One of my first adult axe purchases, after years having lived in the city, and before
that years of tearing the shit out of my stepdads tools- was this e24a Estwing sportmans axe.
But really isn't it a hatchet?
If you define a hatchet as a one handed tool, and an axe as a phrasing of a question.
I bought it in preparations of roughing it for a solo camping trip at a place where they
had running water and a toilet.
That’s how we rough it today.
Have you ever smelled those bathrooms?
My choice at the time was some Walmart stuff, for cheaper- and after a month or two of deliberation
I splurged at Cabelas and bought this handy tool.
Little did I know it at the time- $40 is cheap for an American made hatchet.
And while we ponder the economics of expensive simple hand tools made in America let’s
look at the dimensions.
Like the weight and length from the bottom of the handle to top.
I know this axe says 14", but it ain't.
I swear it's 14 inches.
Also With sheath- maybe they measured diagonally.
Ok sack of the head to front of it and the cutting edge.
Maybe they lied.
Handle area.
Is truth relative?
Ok thats it.
I mean I'm sorry truth is relative
The Estwing Sportsman Axe or again it's really a hatchet.
But Estwing says it's an axe! comes in 2 sizes I think I don't even know any more- the E14
and the E24a, the e14 is smaller- I mean maybe.
Estwing also makes camp axes and now tomahawks, some that look tactical- because that’s
what the average idiot buys these days.
IF IT CANT BREACH IT AINT WORTH A SHIT.
The axe is forged from one piece of 1055 carbon steel.
I have sharpened mine many times with a lansky puck, starting with the rough side if the
edge is dull OR LIKE TALKING ABOUT SHARPENING... and dinged and finishing with the smooth side.
Circular motions work best.
Sometimes for fun- maybe fun is the wrong word, I use my Spyderco sharp maker rods to
give the edge a bit more of a polish- I know I’m naughty.
But if you have the $7 for the puck that should be just fine.
For me this axe is good at clearing small limbs off larger ones and cutting branches
and small saplings or trees a few inches in diameter or smaller.
Hatchets by design are for lighter work- if you're building a shelter- saws and axes are
a better fit- or you know a goddman tent.
It also comes in handy when camping because the back of the head doubles as a hammer for
tent stakes.
Rubber mallets work best, but if you’re careful and keep the sheath on a hand axe
will work in a pinch- as long as you don’t tell your step dad.
The handle.
Everyone on amazon warns the handle is slick and you need to mod it to get workable.
They say sand down with 100 grit and rub neatsfoot oil into it for a few days.
Neat.
I dunno, look it up.
The handle is slick, but it has a nice taper, so that if you have a tight grip on it, it
tends to stay in your hand as you swing… the thick bottom the the handle resists sliding
through your hand on each swing.
The leather part is just shy of accommodating both of my hands comfortably.
However with a hand axe sometimes you need 2 hands, but a lot of the time you have 1
hand there, and another hand shakily stabilizing the target- for safety.
I don’t own a lot of hand axes ok any other ones, but the Estwing feels well balanced,
with weight in the handle and weight in the head.
I purchased it mostly because I didn't want to have to replace the handle ever.
Comparisons.
I’ll keep this short.
I only have this single hand axe, and interchangeably use Kukris, instead of my Estwing.
The estwing is good for branches and limbs 3-4 inches in diameter or smaller.
You have to be precise with your hits of course because the edge is about 3 inches.
Let’s look at my Made in USA $280 zombie tools kukri.
This has a much longer edge and is like combining a machete with a hand axe, it has a longer
edge, and improves your reach.
The Estwing should be better at logs, but this is better with brush and limbing, and
I can cut through stuff as quickly.
How about my Bud K Kukri… made in in India this is a bit cheaper than the Estwing, and
as you can see it’s been beat to shit.
The handle isn’t as comfortable, but it’s still good at chopping…
On both Kukris the blades are stout, weighty and not flexible.
The Zombie tools is what I use most for brush clearing and slow motion videos.
Ok let’s chop.
My sportmans axe comes in handy more often in the yard than the woods.
I don’t get to the woods much these days- used to though.
Used to.
Campsites often provide you wood so you don’t need them there much.
And National Parks where I backpack- often discourage fires by making them illegal.
The top way to discourage people from doing things except maybe for smoking weed.
I don’t use my Estwing as much anymore, because I use my kukris to break apart all
the branches in the yard.
You're like yeah I remember you saying that 2 minutes ago We’d like to let you know
a little bit about you for our files.
Dun dun dun dun dun.
However a campers sized axe… is often more socially acceptable than a Kukri, that’s
a life hack neckbeards.
Wait is an axe literally a life hack?
Discuss.
Anyway, if you’re in need of a camp axe it’s hard to find a better more durable
example at a reasonable price than the Sportsman axe from estwing…
There is also a rubberized handle camp axe if you need more grip…
Or do the Amazon mod…
I don’t have time, but maybe you do.
The rubberized handled one seems to be a little more shock resistant too in the hands.
My brother also owns this axe and his handle is in much rougher shape.
I think he leaves his stuff out sometimes.
Although I have beat on this a lot, I always put it away dry, don’t leave it outside
overnight to rust.
Occasionally I’ll take a wire brush to the head with my drill if it gets too discolored.
It's ok at splitting wood, however sometimes batoning with a larger fixed blade knife works
better, because small wood can be tedious to balance and you have to be precise and
forceful with your hits and then still you might not split it on the first try- because
you're not a real man anyway.
Limbing larger trees with hand axes is the most fun...
its better suited with machetes or larger axes with larger blades and handles, so you
don't have to bend over like a dummy like me.
Anyway if you like this review- subscribe to the channel- give the video a big thumbs
thumbs up, leave a comment, and go chop something down as long as it’s legal to do so.
And if you'd like to support my channel buy it through the links in the description.
Thanks for watching.