I confess, I can be an axe snob. SARCRAFT is a dealer for Hults Bruk and Council Tool, after all. And I probably brag a little too much about the vintage Gransfors splitter I rescued and restored. I’m also a shameless hoe for any classic American axe I come across at an antique store – price doesn’t matter, it’s coming home with me.
There’s a lot to be said for using the right tool for the job, and investing the money in an heirloom-quality tool that your grandkids will fight over when you’re long gone. But that’s not what this article is about.
Let me tell you about my first.
I could spin y’all a yarn about restoring my grandfather’s Collins double-bit or Council half-axe that he used to clear the land he farmed, and split the firewood that staved off 1930s Great Depression winters. But that’d be a lie. Those came later. My first axe was an Estwing.
When I became an Eagle Scout at fifteen, my uncle Mark, a lifelong scouter, came over and handed me a brand new Estwing Long Handle Camper’s Axe, because “every Eagle Scout needs an axe.” I used that axe nonstop for the next decade, and it still bites a tree from time to time even now. It accompanied me doing everything from clearing brush on the farm to cutting wood for countless bonfires with friends. It was a loyal companion that was pretty much always within a few pace’s reach whenever I was outside.
When I really got into bushcraft and upped my axe game, the Estwing saw less action over time. But it never stopped getting used. When I was demolishing a singlewide trailer and had to chop a hole in the floor, you can bet your ass I didn’t reach for my Hults Bruk. And whenever I’m digging a hole or trench and need to chop through big roots, there’s nothing better.
You see, every well-rounded tool arsenal needs a beater axe. There are chopping and cutting tasks like the ones mentioned above that you just don’t want to use your nice axes for.
Limbing a brushy tree on rocky ground can be risky with an axe that you don’t want to scuff up. Hitting a stone can mean hours of re-profiling the bit. But with a beater axe, who cares? If your nice axe gets wet, you better act fast to dry it off. If your beater axe gets rained on, just hit it with some steel wool and WD-40. Good as new.
Highbrow hipster bushcrafters tend to scoff at the Estwing, but I say they’re just not enlightened enough. The Estwing Long Handle Camper’s Axe has some distinct advantages that I think make it the best beater axe around.
First off, it’s forged from a single piece of steel, with a rubber shock reduction grip molded onto it. There’s no wood or fiberglass handle to break, and no head to separate. I’ve literally run over mine with a tractor and it was none the worse for wear. It’s also seen pry bar duty more than once and didn’t blink.
Secondly, I don’t know what the specs are on the steel Estwing uses for their axes (they don’t publish the information) but it’s perfect for a beater axe. For one, it’s soft. Yes, this means it gets chips, dings, and folds on the edge very easily, but it also means those same injuries can get fixed fast. A few minutes with a coarse bastard file and you’re back in action versus hours of careful sharpening for fine Swedish steel. And I don’t know the carbon composition, but they strike a good balance of softness versus rust resistance. I’ve dismembered a deer with mine, got it covered in blood, didn’t clean it til the next day, and it only had some minimal flash rust, which is saying something.
Third, it’s got a tempered poll, so you can flip it around and use it as a hammer, which is half the fun of a beater axe. You’d never dream of doing that with a nice axe, or at least I hope not – the eye could deform and the poll could mushroom beyond repair. But I’ve driven everything from tent stakes to 16-penny nails with my Estwing, broken open a few locks, and used it as a persuasion hammer performing 4am trailside 4×4 repairs.
And last, it’s just handy. The 26” overall length and comparatively light weight are great for the odd jobs you usually use a beater axe for. It’s not really meant for taking down trees over a few inches in diameter (although I’ve done it a lot), or splitting big rounds of wood (even though you can do that too, with good aim and some patience), but it excels at any other axe task you throw at it. You can comfortably use it one handed, which is great for light limbing or splitting kindling.
Let’s not forget that Estwing is a fine American company that uses U.S. – sourced steel and employs American workers. The company was founded in 1923 by a Swedish immigrant, and remains family-owned to this day. Considering your other options for beater axes are fiberglass-handled China specials, that’s no contest. I’ll proudly take an Estwing over commie trash every day of the week and twice on Sundays. The price is hard to beat, too – the Long Handle Camper’s Axe can usually be found for around $50.
Convinced yet? Drop $50 and find out for yourself. You won’t regret it. Keep it in your truck, and it’ll become a favorite before you know it. Sure, we all love our nice axes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Relish the workmanship on your Gransfors or Hults, and appreciate the history behind a finely restored Kelly or Collins. But don’t sleep on their blue-collar cousin, the humble Estwing Long Handle Camper’s Axe… the best beater axe ever.
