055ISSUE 32OFFGRIDWEB.COMGLUTTON FOR
PUNISHMENTthrows, abuse, and complete disrespect, it was time to put
it to the test.
Does it Still Work?
Last summer, I took the family camping in the Sierra
mountains, and we collected firewood off the ground.
I brought my Gränsfors Bruk hatchet to compare with
the Tops Skullcrusher SXB. Typically, I’d choose to carry
a hatchet rather than a large knife any day of the week.
Generally speaking, a hatchet’s lighter, better at cutting,
and with practice can be used like a knife for chopping,
feathering, and notching. I use it to clean trout all the time.
Finally, a hatchet can break down a tree with less effort
than a usual knife. Not the Skullcrusher though!
Keep in mind, the comparison was between a razor-
sharp GB hatchet and a bent, chipped, and dulled SXB.
Before I start raving about this knife’s performance, I
must say that I began this test with apprehension. After
all, my initial impressions were that it was an eccentric
tacticool blade and ridiculously impractical. However, it
looks like ol’ EJ has some Ranger tricks up his sleeve that
this Marine wasn’t prepared for. In fact, when I received
the knife, I immediately did a live video in which I called
out EJ. Being the good sport that he was, he said, “Chal-
lenge accepted, brother.”
During the camping trip, I tested the knife by de-limbing
branches of trees, batoning wood to split, hacking away at
logs, and overall generally abusing a knife for a standard
camping trip and backwoods survival situation. Through-
out these tasks, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and
feeling. The knife has an industry-standard Micarta handle,
and I loved the grip style, called Rocky Mountain Tread. It
didn’t cut up my hands, provided a great grip, and really
stuck to my gloves well, allowing fantastic control.
The batoning test worked as I figured it would. As many
of you know, batoning isn’t just a function of the blade,
but the force at which you baton. Some blades that are
lightweight have a tougher time making it through. The45 76