The Woodman's Pal

When it comes to chopping tools for daily, camping, and survival use, there are a variety of options. Thoughts immediately fly to hatchets and machetes, but there are a few odd items that may not come to mind. The Woodman's Pal exemplifies the unusual option.

I first encountered the Pal in Scouts. I'd forgotten about the Pal until watching the TV show The Walking Dead. One of the characters swings a Gerber Gator Pro, blatantly based off the Woodman's Pal Pro. With it back on my radar, I figured it was time to pick one up and try it out.



Upon looking on the Pal, you are instantly struck by the unusual shape. It might seem a blend between a machete and hatchet, but that really simplifies the whole design. There's a lot of effort that went into the original Pal to tailor it towards brush clearing and camp craft, filling the gap between a hand ax and a knife. The large, concave fore blade does most of the heavy cutting, met at the end by a wide, blunt section, then backed by a half-circle, single-slant blade. Handles vary based on the model, but this blade shape is universal to the Woodman's line.

The construction of the Pal is impressive to behold. Built out of a single piece of 1/4" high carbon steel, there really isn't a point a failure in the blade. The handle itself sits on a tang that is just an extension of the blade, regardless of handle style. Having broken edged tools and weapons at the narrowing point of the tang, I can really appreciate that such a failure is unlikely on this tool. This same hefty build provides the ease of swing that defines the classic use of the Pal.



When it comes to the handle, there's a a bit of choice here. The classic handle is 2 wood scales alongside the tang. I opted to go for the Pal Pro as it has a leather handle reminiscent of the Marine Kabar knife and a knuckle guard. The Pro was developed for the military in WW2 and was deployed to troops in the Asian front. Both styles have the same shape which is similar in curve to certain grips used in sport fencing. I'll admit I found the grip uncomfortable at first, until I read the instruction manual.

Most chopping tools don't come with instructions. The assumption is that you already know how to use it when you buy it. I don't think that is true in the US today unless you've spent time camping or in a rural environment, so including instructions seems a good idea. There are also some oddities that come from the shape of the blade and the handle, so it really is worth the read. If you want more info, you can even pick up the military fighting manual from WW2.



In actual use, I found it very impressive. I'm working up a head-to-head with a machete and a tomahawk for the coming weeks, so I'll do more comparison then, but I'll talk to the chopping capability of the Pal. Wielded free hand for brush clearing it is really remarkable. It can cut straight through saplings and brush over and inch thick with no effort, using nothing but the weight of the blade to do the work. The trick is to relax and let the Pal do the work, not your arm. I found clearing to be a dream through briars and scrub. The flat spot at the end of the blade also means you have some protection from bottoming out in the ground or hitting rocks, thus sparing the blade.



The back hook is great for dragging cut brush out of the way, as long as it takes little pressure to move it - the single angle blade does means you can cut through that brush with pressure. The hook shines when used more like a spokeshave, clearing the small branches or bark from cut saplings or branches. For quickly pulling together kindling, this can be a big time saver.

One of the greatest techniques that the Pal loans itself to is splitting small wood. The thick spine means you can place the blade where you want to split, the use another piece of wood to push it through. When working up my fire post, I split much of my tinder this way. Through seasoned wood, this was as quick or quicker as using a hatchet. The 45 degree angle really shines in this area.

I was a little disappointed when it came to cutting down longer branches. The flat that protects the blade makes it tough to lay something on a stump and cut it down. Instead you need to let the end hang over to do any chopping. If this can be arranged, it does chop effectively.

So, is it worth getting it? I'm trying to be a little more specific in reviews, so I'll look at a few key criteria, ranking each area on a scale of 1-5. I'll then sum up with a total out of 15, and whether I would buy it again.

Price: 2
This is, honestly, the worst part of the Pal. It is NOT a cheap tool. I suspect this is part of why Gerber built the Gator Pro. My Pal Pro cost @$70 and came without a sheath; adding a sheath will take another $30+. Of course, a quality tomahawk or hatchet can be pricey, but it do feel this is high for what it is. If they included a sheath I would consider it a better value.

Quality: 5
Top notch, really. I've made and handled metal tools of all sorts and have to say that this is on of the best constructed tools I've ever owned. I know of folks owning their grandfather's Pal and still using it day in and day out. This is something I seldom say about tools, and has to balance against the price. Additionally, it is made by a US company here in the States, so props to Woodsman for being able to turn out such a solid product here.

Does it do it's job?: 4
The question really is, does it do the job you want it to do? When used as suggested, this tool is surprising in it's versatility and power. It does take a bit of time to learn how to swing it for a while without fatiguing your wrist or forearm, but once you learn that, you can perform with it for a long while.

11 out of 15

Would I buy it again?
This is really the kicker. I picked the knuckle bow, but it may not be that vital, so I would skip that. I am bummed that I have to buy a separate sheath to be able to carry it in the field, but I'll break down eventually and do so. But the fact is, if I have to clear out brush or split down some small logs, I'll be reaching for this tool. I'm not sure I would want to use it in a zombie apocalypse, but in a pinch it would do. Yeah, I'd buy one again, but it's nice to know I'll never have to do so.