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I found an old hatchet head I had when I was a kid well over 50yrs old. It has a very light head, lighter after the angle grinder & belt sander getting down to the steel. I got a hickory log out of the woodpile and for the sake of carrying what would you folks think would be the shortest handle I could get away with? Either in a pack or on a 4 wheeler rack. 3 1/4 " head, an old boy scout hatchet.
Coot I think your gonna find this is like a knife question, it would depend an what you want to do, remember the shorted the handle the less leverage you are going to get and how will a very short handle affect your balance.
I agree with beerrunner on that. How much leverage you need for the size of the task is going to be a determining factor. Probably in the 14" to 20" range. I'm cutting down an old head now and am planning on putting a 12" to 14" handle on it.
depending on what you're gonna cut, a lighter head likes a somewhat longer handle, for better leverage and increased force for chopping and splitting.
my personal recommendation would be 10-14". i certainly wouldn't go any shorter than the 10.
to make full use of a 3 1/4 head, nothing shorter than 18 inches,
24 would be better.
a longer handle gives you more and better control of the hatchet, a 24 inch handle makes it possible to use it as light ax and it ballances better.
Well there ya go the expert has imparted his wisdom, go ahead and close the thread.
you do understand that a longer handle gives you less percision right?
i just bought a wetterlings wildlife hatchet that is 12.5 inches overall. it is a great size for me and is very controlable, and very packable. i do think you would probably have a much higher level of lbs per square inch delivered to a log with a longer handle. i think i read somewhere that for every inch you add to the handle you add around 200lbs delivered. (don't quote me on this its just what i recall seeing some where - but it makes sense you would increase power with a longer handle)
by the way the wetterling hatchet is a great axe and only cost $30 with shipping. best deal ive seen in a while.
i paid about that out the door for my estwing sportsman's hatchet. 14" overall, 3 1/4" head. it's a bit heavy for my taste in a hatchet, but meh, better splitting of larger wood.
Let's hi-jack this thread and talk about the proper temperature to drink beer. I say it depends on if the beer is for "PRE" Breakfast or served with Breakfast. And remember beer is not just for breakfast anymore. Now when your practicing quick draw with live ammo, you should set your beer down, or just guzzle it. If you spill the beer when shooting, but a red cone over the spill. Remember safety first, when shooting and drinking. Spills can be slippery, so if your walking in a spill area hold the trigger firmly, and keep the gun pointed at your "NON-BEER" DRINKING HAND. This hand is sometimes called the OFF-HAND. Which means if you have to shoot one of your hands, shoot the "OFF" HAND.
Coot, I carry a hatchet with me everywhere I go. I like my handles to be about 12in. My favorite hatchet is made by "Knives of Alaska" its their "Hunters Hatchet"
I guess for carrying I best go with 12". Got good straight grain hickory so I think I will start there and choke it down until I lose leverage. The longer the better I know but I have plenty of steel so I may cut a few more ounces off with the angle grinder. Thanks for everyone's input.
I knew that about the off hand already ,but not the hold trigger firmly part, as for the proper temp I think it my vary unless you are a chugger as it would stay cooler in your neck of the woods then in mine. As for the pre breakfast part I have found if one is going to be useing handguns a couple shots of Wild Turkey seem to prime the pump. Thread hi jacked:DQuote:
Originally Posted by hopeak
So Stony, what do you drink befor and while shooting. If I have more than 8 or 10 drinks befor shooting my score drops way off. But say 3 to 5 befor kind of takes the edge off. Thing are a little blurred, but if you experience double vision try aiming between both targets. This is harder than it sounds when "QUICK-DRAWING" with a mild glow on.
Now when you get "GOOD". Then you combine Drinking, Shooting and driving air craft. The FAA is very narrow minded about flying with a mild glow'on. If you are the pilot beer is not a good choice, This is most true when piloting the great PA-18-150. If you have everclear onboard and you incurred a head wind and run low on Av-Gas you can dump a few quarts of everclear in the tank and your good to go, Save two fingers for the pilot.
You might want to put some finger knurls on the grip end of it too.. or something non-slip. You don't want that light head glancing off anything. :D I agree with Stony.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stony
ok guys, its all been fun but it seams that we are getting a bit too far off track if you please.
i like to wrap 550 cord around the handle and make a lanyard on the end witch aids in grip and controlability of the hatchet as well as giving you a good bit of extra cord available for your outdoor experience.
ROFLMAO!!!! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by hopeak
What is it with wrapping everything with 550 cord.......? It seem people wrap everything with cord. Why not just have 30' in every pocket. Or 300' in your pack....???
personally i think it adds grip, feels good in the hand, reduces what i have to pack, looks good, and no i don't wrap everything but i have a few things that i use whenever i'm hunting or camping and the best part is i don't even notice its there until i need it.
The handle of my Hatchet is wraped with hanging twine. I also carry a roll of it in my pack.
I have my truck keys, chapstick, firekit, cell phone, pocket knife and whatever else I happened to have put in my pocket.
SAM, I fear I would be the poster child of what not to do. If I start out with the intention of a hike, I might grab some stuff. But the truth is most of the time I just have a cruising Axe or just some walkabout long gun. What happens is I start off taking a break from work, and tell myself I'll just go up to the meadow to check on the bears. But I see some tracks or I decide to "just" go over there, then it is, well as long as I am here I might just as well go on over and check out the mystic magic spring. Then as long as I am here I'll just loop around and go back through that other drainage.
I am like Huck'finn wandering around for hours. And I am shamed to say that 95% of the time I don't even have a pocket knife. No matches, no candy bar, just empty pockets. Not even a jacket if it is summer.
If I start out to go on a day-hike, which is generally a loop out the back door. Well, I take a light day-pack, or put some stuff in my pockets.
If I am guiding then I have 35 pounds of stuff in a external frame Kelty pack.
The thing I most often end up wishing that I had is dry socks and a big snickers bar.
It would be nice to have a cell phone. maybe when I get old I'll get a cell phone.
12-14" handle for the hatchet, 12" minimum, the man already knows the difference between an axe and a hatchet folks.
Pre-breakfast beer? whatever the temp is from the beer left over last night, watch out for floaties if they're open.
shooting & drinking beer? No man, that's what whiskey's for
now i don't believe in shooting while drinking, but if you put one down to do the other you can get a nice rhythm going.
I think the recoil assists in downing the whiskey. The larger the recoil the more liquor you down at one time. I think we've hit upon some kind of plan here. Anyone have a spare 105mm?
just as soon as i can build a big enough bore lathe...
/me goes off into the shop. *clink* *ting* *hammer-hammer*
well i had to use the motor from this shetland pony, but i've got a bore i'm confident will put away one quart of bath-tub jin per shell... i'm negitiating with the army right now for a contract on a machine gun who's gunner can put away 200 jello shots per min.
Ooohh. Jello shots. Mmmmm.
You've got a pig that drinks bath-tub gin???????Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
While flying your plane under the influence, with a can of beer in your hand, what is the proper way to sharpen your knife?
Hand it to the copilot, if he's not mixing drinks he needs something to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by go2ndAmend
Good one Beerrunner
Now, to me that's a bit more of a puzzle, because I thought it was a trick question. Isn't the appropriate drink for flying either vodka or whiskey? Can of beer? Let's maintain some decorum people......Quote:
Originally Posted by go2ndAmend
How do you mix a "Decorum". Do you need a blender. And for the record I only fly drunk if the weather is Bad. NOTE: the weather is always BAD in Alaska.
I think it must be some kind of rum drink...deco rum?
I believe you are right Trax. It must be a mixed drink what with all the turbulence in the Alaskan air. Don't even need a blender. Or was it the fact that my copilot just stuck himself in the leg while sharpening my knife?
Is Beo on that plane?
Beo oh boy, I don't know who it is sitting next to me, but he makes a pretty stiff drink. I'm not sure if I'm flying through the clouds or if my equilibrium just come unglued.
Actually, now that I've had time to think about it, my copilot is starting to look a lot like an old hatchet head. Is that you over there?
What does it mean when all those fancy lights and switches overhead start turning red and making noise, that spinny thing with the N S E W is pointing S and out the window I'm seeing palm trees? Trax, I thought we were in Alaska. Pour me another one will ya!