Gerber vs Fiskar Axes....

[The Heretic]

The Fiskars equivalent of the off-name brand axe I bought is only $20 more; about $45.

 

[Member 5605]

I have used cheap axes and hatchets for most my life,so since i am 57,about 50 years+-
What I have found is that the sexy Fiskars and Gerbers etc are just that. High priced so folks think they are getting something better
Please tell me how wrong I am and that the $200 tool you have is SOOO much better than the one at Ace.
OK you could have bought 4-5 cheap one for that price.You probably will never wear one out,let alone need to sharpen the thing. So the 'it holds an edge better,blah blah blah'
Yes there are an few out there that use these tools regularly and indeed sharpen them.
But for most the axe isn't something that does more than spit a little kindle wood for a back yard social event.
with this all said,the best axe/hatchet is the one that is light enough for your needa and fits you hands and is heavy/light enough to fit you style of work that it will be doing.
All I am saying is don't get caught up cause some you tube hack said it was the best or it has sexy packaging.

Thank you for the input. Really, no sarcasm here.

I'll buy a matte black tool for $5 if it performs as well as a $400 tool AND fits the requirements I have.

I'm 33.5 years of young and I can't count how many times I've used an axe in my younger years, used a hatchet to fell a tree or a machete to clear brush to a fishing hole.

My requirements were simple really... Be capable of splitting wood (the wedge on the Gerber/Fiskars does that), be light weight (comparatively), warranty against defects, weight up front for faster swings, non-wood handle.

My 28 year old Craftsman hatchet (all metal) and my 27 year old Crossman BB pistol are still usable today.

I watch my grandpa wrestle with his axes with bad shoulders and I see where I'm headed. I'd like to preserve myself as much as possible and that's where the anti-vibration handle comes into play here.

I figure adventually I'll have a chopper axe and their 2nd from longest splitter axe (Fiskars) added to the collection of the current one pans out to my likings.

I don't own any Snap-On tools. Craftsman and Pittsburg with one large Armstrong rachet work fine for me. I wear plain white t-shirts and have been known to buy clothes at Ross and wherever else is cheap.

Name brand means nothing (except in firearms).

 

[U201491]

You all know Fiskars own Gerber right?

Same axe too LOL

 

[DieselScout]

For whatever its worth I use to split wood pretty much daily. Our home was heated by wood and I was either splitting it to burn or splitting to stack to burn later. I used whatever wooden splitting maul my Dad bought before I was born and when we had broken that he got two fiberglassed handled mauls, one of which he still uses today. No idea what brand they were but they worked. Regarding the Gerber/Fiskars axes, I have one I carry in my Scout. Years ago I went with friends on the Oregon Back Country Discovery Route. For the most part I could get a 6"-8" log cut and removes before others could get their chain saws fired up. Mine is over ten years old now and sits in my Scout. As long as I keep a good edge on it, it seems to work just fine. It's no splitting maul, bit can make short work of a stack for a camp fire.

 

[Member 5605]

Same axe too LOL

Ah yes... for the most part.

Who has which or both (heard they are the same except for the color on the handle).

Fiskars appears to NOT have the warranty Gerber does. So if the Gerber and Fiskars ARE identical but the Gerber warranty is like all the rest of their goodies wouldn't it be beneficial to by the green and not orange?

I liked at Gerber one more time and maybe it was just me; I didn't like the green as much.

Result:
Fiskar X17
Coastal Farm and Ranch: $42.95

Had I gotten a longer one the handle would have been textured where the orange is. If I need a bigger splitter I'll buy a maul from Harbor Freight.

Btw:
Green vs Orange was the final debate... not Gerber vs Fiskars.
At the beginning it wasn't clear to me if they were parent and child company.....


Too many people associate that green with the whole "zombie" thing...

Besides, the orange matches my loping shears and the wife's herb scissors.



it's all in good participation Taku...

 

[DieselScout]

I've been leaning towards the length:
http://smile.amazon.com/Fiskars-X17...F8&qid=1440781947&sr=8-1&keywords=fiskars+x17

The 23.5" or slightly longer is about what I'm looking for in OAL.
vs the Gerber:
http://www.gerbergear.com/Outdoor/Gear/23.5-Axe_31-002651

Also:
Fiskars appears to NOT have the warranty Gerber does. So if the Gerber and Fiskars ARE identical but the Gerber warranty is like all the rest of their goodies wouldn't it be beneficial to by the green and not orange?

According to Fiskars' website all of their axes have a lifetime warranty. It seemed odd they would warranty one line and not the other. Furthermore, I read a bit on the internet and people who had broken them were able to have new axes sent to them by simply sending Fiskars pictures of the damaged axe.

 

[Member 5605]

According to Fiskar's website all of their axes have a lifetime warranty.

Correct, excluding normal wear and tear etc...

The original assumption was that the Gerber would have had the same warranty as their blades, which some cover abuse and misuse... Their emphasis in bold.

Gerber product is warranted to be free of defects in material and workmanship for as long as the original consumer owns the product. At Gerber Legendary Blades' option, defective product will be repaired, replaced or substituted with a product of equal value. For Cutting tools: Gerber Legendary Blades shall in no event be liable for any incidental or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damage, so that above exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

Emphasis is mine...

Fiskars products are warranted to the consumer purchaser to be free of defects in material and workmanship for as long as the consumer owns the product. Warranty does not cover sharpening, normal wear and tear, environmental factors, accidental damage, misuse, industrial/commercial use.

 

[filsonhand]

I own a fiskars x25 and x27, both work great . I broke the head on the 27, so I emailed fiskars warranty dept with a pic of the damaged Axe. I had a new at at the house within the week Top notch

 

[Sgt Nambu]

For axes I still use the old Craftsman larger and smaller two handers that I bought 40-50yrs ago. For a hatchet I have a Plumb that I got about the same time! Old friends that still work fine!

 

[U201491]

According to Fiskars' website all of their axes have a lifetime warranty. It seemed odd they would warranty one line and not the other. Furthermore, I read a bit on the internet and people who had broken them were able to have new axes sent to them by simply sending Fiskars pictures of the damaged axe.

Gerber used to have a lifetime warranty on all their branded items also.
I still have a couple knives that were made in their first year of operation in Willamette.

 

[U201491]

Ah yes... for the most part.



Btw:
Green vs Orange was the final debate... not Gerber vs Fiskars.
At the beginning it wasn't clear to me if they were parent and child company.....

View attachment 253943
Too many people associate that green with the whole "zombie" thing...

Besides, the orange matches my loping shears and the wife's herb scissors.
View attachment 253942


it's all in good participation Taku...

Have several of those orange thingys here too LOL

Damn Someone turned off the scrolling again on 2

 

[45alive]

Hey Dyjital, I would recommend An Estwing 26'' Ax. If you go on their website you can see their vast variety of hand tools. They are an American Co. out of Illinois and I think they have lifetime warranties. I was given an old Estwing Hatchet about 20 years old from a Logging buddy of mine. He liked their Hatchets so much he has 2 of them he swears by and mine is Zombie proof. Gerber will not get my Money since they support Wacko Environmentalist's.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I should have mentioned above that I tend to shy away from Gerber products. They just ain't like they used to be! I have a number of older Gerber knives and they are superb, the newer ones, not so much!
A couple of years ago I picked up Gerbers, Bear Girdles, Panang machete and wiggled sideways! It looked like a cartoon saw in a Bugs Bunny episode, wiggling and rolling! One snort of disgust and I tossed the POS back on the shelf and consigned Gerber to heck! I wouldn't even look at a hatchet made by them. I have a little more respect for Fiskars long term reputation but no real interest in little bitty axes!

 

[DieselScout]

I should have mentioned above that I tend to shy away from Gerber products. They just ain't like they used to be! I have a number of older Gerber knives and they are superb, the newer ones, not so much!
A couple of years ago I picked up Gerbers, Bear Girdles, Panang machete and wiggled sideways! It looked like a cartoon saw in a Bugs Bunny episode, wiggling and rolling! One snort of disgust and I tossed the POS back on the shelf and consigned Gerber to heck! I wouldn't even look at a hatchet made by them. I have a little more respect for Fiskars long term reputation but no real interest in little bitty axes!

The Fiskars/Gerber axe is the only thing I would buy with the Gerber name on it anymore. I was reading on "The Truth About Knives" that they once again have an Oregon made line and the quality has come back on those knives, but I am not lining up to buy one.

 

[Member 5605]

Thanks gents.

I own a couple of their products, their full tang camp knife in 1/2 serrated and the multi tool that takes sawzall blades. That's basically it.

I didn't know they were supportin wackos....??

 

[Member 5605]

Thanks @45alive for reminding me of Estwing. I really had forgotten about them. I'll have to see if they have a bow saw. If that I need as well soon...

 

[45alive]

Your Welcome Dyjital. In 2000 Estwing has made a shock resistant handle on their products to tone down vibration. They have been around since the 1920s.

 

[nilmergkrod]

I like the CRKT axe

 

[Boats]

The Fiskars X7 hatchet is the only axe/hatchet I carry on a pack any more. The thing punches above its fairly low weight and it is pert near indestructible.

It is a very well thought out tool. I'm sure its Gerber cousin is every bit its equal, but I wanted an orange handle.