Double-headed hachet sharpening

[Edwin]

I fished out a double hachet I bought from The old Battle Orders years ago and am wondering what to do with it. Overall 23 cm wide. Each blade is about 7cm broad at widest. Oval handle about 39cm long. Handle tapers so the head is very secure.

I could sharpen each blade differently for different uses, in which case what please?
Or I could cut off one blade and have a nice light hachet. Opinions please.

[CanadianMike]

What I've read is to sharpen one head broader with a steeper angle and not make very sharp, use this for general use such as splitting. Sharper the other face with a steeper grind and finer edge, use that for initial tree chopping strokes and finer work such as carving or slicing off slivers to make tinder.

[Edwin]

here is a scan of the hachet head.2078

[JEEP]

Honestly; hang it on your wall as decoration. You are literally doubleling the risk of hurting yourself with a double headed axe; every time you raise the axe for a blow, you put yourself at risk of hitting yourself with the other edge.

You may be an experinced axe user. But, one day you will be a little too tired while chopping kindling for the morning campfire - or something disturbs you while you are splitting logs. Whack! And you end up with a split eyebrow!

Safety aside; a double headed axe is heavier than it's single headed counterpart. Why carry the extra weight? The larger head also takes up more space in your pack.
A double headed axe also lacks the ability to be used as a hammer, for hammering in tent pegs etc.

Looking at the scan, I must say that the shape of your axe is not really that ideal for splitting logs and wood working. The thin blades and lack of a proper wedge, suggests that this axe is actually more a weapon than a tool.

[CanadianMike]

Good points Jakob, is a nice axe, I'd keep it as it is, or at least learn to throw it. A GB small forest axe or such would be a lighter and more useful tool than that for camping.

[JEEP]

It should be quite a good thrower I belive.

Axe throwing is good fun :)

[CanadianMike]

I haven't tried yet, only own one axe, my GB SFA..........you understand. :)

[JEEP]

Indeed. That would be a shame to do.

[bigzee]

Honestly; hang it on your wall as decoration. You are literally doubleling the risk of hurting yourself with a double headed axe; every time you raise the axe for a blow, you put yourself at risk of hitting yourself with the other edge.

You may be an experinced axe user. But, one day you will be a little too tired while chopping kindling for the morning campfire - or something disturbs you while you are splitting logs. Whack! And you end up with a split eyebrow!

Safety aside; a double headed axe is heavier than it's single headed counterpart. Why carry the extra weight? The larger head also takes up more space in your pack.
A double headed axe also lacks the ability to be used as a hammer, for hammering in tent pegs etc.

Looking at the scan, I must say that the shape of your axe is not really that ideal for splitting logs and wood working. The thin blades and lack of a proper wedge, suggests that this axe is actually more a weapon than a tool.
From a Dane - this must be expert advice on hatchets!!!

[Edwin]

Classic hatchets/tomahawks do have thin blades as far as I can tell. They do not seem to be suggested as wood chopping tools per se but are good at stripping branches to make browse beds and shaving fire sticks etc. of course with a thin blade there is less weight to carry. My interest was stimulated by the other posts on such tools on the Coracle Bushcrafting blog.
http://www.coracle-craftsman.com/index.php?page=coracle-bushcraft

The main interest there is in throwing but he also finds it useful for the sort of uses i have indicated.

As the head of this kind of single or double headed hatchet is kept in place by the taper of the handle they are inherently safer in this respect than the sort where the head is kept in place by tightness of fit and maybe a wedge but can always fly off especially if it receives frequent use as a hammer.


I may consign mine to a wall display, cut one blade off or use it for throwing practice but the bounce back must be more dangerous off course, perhaps even use it in the woods anyway. Or, put it back in the shed and wonder about refurbing the fireman's hatchet I have also got. There are several hatchets on the market with some sort of projection opposite the main blade, I suppose these all endanger eyebrows?.