What Axe for kids?

[jamesdevine]

Hi Guys,

I have recently taken up the post of QM for the local scout group and I am dreading what shape or form there cutting tools are in. Particualarly there axes having had some scary close shaves as a youngin becuase of cheap hardware store bought axes.

My question is what would you guys recommend as the best axe for kids aged from 10 to 16?

It needs to be reliable, easy to look after, use and relativly cheap. All do the last point depends on the troops budget I would prefer there only to be two or three really good safe axes to share rather then four five dangerous ones.

I hope this doesn't cross over the earlier thread, but I thought the specs of whats needed might different enough to warrant a new one.

Thanks in advance,

James

[sargey]

i reckon the best value for money axes are the fiskars (wilkinson sword badge) hatchets to be had from b&q for about 18 quid. the ones with the plastic handle. we did axe work with our scouts a while ago and the only casualty wasa little blue trappers hatchet. i have no idea what they did to it, whacking concrete mostly, but it was buggered.

the fiskars are easy to maintain, just sharpen th whole bevel like a scandi ground knife.

cheers,and.

[jamesdevine]

Thanks Sargey,

Thats a real help.


James

[sargey]

no worries mate, i still have a few of our scout's hatchets to refurbish :roll: i think it'd be easier to buy 'em the plastic ones!

the other thing is that the small fiskars hatchets are substantialy lighter than your average cheapo hatchet. a very real concern with smaller scouts. better to have a light easily handled tool than one that was too heavy.

cheers, and.

[maddave]

Like Sargey said. Those fiskars jobbies are nice & light, hold a good edge (it's blunt axes that cause accidents) and are easily sharpened in the field.

Here's a pic of the monkey

[jamesdevine]

Thats great it looks like thats the job.

I found eight in the stores all rusted to hell and nearly all of them with rotten handles and most off them older then I am.

I found out that only during the last summer on camp one of the kids ended up in casualty when a head flew off and hit him. That axe was repaired using the same handle and put back in the stores. Scary!!

I dumped it.

Again thanks guys I have been looking for an excuse to head up to the new B&Q here in Dublin for a while.

James

[MartiniDave]

I picked up a nice little Spear & Jackson hatchet from Homebase for about £13.00. Takes a nice edge and handles quite nicely. Good vertical grain thru the helve too.

Dave