>>1887923> imo refurbished is the best way to get a decent axe/hatchet for under $100 these days.I bought a 10€ hatchet from a local hardware store, and turned one into a camping axe.
The hickory handle was good enough, but the blade was too heavy.
I used a plasma cutter to remove part of the blade, turning it to "bearded axe".
The shape of the beard and cut-out is loosely based on "Type B" Viking axe on Petersen classification.
I cleaned up the blade with belt sander and ground down the pean until the weight and balance felt right.
The bearded blade looks bit weird, but it works well.
