Axe recommendations

[Bonnox]

Can anyone recommend a decent hand axe ? Have a large felling axe, box saw pruning saw........... Just missing a hand axe,
Was thinking maybe a wooden handle then if it breaks the handle could be replaced, but just out of interest iv also seen composite axes that they can use for chopping wood and as a weapon come the zombie apocalypse (it was an American site I was looking at)
Now I'm not suggesting that we are going to be over run by zombies but what do people think of a 'multi use' axe like these ?

[bigpaul]

I've got a hand axe, was sold on Ebay as a "survival" axe, brand new with a green non wood handle: £9.99 also got a wooden axe, bought in a car boot brand new £5....

[NorthernRaider]

The one piece chrome steel hatchets and hand axes made by companies like Fiskars and Estwing both have great reputations

[uks]

I use gransfor axes excellent pieces of kit.

[Sunna]

remember the top brand names then just car boot it great for cheap tools

[BFG Central]

[Mortblanc]

There is a reason the tomahawk evolved into the hatchet we now have. It is an inefficient tool compared to a Fiskars or Eastswing or any other good hatchet.

The modern day hand axe is the end result of 3 million years of tool evolution.

I have buckets full of hawks and they stay right there in the bucket when I am headed for any venue other than a historic reenactment.

[BeardyMan]

[Leigh]

I'd also advise picking up a few axe heads to put away.
These go from around a pound each at a booty and as you said, handles can be made later if they're needed.
I carry one in my B.O.B to put a handle to should I need to. Plenty of wood around to
Make a handle.
Also, check out grandpa's shed. He'll have a few in there for sure!
Hope this helps.

[Timelord]

First evidence of flaked stone tools is from about 750,000 years ago. The cold steel website does show an interesting array of axes even if just for comparison. While some of these Swedish & other Nordic makes of axe are excellent, I do feel the pudding is over egged a bit when it comes to the "hand forged by Master craftsmen" advertising and the Swedish steel type of mythology. An axe is no Hi-Tech item and the construction is amazingly simple. Any decent axe will have a hardened edge forge welded into the main body of steel. This can be done by hand or industrially. It will not make much difference. Axe steel specification necessitates a steel that is not too brittle and so a razor sharp edge holding ability is neither required or necessary. An axe edge will be a steeper angled bevel (flat or convex) than a knife anyway.
Many good axes can be found at car booties and the like. Look for old axe heads and they go for buttons. Remember an axe head can always be reprofiled with an angle grinder to your desired shape.
By the way, the normal type of woodsman or fire axe profile is not great for decapitation of Zombies, as the thickness of the head will result in binding. While ok for live examples due to the massive damage an axe will cause, it should be noted that for Zombies, A slim battle axe type profile is more suitable - so that the axe does not get caught up in the target. lol. TL.
I shy away from composite handles as they are not indestructable and render the axe head useless if they get damaged.