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Having an axe around gives you another option when you need to split wood, allowing you to save your knife’s edge.
A quality survival axe is what may be needed in potentially the roughest of times: to deal with life-threating attacks during a survival period. An axe must be kept very sharp and well maintained. It is also good when you get beyond the masses and into the wilderness, or your home and/or vehicle is threat-free but a large level of wood prep is needed.
Uses
An axe is of great value in the wilderness as it makes wood prep easier (saving you energy). It can also save you time by performing effectively and efficiently – save your knife for camp tasks. (However, splitting small enough pieces of wood will not hinder a knife’s ongoing effectiveness.)
A survival axe should be small and light enough to carry for daily tasks and large and strong enough to do what you foresee could be the need in the roughest of times, which includes self-defense. (Note: You will need a good understanding of weapons principals and techniques applied to the use of this weapon for self-defense, such as what is taught with cane and baton/stick training as well as some aspects of sickle training).
Safety
An axe has the potential to be one of the most dangerous items when in use. Take the time to watch some videos on axe safety and practice using an axe before carrying one. Your most serious injury will most likely come from misuse or inexperience with an axe. These injuries can easily put your wellbeing in jeopardy.
Choosing a Survival Axe
The following are things to consider in choosing a survival axe:
– Axe length: 16” to 20”
– Blade length: 4” to 5”
– Head weight: 1.5-to-2.3 pounds
– Butt-end: Hardened/tempered for crushing rocks, driving metal tent/tarp stakes, self-defense strikes.
– Handle: Wood that is fastened to the axe head through the opening in the head (the eye) with wedges for ease of handle replacement should damage occur.
– Handle wrap: Paracord or leather shielding can be added to protect the upper-handle area in case of overstrikes when splitting wood and can aid in grip control. This is optional.
– Blade sheath: Leather that protects the blade as well as a person from the blade. The blade sheath must always be inplace when walking (not in use) with an axe to prevent being cut if you fall or tumble.
– Belt loop: For the axe handle to slip into and that allows the axe head to rest on it when carrying.
– Power: Has the leverage, reach, and weight to make firewood preparation easier and faster than with a knife as well as having self-defense benefits.
– Beard shape: The area between the blade and the handle has a rounded shape (or a straight cut-back), see photo. This is for better control of the blade (move your hand up the handle to the head of the axe), for carving with more refinement, to cut small limbs off larger cut branches, and for specific self-defense techniques.
Make sure you keep it sharp!
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