Reddit mentions of Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet 13.50 Inch, Axe, 415

Thanks!

You can start pretty simple. All you HAVE to have is a decent knife. A simple Mora knife is what I use a lot. You can always go for nicer knives if you prefer but a Mora will do wonders because of the Scandi grind edge. Any sharp knife will carve but I personally recommend knives with a Scandi grind because they can cut deeper and they offer more controlled cuts.

Here are my typical spoon carving tools

Gransfors Brooks wildlife hatchet but you can use cheaper options like a Fiskars hatchet. You don't HAVE to have a hatchet, it just helps take out large waste pieces quicker.

Mora knife for general shaping and carving.

• Alternatively, the Mora Eldris is another good carving option with a grippier rubber handle, contemporary colors and a shorter blade. Also the whole thing is basically waterproof so you don't have to worry about the handle or metal getting wet or anything. It's also small enough to pretty comfortably fit in a pocket.
  
  Pfeil palm gouge for scooping out the bowls of spoons. This CAN be done with the knife but it is a huge pain. You could also Dremel the bowl out if you have one and don't want to buy a gouge.
  
  Opinel folding saw for making stop cuts and cutting wood to length. Any wood saw will do though.
  
  Other than that just some sandpaper and some food safe oil like mineral oil or Howard's butcher block conditioner to finish it off and make it water resistant.
  
  Resources
  
  Here is a great video of Jill Swan showing how to carve a spoon with a hatchet, saw, knife, and gouge.
  
  Here is a video with Ben Orford showing his process for carving a spoon as well. He uses a hook knife instead of a gouge for scooping the bowl out. Both methods work but I find a palm gouge to be easier to work with and a bit easier to sharpen.
  
  Here is a video with Barn The Spoon using an axe a knife and a hook-knife.
  
  If you don't want to spend the money on a gouge or a hook knife then you can always carve a Spatula because they don't require a bowl!
  
  TIPS
  
  You can avoid using an axe by using a saw to make a series of stop cuts and then sawing down or using your knife to "baton" off the side pieces. You can also just knife carve the whole thing with a knife but it will take way more time.
  
  Wood: make sure your wood is food safe. Most fruit woods and oak and maple or birch are perfectly safe. Here is a list of common spoon carving woods
  
  
• I personally prefer using Birch because it looks nice, is pretty tough, food safe, and is quite enjoyable to carve both green or seasoned.
  
  
• I personally suggest carving seasoned wood because you don't have to worry about it potentially splitting or cracking while it dries. Greenwood is WAY WAY easier to carve but putting in all the work just to have a spoon crack can be heart breaking. If you are going to carve seasoned wood then you also want to make sure you aren't choosing a super hard wood that will be a huge pain to carve. This is another reason I love Birch. Maple is also pretty easy to carve seasoned but a little harder and can tear out if your tools aren't super sharp.
  
  Make sure your tools are sharp! A super sharp knife, hatchet, and gouge not only makes the work a lot easier and enjoyable but also a lot safer because you have way less chance of slipping. There are tons of videos on youtube on how to sharpen knives, specifically scandi grind knives, hatchets, and gouges.
  
  Just have fun! Your first couple of project may not come out beautiful but you will get the hang of it.

Your requirement for one piece seems arbitrary - check out some of the top options in this review.

Gränsfors Bruk Small Hatchet, 0.7lbs, $129.99.

Gränsfors Bruk Wildlife Hatchet, 1.3lbs, $99.99.

Wetterlings Wildlife Hatchet, 1.2lbs, $99.99

Fiskars X7, 1.4lbs, $21.85.

Eastwing Sportsman, 1.8lbs, $26.99, one piece.

Wetterlings and Gransfors Brux are the considered by many to be some of the best axes and hatchets you can buy (and they certainly cost enough!).

However, on the more normally priced, but still higher-end of things, you can safely get an Estwing, Fiskars, or Condor - with the edge going to Condor for being the most 'traditional' of those more normal priced hatchets.

Of those that I listed, I own the Estwing and Fiskars, as the others have just been out of my price range. I like them both very much. Over time, the finish on the leather handle of the Estwing will crack and flake, which is probably likely due to sun exposure - you will need to maintain the handle a bit eventually. The Fiskars, though definitely the most modern looking - are quite awesome hatchets for the price, and are incredibly durable. It's edge might be a little more fragile (it's just an angle thing, you could probably reprofile it if you were desperate) than the Estwing, but it cuts a little better too - you just have to avoid rocks (as you should be anyways).

Gorruck 34L GR2 Coyote Tan - a good bag, heavy, uncomfortable, probably give it to my grandchildren in like 50 years

Flip Flops - generic things

Bigblue 28W solar charger - very good, can charge my battery up during the day if i leave it in the sun which I've never really done honestly

Jakemy hardware tools - seamed useful? i've never needed this

Army glove shells - i thought i used these a lot and were indistructable but now that i think of it, i don't use them that often and are probably pretty cheaply made.

Sharpie, pen, all weather notebook - probably should switch over to a fisher space pen...

Straws - these are probably already broken.

Whistle - really really really loud

Fire-striker, matches, lighter - i'm not sure i have enough ways to start a fire

Fresnel lens - ok, now i have enough

LED flashlight - i used to go running in the middle of the night with this flashlight, its tiny

LED flashlight - this isn't the one i have but looks kinda similar? i don't remember where i got mine

Earbuds - generic cheap earbuds

Leatherman Surge - given to me by my wife for passing the bar. thanks wife!

First Aide kit - i put mine together from stuff i've stolen from friends houses whenever i go over and use the bathroom

playing cards - these look very similar to the ones i have, they are plastic so they won't get rained on

glasses/ sunglasses - i have really bad vision

personal hygiene kit - aahhhh dry shaving

Sawyer Mini / syringe, collapsible canteen (dirty), heavy duty straw - i've never used this

collapsible canteen (clean) - i've never used this either

sewing kit - i've used this a lot

ID tags - i guess if i get blown up they'll know my blood type?

garbage bag - for when my pockets are full

elastic bands - i use these when packing to keep rolled socks and things from falling apart

Salt - i have nooooo idea why i have this

cooking grate - i'm not going to hold meat over a fire with a stick like some sort of caveman

heavy duty ziplock bag - in case my mapcase breaks and other reasons

rip-patch - leftover from when i needed a pack because i bought a crummy cheap inflatable sleeping pad.

Army Fleece Beanie - i always keep this at the top of my pack

4 Bungie Cords - not the one i use but similar. to make a field-expedient shelter

Trowel - for disposal of biological wastes

Lensatic compass - because GPS should only be a backup

Pocketboy 130 folding saw - i have a bigger one for yardwork, this small one is really great

Tent stakes - for tent staking

Ravpower 26800 Battery - use this all the time can fast chage my stuff

Battery Battery holder, cables, wall charger - all fits togehter like glove!

Army Poncho - wear it, make a tent out of it etc

Microfiber towel - not the one i use but similar. i mainly use this for when the kids accidentally fall in a lake like they tend to do for some reason

Down Jacket - cheap chinese knockoff... i feel bad for not buying american

Wet weather top - not sure this is worth the space/weight

Wet Weather bottom - not sure if this is worth the weight/space

Silkweights - PJs! and warmth

Jungle Blanket - this is a lot better than the army's woobie. lighter and warmer

Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet - again, gift from wife. she wanted me to chop things and be more manly, generally. now i come home with parts of wildlife for her to cook

Map of New England - or, how i stopped worrying and love dismounted land navigation

PT belt - keeps me safe in all situations

Compression straps - i don't like lashing things to the outside but i guess i can if i wanted to

Fork and Spoon - stole these from the kitchen. i'll probably be replacing this soon with something titanium.

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EDIT: i just priced it out: $1,585.08 total

I've been eyeing a couple different hatchets and small axes by Gransfors Bruks. They are expensive but from what I've read they are solid as hell.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WIX6YC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_NCL.BbR6RFM06

That's what I've been looking at to carry with me.

In that pricerange I'd spend the extra $10-$15 and get a Becker BK2 instead. Everyone that uses them seems to love them. I don't use one personally because it seems a little oversized, but I've handled them and they have really solid construction.

If you want my tool recommendations, personally, I use the ESEE-4, Gransfors-Bruks Wildlife Hatchet and Tramontina 24" Machete combo. Three tools to do just about anything.