Friskars Hatchet
- Thread starter Somesawguy
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
I picked one up with the X27, but I haven't had to use it yet. It'll probably get paracorded to the axe case so they stay together.
young saws
ArboristSite Lurker
Early this spring i was working in the woods with a friend cuttin trees for a cabin, i swung (with my fiskars x15)and went through two pair of pants my artic pro muck boots and into my leg bone. i looked down and saw my boot was cut then looked inside and could see my bone and poke it very easly. when i got to the hop sittle (hospital) they thought it was cut with a scalpel that axe is the sharpest thing ive ever used and goes through anything! my opinion would be estwing and fiskars are the best axes/hatchets around. but for climbing or branches fiskars will be very helpful.
zogger
Tree Freak
OUCH! Well, hope you recovered OK...Fiskars stuff is no joke sharp.
Ya freeking sharp. When I first got my SS, I just barely and I mean barely touched my lower arm/upper wrist area with the head as I was pulling it out of an unsplit piece, going for another whack. Cut it instantly, bled for awhile.
I have always advised people using these fiskars axes to NOT split directly on the ground, and to ALWAYS split inside a tire, whenever possible.
I understand with a hatchet and just general tree trimming you can't do that, just sayin' with the splitting axes.
That fiskars sharpness is also how I was able to do the "split the match" trick.
Well that, and I am an "aim small, hit small" kinda dude....works with a variety of tools I am at least adequate with.....
Still waiting for someone else to even try that.....
also just sayin'
Denis Gionet
ArboristSite Operative
I wonder if you were to make 2 slices into the backside of the case, the height of a belt about 1/4-3/8 inch wide, so as someone could run the belt through the sheath. I'm not sure that there's room back behind the head to get the axe back in and latch it. You could rivet a couple of little upright flatbars to the sheath or machine screws, to McGyver your own belt-carry system. Might pick up an X7 hatchet or the small chopping axe and do that for belt carry duty. No point for the X25, way to long for carrying on a belt.
zogger
Tree Freak
That could work.
The easiest if you really want to carry it is go to the pawn shop or dig in your stuff, find an old hammer holster/carrier, the rigid metal ring kind, and just use that. They are designed to go on a work belt, or are built into a work belt. Or look for another brand hatchet replacement belt sheath.
I have no idea at all why fiskars doesn't offer something like that for their hatchets. I like all their stuff I have so far except the sharpener, but the cases are a little ..meh. At least the new style cases are positive swivel lock and they will most likely last a long time, my carry case for the SS has the folding plastic hinge and it is near worn out and ready to break. We'll see if they do a full replacement when it breaks off, seeing as how they don't make this style of head anymore. And I *will* be mailing it back to them, too.
Probably...when they fail to replace it because they don't have anything that will fit, I will just make something at that point but I want to see how they cover a lifetime warranty issue.
Denis Gionet
ArboristSite Operative
The work belt thing could work well enough. And even easier, there's an eyelet at the top of the holster, to hang the axe on a nail... you could snag it onto your belt loop on your pants with a carabiner clip ... done and easy.
waldershrek
ArboristSite Operative
Those Estwings look nice but I'm worried about the handle being too short. Looks like the longest one is 26" which doesn't seem long enough for me. I'm 6'.
ShaneLogs
Addicted to ArboristSite
The 26" handle will be ok for you, I have a buddy and he is over 6 feet and he uses a 26" handle and he says it is really comfortable for him also.
I have the X27 and I'm just under 6'. The length seems fine for me. However, the shorter X25 is way too short for me.
waldershrek
ArboristSite Operative
I have the x7, x25, and the x27.
Once I got the x27, I don't seem to ever need the x25. I consider it too short and quite dangerous. It's easy to miss the target and swing into your feet. Furthermore, that longer handle on the x27 simply allows you to put more power into the stroke. Bigger logs fall apart easier with a bigger swing.
The little hatchet is great for really light cutting, but I wish it was a bit heavier. It does a poor job of easy splitting because it is so light. It would probably be excellent for cutting small branches, but I got it for turning bigger split logs into kindling for fire starting. It is a little bit light for that purpose.
Once I got the x27, I don't seem to ever need the x25. I consider it too short and quite dangerous. It's easy to miss the target and swing into your feet. Furthermore, that longer handle on the x27 simply allows you to put more power into the stroke. Bigger logs fall apart easier with a bigger swing.
The little hatchet is great for really light cutting, but I wish it was a bit heavier. It does a poor job of easy splitting because it is so light. It would probably be excellent for cutting small branches, but I got it for turning bigger split logs into kindling for fire starting. It is a little bit light for that purpose.
ShaneLogs
Addicted to ArboristSite
zogger
Tree Freak
Thanks for the info
The hatchet is real good for starting to limb out a tree. I grab and bend the branch ends at the point I want to start keeping the wood, then slice the branch off at the bend. Twig branches down the trunk get sliced off as well. Once the tree is "clean" then, I grab a small saw and work my way to the larger saw cutting down to the butt end. You wind up with a lot of wood and negligible leftover brush. A lot of my trees are felled at the edges of pasture, so I cut and keep pretty small there so what is leftover is easily mowed over with no problems.
I was thinking about it and..I don't recall actually splitting any rounds with the hatchet, although I probably did. Just don't recall now (funny how that "recall" business sort of gets vague as you get older
) I get so much small stuff I really never have to purposely make kindling. We keeps some intact branches kicking around the yard and sometimes I go and bust off with my hands a bucketful of twigs, but that's about it for kindling, splitter trash and junkmail and scrap cardboard work for that. Oh ya, also have a pile of old cedar shingles if I REALLY want some quality kindling.....I have the fiskars machete but it isn't all that good on trees, more suitable for lighter softer stuff. I tried it, but the hatchet is loads better.
Zogger, I'm sure I would always have tons of good kindling if I was felling trees by the pasture. Sadly, when I cut up a tree, anything small enough to drag to the chipper gets put in it.
I wish I could figure out a good way to dry, burn, & sell wood chips from my chipper. That would turn the tree trimming business into a whole new venture.
I wish I could figure out a good way to dry, burn, & sell wood chips from my chipper. That would turn the tree trimming business into a whole new venture.
owbguy
ArboristSite Operative
I have found the opposite to be true. I use my x7 for splitting kindling and it works very well. It smokes the Eastwing in that category. I should mention that a lot of the stuff I split for kindling is old sawed to length 2"x10" stock. That stuff pops apart with the x7 but the Eastwing tends to get stuck in it. I like the weight of the x7. It needs to be light to give it good balance. Plus, if you are using it a lot you want it light. Obviously, light weight doesn't work if it won't split, but the x7 splits very well, at least it has for me. I use mine for debarking, delimbling and splitting kindling, and it has been a great tool in the arsenal.
Blackdog87
ArboristSite Lurker
I'v got the X25 and it works fine for me. I'm about 5'10 ish. I havn't tried an X27 but I feel anything bigger than the X25 might be to much for me...
zogger
Tree Freak
--You need the space, but if you heap those chips up and can stir them once in awhile, they turn into really good compost. There's a market for that stuff.
ShaneLogs
Addicted to ArboristSite
The hatchet is real good for starting to limb out a tree. I grab and bend the branch ends at the point I want to start keeping the wood, then slice the branch off at the bend. Twig branches down the trunk get sliced off as well. Once the tree is "clean" then, I grab a small saw and work my way to the larger saw cutting down to the butt end. You wind up with a lot of wood and negligible leftover brush. A lot of my trees are felled at the edges of pasture, so I cut and keep pretty small there so what is leftover is easily mowed over with no problems.
I was thinking about it and..I don't recall actually splitting any rounds with the hatchet, although I probably did. Just don't recall now (funny how that "recall" business sort of gets vague as you get older
I have the fiskars machete but it isn't all that good on trees, more suitable for lighter softer stuff. I tried it, but the hatchet is loads better.
I usually keep my X7, X25 or my X27 right beside my splitter so when I put a piece of wood on and I spot some burs on it chop them off with the ax. It is a handy little axe
