Hello Dwight,
I have had many good buddies, newbee's to BWCAW/Queticos smash my good ax into granite, So on future trips I will leave my good ax at home and only use on solo trips, I end up taking what use to be a good sharp ax and a wedge spiltter instead. The way to get a good body effort into spiltting wood is all form, let the axe do all the work, keep your feet apart so not to worry about hitting your foot and let the ax just fall on the wood, the key is aim not strength, besure to to place wood on a stump, so that it does not hit any granite. The good thing about the hard steel is that it will hold the edge for a very long time, no need to bring that file, (extra weight on the portages) if and when you need to sharpen the axe send back to the maker they have the right equipment and it will be as good as new. Cliff Jacobson (Master Canoe Guide on Expedition trips) uses the same ax I recomended to you. Good minds must think alike, I saw the brush cutter machetes in Cabela's catalog just a few days ago, I think I just might pick up the 20" length model, not for BWCAW trips but for my Appalachian Trail trip that I will do some time in the future. It will make a find choice as a personel defense weapon, were firearms are not permitted. Thanks for info.

Posted by Tim O'Brien on April 24, 2001 at 11:50