I used to be a wildland firefighter a number of years ago trust me no matter what the grain orientation is on a handle they still fail they still break that's why the Forest Service is not concerned with grain orientation
+James McIntyre On a weaker hickory cross grain handles break first, esp if grain is badly cut through. But, on really good hickory, it doesn't matter as much.
Forest service also buys in bulk, if anyone I've ever talked to had a choice they would choose straight grain, but ordering bulk online unfortunately negates that option, Im also a wild land firefighter. but yeah for a beat up axe, or pulaski... who cares about the grain. haha
faultroy , you stated the absolute truth! All of this "millennial" generation, "bushcrap", "preparedness", "survivalist", "prepper", bug outers, etc., over axes, knives, paracord, kydex sheaths, fire steels, batoning, neck knives, etc., is a sea of nonsense that's gaining popularity only because of RU-vid. RU-vid has only been in existence for about 13 years, & prior to that, you never heard such nonsense. It definitely is absolutely ridiculous. All those folks going out & doing their "bushcrap", "survivaling", "prepping", "bug outing", etc. is just the term they use to describe their actual weekend camping trip. If the truth be known, most of 'em probably never go more than 50 miles from home & probably no further out in the wilderness than a mile or two from the paved road. I've actually saw some videos where they're supposed to be "out in the wilderness, doing their "bushcrap", "survivaling", etc.", & in the background, you can hear vehicles going down the highway, police sirens, trains & other assorted "city" noises. What's probably more true is that they go to the closet, grab their backpack, suit up in their camo, get their camera, grab their "latest" axe, knife, hatchet, etc., they're gonna review, walk out the back door & across the yard, step a few feet into the woods & start their video. Ultimately, its about their making money off their channel & in order to do that, they have to go with the what's popular in the video genre they're in, & sadly, what's popular is alot of "nonsense".
I bought my Marbles cap axe the same week Wranglerstar did his review. I use it frequently and it certainly is not a wall hanger. It actually gets used. I did reprofile the cheeks a bit and sharpen it to a keen edge but that is all I have done outside of coating the handle with lind seed oil.. I have no independent knowledge of the hardness of the steel but I have not found it lacking in any way. the correct grain orientation is what I expected in the handle. This thing is a definite winner even with the price increases. I was leery at first to buy anything solely because I saw reviewed on You Tube, but I figured it was cheep enough and Wranglerstar seemed to be sincere and have his son's best interests at heart so I took the risk. If there has ever been a risk I have taken that paid off in spades, it was buying the Marbles camp Axe. Excellent vodeo, you review well and cover the important points and let us establish our own importance of each. You also make it known what is your opinion and what is fact and I like that even if I disagree on a point. Good job.
A few of my friends are retired timberfallers, turned into woodcarvers and slab dealers.. several of them do this. In a 5 gallon bucket with a hole in the lid (for handles) so pets and squirrels do not get into it. "pet friendly" anti freeze is more like slightly less potent. Those old timers have a lot of knowledge and tricks to share.
The singling hatchet is best used as an in camp tool, as you said, for making kindling and finer tinder, taking small limbs off trees by the tent, etc. and xif your sitting or kneeling and splitting kindling the shorter handle is safer as you can easily snag the end on yourself while splitting. Longer gives you more leverage, yes, but be careful. Not really a chopper, anyway.
My Marbles came straight - not warped, decent edge and an excellent handle. I plan to reshape it into a left hand, asymmetrical carving axe. Not bad at all for $28
Over time grain orientation does matter. The Caouncil handle will fail on you before the Marble handle. There is a reason why old timers tell us to have proper grain orientation. We are talking about years and years of knowledge, but you just want to throw it aside like nothing. There are even quite a few axes going back 60 or more years which we can look on to see what happens when you use incorrect orientation. If a handle with incorrect orientation doesn't break on you under stress, it will eventually split. That Marble axe is definitely the best quality in the bunch. I am quite impressed with it.
And thanks for clearing up the grain thing. In a felling ax you need to worry about the three points of grain (orientation, runoff and coarseness). Good vids.
Bro that Vaughn is a roofing hatchet !!! Hardest thing it's going to have to chop is the excess shingles. Asphalt shingles ain't exactly hard to cut. Leave it at home in the work truck where it belongs. As to the steel, carbon steel is carbon steel. Hardening and heat treating strengthens all of them so 1040 is still perfectly suitable for an axe with its differential heat treating. Hardened edge softer body to absorb the shock of the blow.
I won't wade into the grain debate but I will state the case for thinner, more flexible handles. Many hatchets and axes come with beefy handles (seeing the Marbles was a surprise). If I buy it or hang it, I always tune the handle to fit my hand. Almost every restoration I've done, included removing a pared down handle, and that tells me that back in the day, most handles were modified to suit. The flexibility of a thinner handle, helps to spread and deaden the shock of impact, and that's good for the axe...and for hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
Everyone of them has doubled in price since you made this video!!! Guess that's what happens when the 'outdoors' crowd get on the internet and start buying like fiends. Good review.
Say Heah, I really got lucky, I was at D H and just happened to go by the axe and saws and I found a Kobalt that I don't see there any more..Anyhow I picked the brst out of the little, It's a 14" with a fiberglass handle and with a little time sgarpening, I got a decent edge and the edge hold's a decent retention too. I paid around that price too.
Say Heah, I don't have alot of axes, But the ones I have I like alot. Ever since I seen Dick Pronoeke show in one of his videos that he used a Estwing Carpenters Hatchet, I wanted one. But since I already have the three sizes of Estwings and the Double Bit Hatchet, I passed on getting a Carpenters hatchet since I only use my hatchets and axe in the bush. Anyhow I did figure something out with something I already have. I bought a ZT Zomstro made by Ka-Bar, thinking I could use it in the bush for chopping, splitting etc. Well it is a very good chopper, But too wide to baton, Too much wood drag. But it has a very straight edge, When I realized Japanese Hatchets have straight edges, the lightbulb went on. It does look like a Japanese Hatchet but close although a little different because its not excactly a Coping end, But, Heah close enough, So I started using it as a Japanese Hatchet and I would like to say, It works great. So now instead of it being in my disappointed gear box, I use mine similar to a Japanese Hatchet, yeah I find that straight edge to work pretty good forming wood, and being as long of an edge, I use it to my advantage, Oh yeah, its still a very good chopped, But I now use it to form wood tools in camp or if I plan needing it, I can team it with other tools to be more task specific, But in milder weather, I can team it with many knives I have. So yeah, I use it a little during my mild weather trips, I never would of guessed it would come in as handy, I sort of was writting it off as a Oh, Well sort of thing. But I find a straight edge forms and styles wood better than a curved edge, simply because its longer on that straight edge, Yeah, I could understand why hatchets with a straight edge are called Carpenter hatchets, I thought it was only because you could pull nails out with it. heh heh heh.,,.
It's a rigger's half hatchet, not for roofing. I have one on an 20 inch ash handle, that I carved, and it's worked great for a few years now. It hardly ever needs sharpening and it gets some reasonable frequent use. Oh, and I made sure the grain was straight and oriented the right way, no matter what the government says. I've never even heard of whoever the hell he mentioned, or watched their video. I got that from old hivernants who had more woods wisdom than any of you will ever have.
Your better off with a *Fiskar X-Series axe* with polymer indestructible handle. Plus if you break it (very hard to do) you get a free replacement axe. Life time guarantee.
@faultroy Its been a while. Happy New Year! I moved from Alaska and sold everything up there to leave with just two suitcases and a rifle. Anyway, just wanted to say stay happy & safe. *TIP* - The easy way to split wood is to get one of these (axe should come with her). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7fWo0P0MdJM.html
I was on a you tube page/vid the other day where someone showed that same axe! I looked it up & it was $28ish. Is that the 15 or 18" (the model #703? or is it the longer # 704?) I want one bad!
I've never seen the council tools HB hatchet for $20, but the Vaughan & Bushnell half hatchet sure is $20 everywhere. Their standard camp hatchet is also $20. Now personally I find that particular MARBLES extremely ugly, but their Double bit Saddle axe is great. Imicasa makes a great tool.
I just got the marlbes, I regret it, blade is not straight, eye is not centered in head, palm swell is too large. It does have very good grain orientation and it did come sharp, but not worth it. I don't think you are going to find a quality axe for $20. I would say $35-40 would be the bare minimum to get a decent axe. I dont know how you found that council tool for that price, but they are going for about $45 right now, and well worth it in my opinion
