ESTWING Special Edition Camper's Axe - 26" Wood Splitting Tool with All Steel Construction & Shock Reduction Grip - E45ASE

This is a great camping and clearing axe /hatchet. Very well, balanced swings with ease, easy to sharpen, and the price is right.

I got the Estwing E-45A Campers axe a couple days ago and I am very pleased with what I received. The axe was on backorder for a couple weeks but I was informed of the status of my order several times during my wait. I am very glad I purchased this axe. I have used a half axe about this size about 45 years ago and found them very handy when camping and at Boy Scout Camp. Full sized axes were just too big for most scouts. If they used them they worked themselves to death and would stop. Then you couldn't get them to help again. Of course this was when scouts could use axes and sheath knives. I still have a couple full size axes but wanted to see if these were still as easy to use as I remember. This is a great tool and is of the highest quality. First, the sheath is old school and made of beautiful thick tooled leather. The sheath is heavily stitched and has strong rivets and double snaps. The fit is snug and a very safe way to transport the axe. It is well tanned but was a little dry so the first thing I did was to wipe it down with neatsfoot oil. I recently saved a old leather sheath for a 18 " machete that had been in a shed for twenty years with neatsfoot oil it took weeks but it is restored to almost perfect condition. You don't see much neatsfoot oil around today. The axe blade is beautiful and just the right size for my uses now. The edge was rolled a little when I checked it but with a few licks across a steel that was cleared up. I can use this thing without killing myself. I can even use it with one hand if need be. The stainless was very smooth and well brushed to a medium shine. The shaft appear to go all the way through the handle. I can't guarantie that it goes all the way through the handle but if is like several of my other Estwing tools it does. The grip is designed to absorb vibrations and does so very well. If it last as well as my others I will be passing this down to my grandson with the other Estwing tools. I would not carry this if I was backpacking but think it will be the best general camp tool that you can have if you like an evening fire. Now if I was in a Zombie invasion I think this would just about be the perfect tool/weapon. It has enough wight to pierce a skull but not so much weight to cause you to over swing wasting time and energy. I would recommend this axe from this dealer in a skinny minute and if I needed another I would have no second thoughts about its quality. I Highly Recommend This Axe -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .

Great Axe for the money! Is it a "Gransfors" grade of Axe? Well obviously not? But does it chop wood? And can it chop a 10" tree down? Yes it can. It may take a little more effort and almost twice as many swings as a high end Axe. But this thing can chop a tree down if need be. It doesn't come with a very Sharpe edge on it. It's not dull by no means but not as Sharpe as it could be. So I recommend you take it to a professional like I did and have nice edge put on it for 4 bucks! It will chop at least 20 percent better believe me. Also don't expect it to hold an edge as long as the higher end carbon steel axes. While high end axes don't need sharpening sometime's after chopping several trees? This one will require sharpening much sooner. I just carry a two sided stone with me if I take it camping just I case. But to be honest it stays plenty Sharpe for the amount of chopping I do. It's a bit heavy for backpacking with it on a hike but is manageable. I mainly chop smaller trees with it that are usually no bigger than 5 inches. And it works great for chopping up kindling wood..etc. I only went after a 10" tree with it once to see how long it would take with this axe. And I must say it didn't do to bad. However I would normally use my high end "Gransfors Bruks " felling axe normally for big trees. :) So if your on the fence about buying this axe don't hesitiate! It will take care of anything you need chopped up at your camp site and also help drive those tent stakes into the ground with ease! Just remember the sharper you can make the edge the better the axe will be. I had read only a couple blogs about people actually breaking the steel shaft on this axe. One was using it in the artic I believe in Temps well below minus 30 degrees. Steel gets brittle at those Temps so I'm not surprised it shattered. The other one I read sounded like the guy was purposely trying to break the thing? And eventually he did. But it was from purposely beating it severely on the shaft just below the cutting head against a hard surface of some sort. I haven't read of it breaking off on anyone while chopping wood as of yet? So I wouldn't worry to much about it breaking off and flying away on ya. However it's always a good rule of thumb to never swing an axe near someone else or have them sitting someplace in line with the arc of your swing even if it is 30 feet away. Just common sense really.

Solid Hatchet. Company makes great products and this item is a must have for camping. Solid metal with rubber grip. Grip does not slide even when hands are wet. Will have this for years. Sharpens up real n ice and edge holds for a good amount of time. Not very heavy but heavy enough to split wood.

Arrived today, haven't used it yet....but it will be easy to use. All one-piece metal (steel) construction (vs wood handle/metal axe), padded handle, made in USA....what's not to like!

Steal quality is good but the handle sheds like crazy. Super poorly cast rubber that isn’t evenly slightly sanded at the factory. Axe length is also incredibly impractical for pretty much everything but I should have measured my other axes before purchasing so that’s on me.

This is indeed a useful tool. I have used it to clear privet (15'+) and small saplings (15-25'+) - over several acres and still going. The tool arrives sharp and ready for action. It is not a "felling ax" for trees (40'+). The blade is narrow and has a deep bite meaning that it is not easy to disengage from the wood if swung too hard. But, if used on smaller dia. trunks (2-6"), it is a "hot knife through butter" experience. 2" trunks or limbs can be severed in one stroke. It can be swung one-handed if you know how to control it and have the strength to do so, but always - always make sure of the downward path of the ax and NOT have your leg in the way. This is a "grown-up" tool - no play toy! A careless mistake can cripple or (if an artery is severed) kill you. Not for children. The ax is single forged and is extremely sturdy. The handle length allows for two-handed use with proper back clearance. I'm 5'9", shorter arms... if taller and longer arms, two-handed use might be a little uncomfortable - but doable. The rubber cushioned handle (lower portion) absorbs a lot of shock. Like said, if you're experienced with using an ax, you'll love this one. Best use - trunks up to 8" dia., limbs, brush, small firewood jobs .... excellent camping tool. As always, using the proper tool for the job is key. Trunks > 8" probably best dispatched with a chainsaw. I look forward to many years with this ax. Keep it oiled (no rust) - sheathed when not in use - stored safely - and Sharpen when needed. Dull blades cause more accidental cuts than sharp ones. (no incentives were offered or received for this review)

This one surprised me with quality lol it's actually made in USA and they overdid their selves with this beast. I haven't used it yet but I'm sure this will do the job of any axe. It's very well made and has sharp edge and hammer on back that will work great for your tent stakes. It's perfectly balanced and has a nice handle. My only complaint is the paint rubbed off already just touching it, and where barcode was it peeled off completely. They didn't do paint well at all, in fact I'm gonna sand blast it off and give it the right coat. Not that paint matters but they could have done way better job for what it costs. I love this thing and can't wait to try it out. 100% recommend this one but not the paint.