The 7 Best Hatchets For Woodworkers

A well-made hatchet is an essential tool for woodworkers and outdoorsmen. They’re a must-have for campers and preppers as well. When looking for one, you should look for their dependability and convenience, among other features. You also have to choose one that can retain its edge for a long time. Check out the best hatchets that are for you in this guide.

A Detailed Review on the 7 Best Hatchets

Estwing Sportsman's Axe - 14" Camping Hatchet

The Estwing Sportsman Camping Hatchet is one of the best hatchets known to be durable and long-lasting. It is a perfect tool for chopping logs, small trees, branches, or splitting firewood and kindling.

Product Highlights

This tool is forged in one piece and features an outdoor versatility. It has a heavy-duty, ballistic nylon sheath to protect your hand from the sharpened cutting edge. It features a genuine leather grip that is hand sanded and lacquered for a durable yet comfortable finish.

The Good

It is made in the USA and tempered to ensure it will exert enough strength when used. Its head and neck are hands polished that undoubtedly makes it the choice of many outdoorsmen. It also features excellent physical balance for more efficient use.

The Bad

Users complain that the hatchet is not resistant to scratches. Other customers noted that its blade is prone to warping.

SOG Tactical Tomahawks - Throwing Hatchet

SOG Tactical Tomahawks - Throwing Hatchet is a lightweight and heavy-duty multiuse axe designed for the tactician and the practical user. It works great as a breaching axe, camping axe, and backpacking axe and comes with a versatile ballistic nylon carry sheath.

Product Highlights

It measures 15.75 inches and is built to swing fast and true. It features a razor-sharp 420 stainless steel hatchet blade. The stainless-steel axe head is mounted to the glass-reinforced tactical axe nylon handle with heavy-duty bolts and a steel ferrule for added handle reinforcement. 

The Good

High-impact glass-reinforced nylon runs the length of the handle, which is extended for more leverage. It is a great survival axe and fire rescue tool. It boasts a sleek black blade finish for added durability. It is designed with a flat edge for hammering and a spike for piercing. It also includes a belt loop for 1.5-inch belts. 

The Bad

Users complain that the handle is relatively thin that causes an over-all weight imbalance. Other customers said it is too light for heavy-duty use and needs sharpening on first use.

Condor Tool & Knife, Greenland Pattern Axe

The Condor Greenland Pattern Axe is one of the best hatchets crafted from the highest quality materials. This high-quality and efficient tool is built for performance and durability.

Product Highlights

Its 16-inch handle is made from American Hickory hardwood and designed with a lanyard hole. Its axe head blade material is 1045 high carbon steel. Its blade finish is condor classic, and it has a brown leather edge cover. It works great at splitting firewood while camping and for various little bushcraft projects.

The Good

It measures 16 ¼ inches overall; 5 5/8 inches axe head with three ¾ inches cutting edge. It is an excellent reliable hatchet with a perfect balance. This low maintenance tool will give good value for your money as it comes at an affordable price.

The Bad

Some users complain that the handle is thick, making it inconvenient to use. Others also noted that the axe head tends to loosen with frequent use.

CRKT Ruger Hatchet: Compact Survival, Outdoor Axe

CRKT Ruger Hatchet: Compact Survival, Outdoor Axe features a hot-forged, black powder-coated 1055 carbon steel head, balanced with a polypropylene and glass fiber handle. The Magnesium phosphate black coating on the head provides resistance to scratches and corrosion.

Product Highlights

It’s incredibly durable and supremely wear-resistant, so it keeps an edge even if you find yourself constructing a shelter, chopping firewood, shaving kindling, or all of the above. It is ideal for heavy-duty use, making it the best hatchet for most users.

The Good

It is made to last. It has a reinforced handle with texture for extra grip and a lanyard accessory for additional retention. It works efficiently at cutting woods and rescue tools, and the blunt face hammer poll can also be used for pounding tent stakes and other outdoor activities.

The Bad

One downside of this hatchet is that it does not come with a sheath. Some users complain that the hatchet arrived dull and unsharpened. They also said that its handle feels uncomfortable.

BRUFER 203651-3 Hatchet Axe

BRUFER 203651-3 Hatchet Axe features a drop-forged carbon steel head with a genuine hickory wood handle. Its head is safely attached to the hickory shaft using both a wooden and steel wedge for a more secure fastening and safe use.

Product Highlights

Its total length measures 14-1/2 inches with a blade length of four inches. Its head weighs 600 grams that make the right physical balance. Its wood handle has a textured surface to give you enough grip in using the tool. It is well-made and ideal for frequent use.

The Good

Its sharp tip is valuable for wood cutting. Aside from being an efficient hatchet, this is also a popular tool used for sports such as axe throwing, home use and gardening, camping, and other outdoor activities and woodwork projects. 

The Bad

Users complain that the blade edges need to be sharpened. Other users noted that its handle is weak and prone to breaking. A few customers said that the product is highly-priced.

Marbles MR701SB Camp Axe

Marbles MR701SB Camp Axe is a designed small and lightweight, easily carried inside your bag or on your belt. It features a compact design yet works excellent at cutting, chopping, or splitting wood.

Product Highlights

The axe has 6 inches 1045 high carbon steelhead and a 4-inch cutting edge. The American hickory handle measures 15.75 inches and has an enlarged lanyard hole for optional easy storage. It is made using top quality materials and has been proven durable with heavy-duty use.

The Good

It comes with a sheath with brown leather construction and leather lanyard for safekeeping when not in use. It has a clean finish and a comfortable handle. It comes pretty sharp out of the box.

The Bad

This product is highly-priced compared to others. Others said that the handle is very thin and is not in perfect alignment with the cutting edge.

Schrade SCAXE2 11.8in Stainless Steel Small Axe

Schrade SCAXE2 11.8in Stainless Steel Small Axe is built on fine craftsmanship. It is high quality and dependable tool made with premium materials and built to last. It is designed with safety consideration; the blade will not slip with the ergonomic black rubber grip's security.

Product Highlights

It has an ideal weight that facilitates balance. It features a titanium-coated stainless-steel head. Its black glass fiber-filled handle comes with an ergonomic black TPR rubber grip for more convenient use. The axe head is sharp and strategically shaped to ensure complete contact and prevent hand and arm strain.

The Good

Its thermoplastic rubber handle is shaped to fit comfortably in hand to ensure dependable and balanced contact when used. It has a textured hammer pommel located on the back of the blade and a Ferro rod stored inside the shaft. It also includes a durable thermoplastic belt sheath to keep the tool when not in use safely.

The Bad

Users complain that it does not have the right balance when used. Other users said that its hammer pommel is poorly designed and inefficient.

Conclusion

A hatchet may look like a tool designed for cutting and splitting wood, but it can come handy in various situations. This simple tool serves many of the same purposes as a fixed blade knife and a few others that even survival knives can't quite do. Opt for the best hatchet so you can have the best edge on your woodwork projects and have an ultimate survival tool at the same time.

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