£4.99 Axe in Aldi today

[thingswelike]

I don't know much about axes, other than I can't currently afford the Small Forest Axe.
So I'll be picking up one of these today for firewood gathering/splitting.

I don't normally direct link other site's images, but as it's in their interest, here it is.
http://www.aldi.co.uk/images/data_product/152854968046caac28eb320.jpg

They describe it as...
This Gardenline axe is great for dispensing with tree roots or chopping small logs.
* 1000g axe head
* 1 piece fibreglass handle
* Comfortable hand grip

If anyone who does know about axes can offer any advice, it would be most welcome.
Cheers
Alex

[British Red]

Alex,

So long as the heat treatment is okay and the helve is secure it'll chop wood. At that price, you'll probably have to do a lot of work on the bevels to tidy them up and get them properly sharp. Usually such a thing will come with a poor mask if any so you will need to make one for carrying it with you.

I don't hate fibreglass handles on tough workhorse axes although they cannot be replaced they are tough to damage.

A 1kg head is a little heavy on a 15" helve (which that looks like) but it'll work.

Don't expect too much but I'm sure it will work
Red

[thingswelike]

Thanks Red.
I hadn't thought about the mask - that's a good point. My wife's already bought it for me, so we'll see what it comes with.
It'll probably do while I'm saving for the GBA.
Cheers
Alex

[thingswelike]

I think I might take it back.
As you say the head feels very heavy for the length. And it only came with a temporary-feeling rubber mask. Edge seems to get wide very quickly.

Now that I've got a woodburning stove coming for my tent, I feel it's probably worth investing in.
Gransfors here I come!

[Osprey]

Hi Thingswelike

I probably going to be classed as a heretic for saying this :eek: but I don't like GB axes for splitting logs and sticks for firewood !! There, I've said it now and I'm out of the closet:lmao:

I find the bits are too thin for effective splitting; they are excellent choppers though for cutting and shaping wood. GB do make a good splitting maul though.

My favourite kindling axe is a cheap no-name hardware-store hatchet with a 1.5lb head and cheap wooden haft, it has quite a broad head and was drop-forged from cheap steel, but its shape and weight I find ideal for preparing kindling, which is something I do nearly every day as we heat our house with wood !

However this kindling hatchet is no use for cutting across the grain or for shaping wood, so if you need an axe for camp use which is also going to be used for carving and making camp items then I think you would be better off with a GB and just put up with its splitting limitations.

Thanks for the link for plastic boxes in you other thread, I'll look into those, they look much stronger than the Curver uniboxes we are currently using :You_Rock_
Doug.

[xylaria]

For chopping up roll palettes, the other half uses a B&Q axe under philosophy that you don't want to a dunk in a good axe. I wont use that particular axe as it too heavy and normally too blunt for me use safely. What I do use is a plastic handled wilkenson sword/fiskars mini hatchett. It is light and the head is good enough to hold its edge and suits me perfectly.

The main worry with the cheepo axes, is that very cheap metal can have problems holding an edge, and I find once a axe starts bouncing instead of chopping it is dangerous. Not all non branded axes have that problem in fact the my local iron mongers sells some really good axes for the farming community. Which aren't branded are priced between £15 up £60. I nearly always go for the cheapest of kit for most things, the freegan in me actively seeks the non-label, second-hand kit, but axes there is a point where quality is a safety issue.

[thingswelike]

Thanks both for the info.
I'll have a think - apparently my local supplies shop has some too.

[Twoflower]

Homebase do cheap and cheerful axes, it's where I got mine after reading this thread .. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23822

[spamel]

If it widens quickly, it will be better suited to splitting, which is what you want it for. The heavy head aswell points towards it being a splitting axe, so I wouldn't write it off straight away.

[brancho]

If it widens quickly, it will be better suited to splitting, which is what you want it for. The heavy head aswell points towards it being a splitting axe, so I wouldn't write it off straight away.

I agree I bought something similar to this for my Scouts from Screwfix for £9 (I think) and they are good for the money and fine for splitting wood.
I wouldnt try and carve a spoon with one though, my GB SFA is far better fot that.

remeber its horses for courses

[Draven]

The head on that looks about identical to that of an axe I picked up at Lidls a few months ago. Different handle though.

I used it to chop down a tree stump (not very stumpy, about four feet tall or so...) in my garden. Didn't do that bad I suppose, but I think it really is better suited for splitting. Job was very rough and as xylaria said, bouncing instead of chopping was a big concern. Grind was also seriously off-centre and the steel was far too hard to sharpen with a stone... but that might have been an isolated error.

Just a couple cents!

[woodstock]

Christ its top heavy great for chopping wood but not practical for the field good value though

[Chris G]

Just had a look at the Aldi axe today - wow it's heavy. And a really big head. Anyway I went to B&Q yesterday and bought one of these (B&Qs web page doesn't list them - typical!);

http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/p-13649-stanley-steelmaster-hatchet-1-51-030.asp

Very nice. Ticks most of the boxes in Reds guide, but the handle is fractionally too heavy to ballance the axe. Still, for £18 I can live with that. Just need to sort out the cover.

Just found it cheaper here :(

http://www.bigtoolbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=det&pt=3343_3419&p=5202&id=big

Chris