Dan Beck asked, "I recently got into spoon making and green-wood
working, and I would like to get myself a decent carvers axe/hatchet."

"The ax is an implement with which one can as easily carve a spoon or
build a house."  Tolstoy 

Something to think about since you mention spoon making.  Tolstoy wasn't
kidding.  Spoon making is big in Russia, or was anyway.  

The trick in picking a carving hatchet/ax (hatchet is what you're
looking for in English, a small ax to be used with one hand) is
lightness and sharpness.  I have a Russian hatchet that fits the bill,
just under two pounds.  It looks very much like this carver's hatchet
from Picard: 
https://www.amazon.com/Ruthe-Picard-03010062019-Hatchet-Hickory/dp/B01D
W5QRYM/ref=asc_df_B01DW5QRYM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=229286241014&hvp
os=1o6&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15750048664762567457&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvc
mdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032497&hvtargid=aud-643565131866:pla-384739526321&psc=1
">https://www.amazon.com/Ruthe-Picard-03010062019-Hatchet-Hickory/dp/B01DW5QRYM/
ref=asc_df_B01DW5QRYM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=229286241014&hvpos=1o6&
hvnetw=g&hvrand=15750048664762567457&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hv
locint=&hvlocphy=9032497&hvtargid=aud-643565131866:pla-384739526321&psc=1


And one from Brufer: 
https://www.amazon.com/BRUFER-203651-3-Hatchet-Genuine-Hickory/dp/B07PX
G14C8/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_469_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q07QK7657DG38BKHRM9B">h
ttps://www.amazon.com/BRUFER-203651-3-Hatchet-Genuine-Hickory/dp/B07PXG14C8/ref=
pd_lpo_sbs_469_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q07QK7657DG38BKHRM9B


I'd probably go for the Brufer because of the lighter weight.  

The second trick is sharpness.  Two people complained about the
sharpness of the Picard.  Well, take it to a tool sharpening service and
have it ground to 20 degrees.  That's how the Russians do it.  I tried
it on both my Russian axes and it makes them a different animal from the
usual ax/hatchet.  Think of the shingles on Russian onion domes. 
They're carved to follow the curves of the dome, and they're carved
individually with an ax. 

For carving, a side ax is too heavy for my tastes.  I like side axes and
have several -- even a left handed one.  For carving purposes, they're
also limiting.  Sharpened to 20 degrees, you pretty much don't need one.


Mike in Woodland