Axe or Machete? Why?

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Originally Posted by Justin Case

I have one of these ,, and believe me its very heavy duty, Its a ww2 folding jungle survival machete that was issued to pilots, this will do any chopping a medium Axe will do i think,

http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos/...03509/ph-0.jpg

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Yep, this tool looks like a great combo... can be used as a machette in thick growth and can be used as an axe in the woodlands, since it looks thicker than a normal machette. In a pinch it can be used as a knife as well. I have something similar, but it is not as streamlined as the tool above... I think it is called a Bolo Machette.

yes, its stout, you could not flex the blade,,

Here is another Pic, you can see how it folds,

http://picturearchive.auctionarms.co...e%20%20USA.jpg

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Originally Posted by Pict

To make it simple, anyplace that has a year round growing season you need a machete. Anyplace that has an actual winter, you need an axe. Mac

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Good answer, Mac.

I could have sure used a machete today. The trail I'm used to taking around a swamp to get up to an oak ridge had a bunch of new deadfalls, mostly old elms. The entire area had grown up in brambles and such and what used to take me 15 minutes ended up taking well over an hour. The trail is non-existent, in early May it was wide open except for one fallen tree. I'm surprised to see how quickly an area can grow up when you let in some light, heat, and moisture.

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Originally Posted by sgtdraino

If you could only bring one or the other, which would it be?

Why?

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where? to do what? for how long?
am i hiking up hill or in hilly terrain? am i lost or just out for the day, or a week...
where am i? i go all over and it often depends. for short trips or when im hiking up hill i like machete if im in the right terrain, also i prefer it if im bringing something just as a precaution in-case i get lost. but if im in the northern forest for a long time or if i plan on making a big sturdy shelter to revisit i would prefer an axe, also if its a place that rains a lot like the north west coast an axe is good to get to the dry inner part of wood.

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Originally Posted by owl_girl

where? to do what? for how long?

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I suppose I am talking about the worst-case scenario for all of these:

Where? You don't know. You had to leave in an emergency, and you're not sure where you will go, or where you will end up. Let's say the situation is still developing, and it is not yet clear where safe areas will be, or how far away they are.

To do what? To survive in the wilderness, of course! (refer to url) ;)

For how long? You don't know. It could be a week or two, it could be indefinitely.

For this scenario, let us assume that you are alone, and on foot. Everything that you will need, you must carry with you.

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Originally Posted by owl_girl

am i hiking up hill or in hilly terrain?

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You will begin on the terrain most common to your current location, but you anticipate that this terrain could change as you travel.

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Originally Posted by owl_girl

am i lost or just out for the day, or a week...

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You are out for an extended period, and you don't know how long that period will be.

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Originally Posted by owl_girl

where am i?

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You will begin in whatever your current location is.

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Originally Posted by owl_girl

if im in the northern forest for a long time or if i plan on making a big sturdy shelter to revisit i would prefer an axe,

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Let us assume that you may eventually plan on making a sturdy shelter, but you have no idea where, or when. Again, developing disaster in which it is not clear where or how far away safe areas will be.

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Originally Posted by owl_girl

also if its a place that rains a lot like the north west coast an axe is good to get to the dry inner part of wood.

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Good point!

in this area both would be needed. it is wet since its a swamp so an axe would be good, it would also be good cause there is no way id be staying here in this environment if anything happened. id be going north. but a machete would be needed if i had to go through the woods here. there is a lot of thick dark swamp here, i got lost in it once. we had a machete and it was very much needed. there is no way id be out in the woods here without one. if i had to chose only one for some reason it would be machete cause of my location but i would really want an axe too.

Axe FTW! I would actually prefer to carry an Axe over any knife (if I had to choose between them).

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Originally Posted by BushedOut

Axe FTW! I would actually prefer to carry an Axe over any knife (if I had to choose between them).

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Bold words.

Why?

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Originally Posted by BushedOut

Axe FTW! I would actually prefer to carry an Axe over any knife (if I had to choose between them).

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I agree 100%

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Originally Posted by Sourdough

I agree 100%

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Yup,me too.

Axe for me all the way. The closest thing to "jungle" I have here is the open praries. No need for a machete.

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Originally Posted by Sourdough

I agree 100%

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Originally Posted by cyc79

Yup,me too.

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Okay, an Axe even over a knife of any kind.

But WHY?

Given the wide range of uses an axe has, as well as a machete, I am willing to give a machete a try.

I have had a older surplus machete blade and plastic sheath, for quite a while, and have used it for cutting brush, making 4 wheeler trails, seems to be too long and unwieldy.
Says Ontario Knife Co, U.S. Sheath says "STEMACO US 1988".

I also ordered a Cold Steel Kukri Machete, shorter, so maybe it will work out for me?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...20CS97KMS1.jpg

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Originally Posted by sgtdraino

Okay, an Axe even over a knife of any kind.

But WHY?

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With an axe,you can still cut, carve, skin animals etc, although somewhat awkwardly compared to a knife.
The poll can be used to hammer,break bones for marrow,& pound whatever you need to(yeah,I know heavy pounding shouldn't be done so as not to distort the eye on a wood handled axe).
You can easily butcher something as big as a moose,getting it down to "eating sized pieces" by chopping ribs,leg bones,pelvic bone & so on.
Shelter building,keeping a fire going,build a raft,build a bridge across creeks or small rivers for a truck, atv or snowmobile(nothing fancy,just trying to get across),clearing trail for the above.
In the winter an axe is absolutely essential to keep that fire going if you're out in extreme cold,no matter the circumstances.
Need fresh water-chop a hole.
Got slush on your snowmachine or on the bottom of your toboggan/sled?You need your axe to knock it off.
Want to check ice thickness before crossing that lake or river?An axe,of course.
In my opinion,nothing else comes even close for importance.The list of usefulness is very long indeed.
Of course I never go anywhere without a knife or two either,& don't intend to.Although an axe can do many knife tasks,a knife would be sorely missed.
But the bottom line is,if I had to choose between the two & have only one or the other indefinitely,it would certainly be my axe.

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Originally Posted by Pocomoonskyeyes3

No Offense Sgt.Draino...But you are talking about large cutting tools from totally opposite ends of the spectrum.
Machete- Light,thin, long cutting surface, soft metal, flexible
Axe -Heavy.thick,short cutting surface, Hard metal, rigid
If I were trying to strike a spark from a piece of flint, I would choose the axe over a machete. True the machete can do it, but it's easier with a harder metal.

As for the machete/weapon analogy, Axes have been used far longer as weapons than machetes, knives and swords. Even if it doesn't cut, it's gonna' break something. Stone axes were used as weapons,as well as tools.

The machete has a softer metal so that if it hits something hard like a rock...it doesn't chip. While in MOST of the world that has enough "woods" that a cutting tool would really be necessary. The machete wins hands down. Used mainly to cut thin vegetation,grasses, and vines. Anything much bigger than that and you will want an axe.

It is for this reason that I include BOTH a small axe/Tomahawk AND a small 12" Ontario machete in my BOB.Also I carry a small saw, and extra knife or two. Each tool has a function....true a wrench Can be used as a hammer. But wouldn't you really rather have the hammer?

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Ontario machetes are 1095 carbon steel, I consider that pretty hard.

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Originally Posted by Sourdough

It is called "Boots in the Field" experience. Take a wild guess how many members have ever hacked there way through a jungle or Alder thicket........YEP, not very many. Now how many members have split some kindling at some point in there life........"Boots in the Field".

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Done both. Hacked in SEA, and grew up splitting wood with an an AXE. Had no use for a maul didn't need it.

Not sure I could still do it, but growing up you looked at the chunk of wood turned it and smacked it with an ax. It would split eveytime. Chunks up to 18 inches in diameter. Heated and cooked on wood all winter.

Hi all, just my 2 cents worth. Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's a number of old woodsman wrote articles for a number of outdoors magazines, one of the men was George Washington Sears. Pen name Nessmuk. Nessmuk had equipment he called his triloge. Which was a folding pocket knive, a hunting knive with about a 5 inch blase and a double bit (blade) hatchet. This was all of the equipment he ever carried, as well as 20 lbs of other things, food and clothing, he would stay in the forest for several weeks with just this. If people will read different accounts of Nessmuk and others, we all might be better off.
Tank

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Originally Posted by kyratshooter

Cutting instruments evolve in an environment and climate that they suit.

The guys in AZ, soCal, are not dealing with real wood. They are clipping twigs and digging holes. A machette is fine for them.

Us folk that deal with real wood need the cutting instrument that was designed for out needs, the axe.

People do not realize that when the Europeans got to North America they had to redesign the axe for the first time in 5,000 years. Our environment required a completely different type of cutting tool.

Anything else is a poor substitute for an axe in the North American forest. Note the words: "almost, nearly, could be used and so far" when discribing any other tool outside jungle or desert conditions.

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In southern AZ I would agree with you. In the Flagstaff area a machette is the wrong choice, that is a heavy wooded area with large pine trees.

for me it would have to be the axe for the area that I am in