Fiskars hatchet redo

Sweet!

That looks fantastic!

It looks like a hatched head on an axe handle.

Does it need and dampening material?

How does it cut, or is this just a cosmetic adjustment?

A very nice job. I can see a lot of old friends and new friends wanting a copy. Instead of paracord I would suggest you wrap it with golf club tape. Also with your skills you could cut a sharpening stone pocket in the handle.

Great work and design.

Cheers,

tad

Bolts?

You know, I have a Fiskars hatchet and a Fiskars axe, and I don't recall seeing any provision for bolts.

The handle material is molded/shaped to wrap the head, but there are no fasteners.

Am I correct in believing you did a little drilling on that head for those bolts?

every1 wants one now!

Awesome job. I hate to have 2 left hands myself now.

I LIKE it! I've read mixed reviews of the various Gerber axes and hatchets. Some love 'em and some have had 'em come apart. All agree they are expensive. This comes pretty darned close to being an indestructible handle, and it won't weigh as much as an all steel Estwing. Just saw it and I want one.

I have a Fiskars felling axe in that same pattern. Great tool.
Stays sharp. I like the handle material as well. Not the best for shaping wood, but good at doing simple work that requires good steel and a sharp edge.

That is a very sweet "techno" hawk you made for yourself there!

The only fiberglass handle I've ever had a problem with was a Sears Craftsman (Vaughan??) 3 pound engineers hammer.
I was swinging away when the head flew off the handle.
The epoxy was uncured. Don't know if it was a problem with the resin, or if someone forgot the hardener.
I swapped it out at Sears and have been using the replacement since 1997.

I have to agree, the synthetic handles are generally much stronger than wood. About the only issue I can see is perhaps eventual effect of sunlight on them. But I live in shady country, so it's probably not an issue.

In hand tools in general, I'm seeing more tools sold that have poor handles. Nothing like putting a little pressure on a new shovel and having it snap because the grain of the handle complete crossed the width of the handle in less than 18 inches. In the past, that sort of junk would have been rejected at the factory.

If memory serves, the issues I've heard about the Gerber/Fiskar axes centered around attachment of the handle to the head. Looking at how the custom aluminum handle above fits to the head and attaches, you must admit these axes and hatchets are a bit different. In general, I hear the steel is good. Since I'm reading reviews online, I can't comment on how the reviewers treated their tools.

Also, one wonders if the product line has gone through changes over the years, as one company bought another and manufacturing was changed/moved.

I think I'll reserve my own opinion until I've tried a few of them. At least one friend has one he likes. I'm not sure I understand the shortest one; I think they call it the Paxe and it doesn't have enough handle for a decent swing.

I guess price isn't really that bad if they're good tools. Also, if you shop around instead of buying at REI you can do OK.

I do like that custom aluminum handle, though. That's a tool you could hang on the side of your Jeep and not worry about sunshine or weather.

Weather

I do like that custom aluminum handle, though. That's a tool you could hang on the side of your Jeep and not worry about sunshine or weather.

Click to expand...

Well, the head is still carbon steel.

You'd have to account for that, but otherwise it would be a neat Jeep axe.

I hear you. For tools on the side of my old IH 4x4, I had a plastic handled axe that I occasionally squirted with a bit of LPS-3 to keep the head from rusting. The shovel was an old one I'd found with no handle, and simply welded on a piece of galvanized pipe. A bit heavy I suppose, but it gave me the ability to turn it around and pry when needed, and it didn't rot.