OUTDOOR AXES AND SURVIVAL AXES

At first glance you would think; what is the difference between an outdoor axe or survival axe, … and a regular axe? Answer; at a distance of 10 meters, and if you have no knowledge or experience with it… probably nothing!  However, nothing turns out to be less true than that.

Survival axes or outdoor axes are not only used for splitting log discs, but for a whole range of different tasks that quickly involve not only a clunky piece of iron on a long handle that can split wood.  A high-quality or good survival axe or outdoor axe is first of all made of the right type of steel.

 

THE BEST STEEL TYPES FOR OUTDOOR AXES OR SURVIVAL AXES

1) N690 steel (damask forged)
2) ATS34 steel
3) 14C28N steel (damask forged)
4) 12C27 steel (damask forged)
5) D2 steel (damask forged)

These steels all have the necessary properties such as;

• Good cutting ability due to high carbon content.
• A cutting edge that retains its sharpness well under extreme wear.
• High resilience of the steel to absorb blows without any pieces jumping out of the steel.
• A high material density or specific mass, so that a lot of mass / energy can be transferred with a relatively small axe.
• The ability to release the axe easily in situations when it is stuck in the wood, due to the specific surface properties of Damascus steel types.
• A handle which is flexible, yet unbreakable.

 

APPLICATION OF OUTDOOR AXES

The most diverse applications that one would not expect at first sight from a survival axe or outdoor axe

• Cleaning and filleting of fish.
• Skinning hides and boning from the hunt yield.
• Cutting ropes and lianas or bark strips
• Chopping trees and splitting wood.
• Skinning tree bark and making notches in the trunk for the purpose of possibly building a house of logs.
• Repairing an inflatable kayak, for example.
• Cutting away tree roots that are in the way.
• Digging in hard soil.
• Chopping ice.
• Cracking nuts.
• A hold on when climbing a tree.

 

WHAT REQUIREMENTS MUST SURVIVAL AXES MEET…?

First, the weight of the axe head and the length of the handle must be in accordance with the applications of the specific job that needs to be done. A ratio of; every kilo of steel a 25 cm handle with a minimum of 50 cm,…is a basic rule. Secondly, an axe must be and remain as sharp as a knife or a saw or a survival shovel with which to chop thick branches. Thirdly, a survival axe or outdoor axe should not rust, as that severely affects the cutting ability in a negative way.

Furthermore, the handle must have a very good and non-slip grip to prevent the axe from flying out of your hands, even if you have slippery or cold hands.  It also needs to be sharp enough to curl kindling for starting a fire.  During cooking, the axe must also be able to be used to cut vegetables and meat and bread as if it were a knife. The axe must also have an unshakable connection between the handle and the axe head, … in no case should the axe head come loose. And furthermore, preferably in war situations, the axe should not have light-reflecting surfaces in order to be able to maintain one’s hidden position.

 

IN CONCLUSION

An outdoor axe or survival axe is therefore not just a simple piece of iron, … and therefore 99.9% of the axes that you find in shops or on the internet are not suitable for outdoor or survival situations. Our axes have been carefully selected for their qualities and properties before we give them the designation worthy of the  ‘SurvivalJack’ brand ! Certainly with regard to the current global political situation in which the New World Order continues to come towards us ever closer, the value of such qualitative and well thought-through  materials such as our axes, will acquire an ever higher value.

 

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