The Best Axe for Bushcraft or Camping

Testing some of the most popular choices for bushcraft and pack axes as well as a few not well know ones.
Included are Gransfors Bruk small forest axe - 900 grams
Cold steel trailhawk- 520 grams
Hults bruk/ hultafors scandinavian forest axe- 1200 grams
Rinaldi american boys axe- 1050grams
Urnieta Basque 1500 grams
Wood is dead dry birch

[@SupermanBB]

Last year I had to fell an old dead 22 inch ‘widow maker’ at a campsite with my GBA small forest axe… it was doable and I ended up dropping it nicely (with a lot of work). But it clearly was not the tool for the job and ever since that trip I’ve opted for larger axes. I’d rather carry the little bit extra weight and length. Especially in colder months in Canada. Appreciate the great content Ben, you have loads of knowledge on axes and axemanship. I’ve learned a lot about this dying skillset from watching your content. Something just so beautiful about axes and old school axemanship 👍🏼👍🏼

[@SwampValley]

Great video, you have a great collection. I really like my Hultafors chopping axe, since most of the work I do is firewood, the extra length is awesome. Subscribed 🤠

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Glad you enjoyed the video. I find the hultafors to be good but i like a wider blade and a heavier axe. I mostly do forestry work so weight isn't such an issue for me. you may enjoy my videos axe vs saw and how to be efficient with an axe if you havent checked them out already. Thanks for the sub and if you have any questions id be happy to help

[@asmith7876]

Wow, both those Rinaldi and Basque axes are great! I've never heard of either! Great review, definitely have some shopping to do. I've carried a CS Trailhawk for some years, but then I carry a saw too. I find the Trailhawk handy but only within its obvious limitations. Excellent review. Now to go shopping!

[@benscottwoodchopper]

I also used to use a trailhawk but I sold it when I got a rinaldi sicialian tomahawk. If you want one for purely chopping the american boys axe is best, it has a slightly wider blade and thin bit that bites well in dead wood. the calabria pattern has a wedge form that splits well but also chops good

[@crissignori7482]

I like your technique for splitting kindling wood ... hadn't seen that before so I learned something new. Thanks

[@stetsonizaiah4165]

I realize I'm kinda randomly asking but does anybody know of a good website to watch newly released movies online ?

[@marshallbrixton8683]

@Stetson Izaiah flixportal

[@stetsonizaiah4165]

@Marshall Brixton thanks, I signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there =) Appreciate it!!

[@marshallbrixton8683]

@Stetson Izaiah You are welcome =)

[@Marus1233]

I have the hultafors h009 (wide 2 pound head with 20' handle) and unfortunately I have to agree with everything you said. Bought it as a trekking axe, but it turned out to be a bit too heavy to carry around and when I used it to chop I really wished it had the extra 10 cm longer handle. With that being said, I found a perfect niche for it and think it is a great axe for the job - every week I use it to split kindling in my garage. Relatively heavy head splits well while short handle allows me to comfortably work without risk of hitting the cealing :)

[@KevinsDisobedience]

For me, it’s more about Handel length than head weight when it comes to a pack axe. I have the Husqvarna boy’s axe with a 28” handle. The head only weighs 1 1/4 lb, and I find I can do real work with it. Of course I’ve thinned the cheeks and the handle, but after that it cuts just fine. I would never carry anything less than about 26”-28”, why? Its not that much more than the little toy most bushcrafters are carrying, and you can do real work with it.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

totally agree, would much prefer the same head weight with a longer handle that you can get 2 hands on than a hatchet. The difference in wieght by adding 6 inches to a handle is so insignificant but the increase in work speed is night and day.

[@SupermanBB]

Ya I have that same husqvarna and it’s a good size for packing in. I stopped carrying my GBA small forest axe and started bringing the husqvarna or similar boys axe. That little extra length makes all the difference

[@KevinsDisobedience]

That’s what she said lol. Sorry I couldn’t help myself. Jokes aside, you’re right of course.

[@johnmutton799]

I carried a CS hawk in the army just for small camp work. Head carried in a leather sheath and the handle down the side of the webbing straps. Easier than a big knife, though i had one. Any axe is better than that. Batoning is not good for any knife. I have a very old pioneer axe i brought back from Belize. Which was a gift. Very much li,e your Basque axe. They prefer them so they can easily make a new handle. We left all our Elwell axes with them. The steel on this pioneer axe is very good. I honestly think 4" is the biggest i would cut if camping out. I would use a saw for that and split with the axe. Some people i see cut logs thicker than what i put on my wood burner. Mad.

[@turtlewolfpack6061]

I do like my Trailhawk but I shortened the haft to 17" for balance and make it easier to carry on a belt. I love my little 800gram Basque axe with the straight edge, and I really like the look of that Rinaldi. I do not currently own a Gransfors Bruks, for the cost of one axe you can put together an entire bush kit.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

I used to love my trailhawk but sold it and bought a rinaldi sicilian axe, so much more effective. Gransfors are soooo incredibly overrated

[@EdmundoAyarzagoitia]

@@benscottwoodchopper Should I get the sicilian axe or the calabria 350g for bushcraft? Currently the calabria cant be found anywhere so my best bet is to go with the sicilian eventho it could be considered less capable by being lighter and with a smaller bit, or would it perform very similar? The biting would certanley be deeper with the sicilian but what would you recommend?

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Yeah bought some of those Hultafors chopping axes and the head looks really small due to the thickness of the handle but they were for friends not me personally and I did like the fact they had a centreline and said they should rasp or scrape them down.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Yeah they are an excellent all rounder, very good to use once the handle is thinned. For £35 they are a steal

[@gumboot65]

I know you did this vid quite a while ago . But i think it is still current thought and reasoning ! Im hoping to get a Rinaldi this winter.

[@13bravoredleg18]

I carry a Cold Steel Trail Boss for camping. It's a long handled hatchet!

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Those are decent axes from what i hear, at 23'' id call that a boys axe

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Excellent video. You reinforce your points by using the axes not just sitting on your ass talking about your feelings on the subject like so many KZbinrs.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Cheers! I decided to make my channel because i was similarly frustrated trying to find out how axes perform and could only find talking videos. You may also enjoy my video axe vs saw where i test out 'a saw is faster and less tiring than an axe'

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Saw it already :-)

[@benscottwoodchopper]

In that case If there is any topic or kind of axe you are interested in i can do a video

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Cheers. I'm just having a good look at your other videos. I was very interested in your views on the CS tomahawk. I had seen a lot of gushing videos but I had my doubts. There are so many channels being paid for reviews and so many fanboys that don't use the gear they show it can be hard to figure out what is real.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Yeah my views are it is really a toy, its fun for throwing but is really too light for serious use. If i was hiking with a tent and stove and had no real use for an axe but still wanted a small tool i might consider one. however Rinaldi do a Sicilian pattern axe that is tomahawk sized and Italian made, much better quality. I can also be quite critical of gransfors, not that i dont like my axe, I just tend to try and play it down because so many people also repeat the hype with their axes without any comparisons to cheaper tools.

[@tobiasfreitag2182]

I own qiute a few of the CS tomahawks and also use them a lot. I probably cary the trailhawk mor often then any of the other models as it is just such a small and light package and absolutely sufficient for smaller limbs and twigs that make up 90% of dead wood that can found in the area i live in. The hamerpole is also very useful and probably the main i carry this particular model the most. If i know that i need to process more wood i carrie the pipehawk witch is a bit heavier, has a cutting-edge about twice as wide as the trailhawk and a nice hammerpole. Im not particularly fond of the norsehawk, for some reason it just does not work for me (although its very nice to look at). Probably that one is better suited for use in a shieldwall than for processing wood. I recently got a riflemanshawk witch is just as heavy as my adler canoe axe. I haven't had a chance to use it much but im curious how i wiĺl like that one. But my absolut favorite is the frontierhawk. Just as small of a package as the trailhawk but with a cutting-edge as wide as the pipehawk. You can process bigger limbs more easily than with the trailhawk but thats not why i like it that much.... it basically is a carving knife on a stick. I once build a dougout canoe and ended up doing most of the shaping with this tiny tomahawk. It was just the most precise and therfore most efficient tool for the job. I'm now thinking about getting a hudsonbayhawk.....

[@jeffreyrubish347]

The Basque axes are quite impressive from what I've seen on your channel and on Bushcraft Sisyphus's channel, and the price is reasonable.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Really the best axes in the world and cheaper than gransfors, cant be beaten

[@azaba2007]

Hi there, just dropping by to say how much i appreciate the review. I own a Rinaldi and Urnieta of identical weight (head of 700 gr) and i have 3 handles for each of them, a 20 cm handle for carving, a 30 cm for one hand swinging and 60 cm for two hand swinging and i can easily change handles depending of the task i need to do. I love them both. I cannot agree more with you, the Rinaldi bites like crazy because it is so thin, but it is also sticky for the same reason. The Urnieta just spits chips of wood like no body's business and you can even fit the head into your pocket and make a handle on the fly, or even faster, i can just take 4 or 5 thin branches, bundle them together with the thicker side on top and make functional handle in less than 5 minutes. It is not the most comfortable but for an emergency (survival) situation, it works. Good job.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Thanks, glad you liked the video. For me the ability to change and replace handles is a big advantage

[@axt_messer_survival]

die argumente mit dem griff wechseln ist unfug. ich brauch beim bushcraft KEINE axt/ beil unter 60 cm stiellänge und wenigstens 700/800g. für kleine arbeiten benutze ich ein messer, damit meine ich ein richtiges messer, nicht den babykram der von den meisten aus unwissenheit gekauft wird.

[@redcanoe14]

The Basque Axe looks like a nice tool. I have had good results with the TOPORSIB BOBR Taiga Axe...Bobr = Beaver in Russian, it certainly lives up to its name.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Iv'e looked at those toporsib axes and they are quite interesting, but a bit too expensive for my taste

[@redcanoe14]

@@benscottwoodchopper Toporsib have looked long and hard at the design of old Russian Axes and replicated them to withstand the extreme demands of those who live within the Siberian Landscape (. They are extremely well made axes (with Beech Handles) but unfortunately their main outlet (Lamnia) significantly inflate the price of their products. I tried to convince the Ygor at Toporsib to open up his marketing, but he was not keen to do so, I suspect Lamnia take a huge amount of his stock.One of my vids was/is used by Lamnia to promote this range of axes. Check out my review to see the incredible biting power of this 2.5lb axe, it has great edge retention too. I am just finishing a rebuild of a Russian Military 3.5lb axe and have not used one of these before. As a slight aside, I have experimented with the cutting ability of wedged profile axes and built a 1.5lb JB Stohler on a 26" Wetterlings haft, for its size this may be the best chopping axe I have used. I used to own the GB Small Forest Axe but sold it as it did not best suit my needs, I found the very thin profile stuck in wood too muck. I may try one of those Basque designed axes, though having about 60 axes I an not sure I can justify spending more money. Greetings to all my old friends in Scotland and I do miss my days spent up there :)

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@redcanoe14 Gotta agree on the SFA being sticky and not very useful, in fact its a major part of my most recent video. The prices on lamnia are not very attractive. I try not to spend too much on work axes because I can make just about anything cut well given enough time with a file. I think you simply must try a basque axe, they are handmade by an incredibly skilled smith and cut beech like butter, also very free in the wood and not sticky at all.

[@samzeng159]

I got both the gransfors forest axe and the hultafors and the hulta has a softer head and is much easier to work with. My file won't even touch the gransfor and there is no real good reason why a axe head needs to be that hard. If anything it just means its harder to sharpen if you chip the blade. The quality is the same in my opinion, maybe the gransfor is better looking. Its a case where the cheaper product is actually the better one. The small forest axe or any axe with a 20" handle are really a niche tool, I can see it being useful as a over sized hatchet for driving plastic wedges for felling and doing some limbing but other than that they are a meme axe. All the light axes are a compromise imo, they are light while being able to do work but they are not so good compared to a 2-3lb head.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Couldnt agree more!

[@KevinsDisobedience]

That thing is a knife on a stick. At some point I’m going to have to get one and quit making fun of it. Just afraid I’ll like it. Lol. Good comparison👍

[@bladesandbows1521]

"Bit of a toy really "..... amen brother!!!!! Best description I have heard.

[@edwinmason123]

Filmed a long time ago, but still a valuable comparison, so thanks! Did you do any work on the axe heads (re-profiling, sharpening etc.) or are the out of the box? Many thanks, Eddie.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

I reprofile or sharpen most of them

[@JBOutdoorsAndMore]

Wow love all those axes beautiful tools. Great job on the video my friend. Thanks for sharing. Also i like what you did with your channel you have my subscription would love to have your support as well. Thanks again ATB Joe 😎 👊🏻

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Cheers! I'm you enjoyed the video and if theres any questions i can cover them in a future video

[@JBOutdoorsAndMore]

Ben Scott Thanks so much . Just keep uploading awesome videos. Thanks again Ben

[@albertopastore8160]

Rinaldi is the best axe

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Gotta say i love italian axes. The food and wine is pretty good too ;)

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Yeah I feel that the Rinaldi just acts as an extension of my arm pretty much out of the box. And reckon like you that most bushcrafters would probably be satisfied with it. I know I was :). Do you find it useful in just general forestry also?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

For general forestry its a nice light axe for limbing and clearing brush, the wider blade makes it much better for this work than the Scandinavian type axes. Its better to have a heavier axe for the serious work though. The think i like about rinaldi is how thin they come out of the box, doesn't need reprofiled and if you dont have many tools the handle is easy to replace or tighten.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Yeah they are very well done. Will probably give the Calabria a go at somepoint but the American boys axe is just fine for small trees and a little bit of splitting.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

If you are willing to spend the money the basque axes are the best in the world, getting harder and harder to get though

[@TheAnonymousSword]

Hey, just wanted to hear your opinion on one thing: What would be your perspective on the straight versus curved bit debate, or have you ever used the basque straight pattern axes in similar weight to the 1.5kg? I was wondering how a rounder bit actually compares to a straighter bit when it comes to connecting cuts (see "the axe book" on round versus straight bits). My experience is that yes, straight bits tend to be more precise when it comes to connecting cuts that you aim for but I found that the basque round bit actually cuts so deep and still gets unstuck that you involuntarily connect cuts you didn't aim for directly and thus chips fly out sooner.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

i have both the basque 2.25 in straight and curved. I really don't think it makes a difference

[@TheAnonymousSword]

@@benscottwoodchopper Thanks, only had another make to compare to. These basques are really nice tools.

[@johnmutton799]

Those standard Hultafors were around £40, but because they have become popular dealers have double the price. Trying to charge the same as the premium versions. Husqvarna do the same axe, and do 20 minutes work and you have a axe that is far better than the Gransfors in grain orientation and fitting. All these makes are made by the same company. And because Gransfors bruks became popular because of all the hype they have doubled in price in the last few years. People think that because they have the forging marks on them they are better. It only means that they do less work on the axe heads. So you pay more. Watch how long it takes to make one!

[@benscottwoodchopper]

still can get them for 40 quid www.ffx.co.uk/Product/Get/Hultafors-Hulhy20085Sv-7391408402811-Chopping-Axe-850G-Length-65Cm

[@HAYAOLEONE]

I like my Fiskars..

[@axemonkey]

I'm surprised that the handle on the rinaldi hasn't come loose yet with that very short eye. Not a lot of contact with the wood to keep it securely in place.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Thats because it works the same as a tomahawk handle, over time it just gets tighter and tighter. Very popular method for axes across central and southern europe, balkans, south america, africa china etc.

[@gumboot65]

One thing I was wondering was how would that Rinaldi work for hewing ?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Its wider than any other small axe so thats in its favour

[@crissignori7482]

Hultafors Aby Forest Axe ? How do you think this one stacks up in your lineup ? Thanks

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Not tried one but at that price buy cheaper hultafors or basque, no question

[@crissignori7482]

@@benscottwoodchopper Thanks Ben ..... I'm trying to find out about availability of the Basque. Your videos are really first rate - viewers can easily follow, understand and then develop their own criteria for making the proper axe selection. Best of luck in your competitions for 2020.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@crissignori7482 if lamnia are out of stock try contacting hachas artesanas directly, should be able to help you out. Glad you enjoy my videos

[@smokeymacpot76]

hey u bumped the camera hahaha :)

[@johnfoster4414]

use a couple of wedges. Less work. greater splitting ease.

[@almusquotch9872]

Where can you get rinaldi axes in the UK?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

ebay, but brexit has stopped a lot of sellers actually sending items

[@dermotmcgreevy5220]

You can get them from lamnia

[@dermotmcgreevy5220]

@@benscottwoodchopper lamnia is a good site for hultafors, rinaldi and basque

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@dermotmcgreevy5220 aparently lamnia is not shipping to the uk right now

[@jefdby]

what do you recommend for a woman who is not that strong? would a lighter weight be better?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

My girlfriend actually uses the rinaldi american boys axe and hultafors axe without any problems. with these kind of axes evrybody has the strength to use them, the thing that makes them work well is technique and accuracy rather than brute force

[@jefdby]

@@benscottwoodchopper thanks! do you recommend new or old, and do you have a video about that? Also, are there classes on how to use them? A tree fell down in my front yard, and the neighbor chain sawed the bigger pieces, but I'm left with lots of 2-3 inch diameter limbs and want to chop them up. Is this a good use for an axe, or should i get a chain saw? I need more education on all of this! I don't have extra money lying around to pay someone to do it.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@jefdby Are you in the USA? If that is the case without a doubt the best axe for this task are the rinaldi american felling axe www.baryonyxknife.com/riaboaxe.html or the council tool boys axe. Both need a little work on the edge out of the box but work great. I have a video on axe safety kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp3afpabmatsoKs and a series of how to use an axe, episode 3 probably is most applicable. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWLOkI2fZ7OUftk An axe is the fastest way of doing this, but also has great danger for beginners. If you invest time researching how to use it and start working slowly it can be done, but there is a steep learning curve and one mistake can cause very bad injury. Chainsaw is very very expensive by the time you include protective equipment, and is also very dangerous so that is a hard no. Cheapest and safest way is a handsaw, there are great, fast cutting pruning saws that can be bought very cheaply, from husqvarna for instance. they should do the job quickly enough and has almost no risk of injury. Ultimately it is up to you and what you feel like taking on but I am more than happy to help and answer questions.

[@jefdby]

@@benscottwoodchopper thank you so much! I'll look into those things and be back when I have more questions! I really appreciate it!! Trying to work towards more self sufficiency/homestead skills.

[@jefdby]

@@benscottwoodchopper PS the rinaldi site has a potential security risk..... So I guess I'll look it up elsewhere.......?

[@ryandavis6660]

Don't seem to be any RINALDI about. Shame.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

In uk? Yeah suppy dried up after brexit

[@ryandavis6660]

@@benscottwoodchopper yes UK! I may have to go on a axe pilgrimage, Italy then spain..

[@aaahbeeeh3374]

though i have respect for the skill u use that axes, i think the title is misleading. so what is done in bushcrafting and camping usually? creating firewood out of more or less forearmsized wood for some less hours, delimbing some branches, hammering something in, chopping away knots, chopping through some sticks, batoning wood, giving some sticks a point. its 2020, its not necessary to chop down blocks of wood with an axe, simply use a good saw. saws are usually faster, much more silent, way more safe, saving way more wood while processing. they last for years with less maintenance. when we see that theres no need to chop down big trees, we dont need big axes. even a tiny hatchet like a wonderful fiskars x5 can do the tasks and a gb-sfa is almost "huge" for that. not to forget: u can always use wedges to split big wood. works like a charm. this technique is also used by people in the jungle who only use a parang, they split very big wood with this. so i think there is no reason for big axes, unless: u dont wanna use a saw at all, u wanna split a lot of big woodblocks, u wanna chop down big trees with an axe. for that tasks there should be taken bigger axes anyways.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

I would suggest reading mors kochanski's bushcraft, he was a fan of larger axes for many good reasons. But i agree for the most part and i addressed the issue in a more recent video

[@aaahbeeeh3374]

@@benscottwoodchopper hey mate. please link to the vid, i will take a look. if its not explained there, please explain shortly, what the benefits of larger axes are compared to smaller in a "usual" sense of bushcraft, thx.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@aaahbeeeh3374 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH3ZoJVqiJtgZ9U

[@aaahbeeeh3374]

@@benscottwoodchopper i watched the vid again. dont feel offended, i just wanna communicate and see opinions. i made some notes to the vid and all that id like to ask: could u please summarize the opinion to mors belonging the benefits of a long axe compared to a short hatchet for usual bushcrafter/camper that has a good saw? did mors had ever access to fast working saws like silky? - u dont mention the use of a saw and knife in that linked vid. - what would u say to the use of the fiskars x5 as a usual bushcraft/camping hatchet and fiskars axes in all? did u at all ever use fiskars? i liked the tip to the rinaldi and its exchangeable head. i think ur likings of axes doesnt seem objective enough, as u dont mention saws or the mix of saws. if an axe would be the only tool to take, ur mentioned axes are of course good.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@aaahbeeeh3374 Essentially hatchets are only good for very small tasks, and can be a lot more dangerous than an axe where you can use 2 hands. Mors only died recently so he had access to silky saws. Saw and knife is okay but I am very against battoning as a concept, with wooden wedges it can work. Fiskars are okay but not great. I actually have made several videos on comparing saws and axes and how useful they are. Axe vs saw, processing a tree speed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2e1fKSvqMedrsk Comparing different 'survival tools' for various cutting and chopping tasks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKSqi2eAd5uJgNU