear.
- Thanks to the handle of the ax, made of shock-absorbing material, the tool conveniently and securely rests in the palm of your hand, and the bend in the form of a hook at the end will not allow it to slip out of your hands
- The ax blade will not be able to come off, since the ax handle is securely pressed into it using injection molding technology.
For firewood / For a hike / Handle: fiberglass / Type: Universal
The main advantages
- A good tool for builders, joiners or carpenters. Suitable for pruning branches and twigs or rolls of small trees
- The cutting edge geometry is specifically designed for working with wood.
- Lightweight and reliable ax is reinforced with fiberglass, and the ergonomic handle is equipped with soft plastic lining for comfortable and reliable grip
- The ax is weight-optimized and the balancing point is located close to the blade, which maximizes cutting efficiency and impact power
- The ax butt is machined with a milling cutter and can be used as a sledge hammer to drive wedges or nails.
Show all products in the category "For a hike"
Axes: Type: Tomahawk
For firewood / For a hike / Handle: metal / Type: Tomahawk
The main advantages
- Tourist ax for pruning branches or small trees in adverse conditions
- One-piece tool of high quality hardened steel, which guarantees high reliability and long service life
- The handle of the ax is rubberized, which eliminates slipping and provides a secure grip and comfortable working conditions
- Small weight - 600 grams and small size - 25 cm allow you to place and transport the tool in a backpack, which increases usability
- The hatchet is completed with a protective cover with which it can be placed on the waist belt. This increases the safety of use.
For firewood / For a hike / Handle: wood / Type: Tomahawk
Very often, hunters completely ignore the need to have a special hunting ax in their arsenal, which they later regret very bitterly! Of course, if you do not plan to spend the night, cooking, arranging parking or bivouac, you can do without it. But a professional hunter-hunter to have a quality ax is simply obliged! Without his help, it is impossible to build a hut, make a fire, carve a large carcass. What differences should the hunter's ax have, what are its features and what does the modern market offer?
Features
Unlike a butcher or carpenter tool, a hunting ax must have a fairly compact size, an ergonomic configuration and at the same time be powerful and sharp enough.
The ideal parameters of such a hunting instrument are as follows:
- weight: not more than 750 grams;
- length is not more than 30-40 cm.
Such indicators make it easy to place a hunting ax among other equipment and, if necessary, use it for cutting branches, blocking pegs, repairing ammunition and equipment, cutting carcasses and other works.
disadvantages
But with all its advantages, the ax for hunting also has a number of certain disadvantages. The main one is limited mechanical capabilities. Such a tool is problematic to chop or chop wood, here you will need a heavier weapon like a cleaver. But more powerful, which means - a heavy ax of a hunter is able to tire much faster both during a long wandering around hunting grounds and when working with it. In addition, since the hunter is forced to work with very hard and durable materials, the tool quickly becomes dull.
Materials
Often, an ax for hunting is made entirely of durable alloy steel - not only ax, but also a handle. Often the hunting ax is a cast monolithic construction. In cases with a metal handle, a rubber or plastic lining is rigidly fixed on it, which prevents the tool from slipping in the hand of its holder. However, there are models with wooden handles. Often, the blades have a complex shape and protrusions that provide more efficient removal of knots and facilitate the work of other works.
Criterias of choice
Before you choose an ax for hunting, you must take into account a number of common criteria:
- steel quality;
- tool mass;
- the size;
- pen execution
Let us dwell on each position in more detail:
Steel quality
Steel used in production should not be too soft or, conversely, excessively hard. Soft iron quickly becomes dull, and hard is prone to the formation of chips. You can check the quality of steel by striking it with another metal object. A sonorous sound indicates high quality, and a deaf one - not high enough.
Weight
Even a self-made ax, as they say, sharpened by itself, is rather heavy to carry on long hikes if its weight exceeds 1,000-1,200 grams.
Dimensions
Much depends on the anthropometric data of the hunter himself, his physical strength, tastes and preferences. But usually a length of 30-40 centimeters is quite enough to achieve all the goals that can be put in front of this type of hunting tool.
Handle material
If the handle is made of wood, then the wood must be firm and dry. Usually preference is given to birch and some other breeds. The metal handle must have an anti-slip pad.
How to handle an ax
It is clear that when working with an ax should be extremely careful and be guided by elementary safety requirements.
But we allow ourselves to give some additional advice:
- when cutting trees, it is necessary to take into account its natural inclination and throw the plant precisely in this direction;
- the first hem is always applied on the side of the slope and goes to 1/3 the thickness of the wood;
- then make a hem from the opposite side, just above the first;
- chopping blows are always applied only from above, only the angle of the strike changes.
It is important that the site of the intended fall of the tree was cleared. As well as the place where absolutely any work with the ax is performed.
Browse popular models
If you do not take into account the homemade ax, then today's market offers a wide variety of models. We list only the most popular models:
“Labor Vacha” B-1 0.6 kg
The ax handle is made of hardened steel, tap-shaped, the handle is made of birch. Weight - 850 g, length - 35 cm.
"Izh" Tourist TT
The blade is made of hardened steel, with a figured neckline, the handle is made of varnished wood. Weight - 880 g, length - 41 cm.
"Izh" AO-1.2 kg, hunting
The blade is made of hardened steel, with a ledge, the handle is made of lacquered wood. Weight - 1 kg, length - 49 cm.
"Matrix"
The blade is made of high-quality hardened steel, non-slip handle - entirely of fiberglass. Weight - 950 g, length - 37 cm.
Of course, this is not a complete list. Today on the market there are countless a wide variety of models from different manufacturers, parameters and configurations made from a wide variety of materials. In addition, many hunters with appropriate skills, prefer to make a hunting ax with their own hands, taking into account their own preferences, habits and characteristics.
Video
See in the video for instructions on how to make a taiga hunting ax from an ordinary carpentry tool.
In the modern world, axes are used for cutting thin trees or branches, for chopping logs. Thicker trunks are now sawed with a hacksaw or chainsaw, it is much easier and faster. However, the ax remains an important tourist tool.
When choosing an ax, you must first decide on the ratio of iron and steel, as well as how the blade is mounted on the ax handle. This is a versatile tool for the tourist, the hunter, to choose which you need thoughtfully. The optimal length of the ax should be equal to the length of the hand of its owner. Clamp the knob of the ax handle under the arm, and try to take the blade with the hand - if you succeed, then the length of this ax is quite appropriate.
But, nevertheless, the sharpness and shape of the ax is more important than the size. Hunting hatchets have a narrow beard, sharply sharpened - because their scope of application - cutting of soft wood for the preparation of firewood. If you take dry branches for a fire, it is better to break them with a butt, because the wood is very hard because of the dryness and your ax will dull quickly.
Also very important is the balance of the ax, which you will use. To choose an ax with an optimal balance - take it by the handle in the front, put the ax horizontally, relax your hand and see if the blade is straight, or is shifted down or up. With a well-balanced ax, the blade should be as horizontal as possible.
The ax blade should also be well sharpened. Good does not mean “like a razor” at all, axes have other tasks depending on what this tool will be used for. If you choose an ax with an inappropriate scope for sharpening - it will either be firmly stuck in the wood after each stroke, or dull after a couple of strokes. The blade of the universal ax should be convex, it adds reliability and reduces the chance of jams between the fibers of the tree, and also protects the toe and heel from wear.
The ax for soft wood has a blade angle of just under 30 degrees with a camber of about 20, for hard wood it is 35 and 27–30 degrees, respectively; The cleaver's blade has an angle of 22 degrees, and the ax for splitting firewood is 40, and the convexity of both of these axes is only 10 degrees. The shorter the blade, the better the ax for solid wood, and vice versa - long blades perfectly cut soft wood. The longest blades of axes intended for cutting branches from trunks are easier for them to fall along thin branches.
How to choose an ax
The general rule is that the more accurate you are to work with the ax, the more direct the blade should be, and roundness is added for a more universal hunting tool. Competent rounded sharpening also allows the ax to itself throw out shavings from the serif. A good ax should not be planted deep in a tree, but should be well cut down.
By weight, axes are also different. If you choose an ax for chopping small branches, slivers - a light small hatchet is better for you, it is easier for them to wave. Branches of small thickness are cut not so much by the weight of the ax as by the span. Axes weighing more than 1 kg are considered heavy, and such tools are well suited for chopping and chopping firewood when you have to put weight to the maximum.
Also consider the shape of the handle. The long handle with the head bent out / down makes it possible to inflict the strongest possible blow, and it is easier to strike a more precise blow with a short ax with the ax bent back / up.
Toporische is usually made of wood - from hickory (walnut) or ash. On the ax, the load almost never hits, but when you pull out a stuck ax, it accounts for the greatest loads. For your ax to serve for a long time, only vertical loads should be applied to the ax, that is, lowering and raising the blade. Attempts, for example, to widen a crack by applying transverse blows can break your hatchet.
Wood for an ax handle should be flexible, light and durable. The most suitable part of the trunk is closer to the bark - the heart of the tree is too soft, and lower to the roots - there the tree is even stronger. The smoother the annual rings, and the thicker the trunk, the better the ax handle from such a tree. The more remaining full and intact annual rings, the better.
It is better to fasten the head of the ax to the strongest part - therefore, if you make ax handle yourself, mark the necessary end in advance (from the side of the tree roots). Annual rings on the ax handle should go along the sides (i.e., the fibers of the tree should go from the top down, not diagonally or from right to left) - so the ax handle will be better able to withstand vertical loads and be stronger.
In addition to the above-mentioned walnut and ash, maple, alder, cherry, apple, plum, mountain ash will do. Worse, birch, oak or beech is suitable for making ax handle. The handle will not crack if the ends are dipped before drying the wood into wax. Drying wood will not shrink if a brick is tied down from the bottom, and wood is necessarily dried in a dry and shady place. Usually, homemade handles take about a year to dry well.
An ax is a tool quite dangerous, and can be harmful, often quite serious. Therefore, the blade must always be in a case in traveling conditions, in order not to injure anyone and not to scratch the uniform or weapon on the hunt. The simplest type of ax cover is a piece of hose cut through.
