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Best Hatchets 2023 – Updated by Burbro Editors on April 14th, 2021
Whether you’re cutting kindling, camping, hiking or an outdoor enthusiast, you’ll want to find the best hatchet. A hatchet is a smaller version of an axe. It serves many purposes such as chopping wood, splitting wood, cutting kindling, pounding stakes for your camping tent, and many other outdoor activities. The type of hatchet that you need will determine which hatchet is the best for you. For example, if you’re splitting wood, you’ll want a larger hatchet that makes it easier to split logs. However, if you’re camping or hiking, you’ll want a smaller hatchet that can be easily carried in your backpack.
If you’ve been looking for hatchets, you’ll find that there are a lot of products that you can choose from, but that doesn’t mean that all hatchets are worth your money. We’ve reviewed the best hatchet axes so you can find the highest-quality hatchets at an affordable price. In this article, we’ll help you choose the right hatchet for your needs and provide tips on choosing the best hatchet axe. Your axe needs to stay sharp, so we’ll also provide a list of the best sharpening stones and tools that can be used to sharpen your hatchet axe. You may also be interested in reviewing some of the Best Axes for 2023.
The Best Hatchets for 2023
If you’re hunting for the best hatchets, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve reviewed the best hatchet axes and compiled the top products into a list so you can easily find the right hatchet for your lifestyle. The hatchet axes are only good when they’re sharp. We’ll also provide a list of sharpening tools that you can use to sharpen your hatchet to keep the blade sharp and effective for splitting wood, chopping trees or cutting kindling.
Here are the Best Hatchet Axes in 2023.
- Best Hatchet for Splitting Wood: Gerber 17.5 Inch Hatchet
- Popular Hatchet for Chopping Wood: Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe
- Best Hatchet for Kindling: Estwing Camper’s Axe
- Best Budget Hatchet: Fiskars 14-Inch Hatchet
- Best Hatchet for Camping: Schrade Full Tang Hatchet
- Best Hatchet for Backpacking/Hiking: Estwing Sportsman Hatchet Axe
Sharpening Tools for Hatchets
1. Gerber 17.5 Inch Hatchet
The Best Hatchet for Splitting Wood.
When you’re splitting wood with a hatchet, you’ll need a hatchet with a longer handle and more weight behind the axe’s head, so you don’t need much effort to split the wood. The best hatchet for splitting wood is the Gerber 17.5-Inch Hatchet. The Gerber Freescape Hatchet features a 17-inch handle made from composite fiber, making it lightweight and easy to swing while being durable. The handle also comes with a soft-touch covering and a handle flare, so you have better control of the axe. The blade of the Freescape hatchet is coated with Teflon, making it a ‘low friction’ blade and prevents the blade from getting stuck in the wood. The coating on the blade makes it easier to make clean cuts when you’re splitting wood with the Gerber hatchet.
Features: Forged Steel Blade, PTFE Low-Friction Coating; Composite Shock Absorbing Handle; Ideal for Splitting Small logs
Dimensions: 17.5-Inches; 2-Pounds
2. Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe
A Popular Hatchet for Chopping Wood.
If you’re chopping trees or chopping wood, you’ll want a lighter axe with a sharp blade so you can chip away at the wood and chop it down. One of the best hatchets for chopping wood is the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe. The Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe is a traditional-looking axe with a wooden handle that’s about 19-inches in length. It features a solid forged steelhead, and the entire axe weighs about 2 lbs, making it easy to use for chopping down trees. Keep in mind that this hatchet axe is a premium axe, and it’s quite expensive. If you’re looking for an affordable hatchet, you’ll want to look at other options on our list. One of the reasons these axes are so expensive is that they’re handcrafted in Sweden, which is great for those who can afford them, but they’re not ideal for the average consumer.
Features: Forged Steel Head; Wooden Handle; Tanned Leather Sheath
Dimensions: 19-Inches; 2-Pounds
3. Estwing Camper’s Axe
The Best Hatchet for Kindling.
When you’re cutting kindling, you’ll need a smaller hatchet that has a thin blade that can easily cut the wood into kindling. If you’re looking for the best hatchet for kindling, you’ll want to look at the Estwing Camper’s Axe. The Estwing Camper’s Axe features a 16-inch handle and is made from one piece of forged steel for better strength. The axe handle is also wrapped in genuine leather, so you always have a comfortable grip when you’re using the hatchet. The Estwing Camper’s Hatchet Axe also comes with a flat pommel head, making the axe more versatile for other tasks. This hatchet also comes with a headcover, which prevents your blade from becoming dull or cutting you or your gear.
Features: One-Piece Forged Steel; Genuine Leather Grip; Ballistic Nylon Sheath
Dimensions: 16-Inches; 2-Pounds
4. Fiskars 14-Inch Hatchet
The Best Budget Hatchet.
If you’re looking for a hatchet that can easily chop smaller trees, split smaller logs, cut kindling and branches, you’ll want to look at the Fiskars 14-Inch Hatchet Axe. Their 14-inch hatchet axe is an affordable axe and is high quality. This makes it one of the best budget hatchets that you can find on the market. The Fiskars 14-Inch Hatchet features a fiber composite handle, making it lightweight and durable. The Fiskars hatchet’s handle also comes with a rubber grip and has handle flares, so it’s easier to control the axe when you’re using it. One of the things we like about the Fiskars Hatchet is that it comes with a superior blade design. Their blade makes it easier to split logs with less force, and it’s easy to sharpen, so you always have a sharp blade on your hatchet.
Features: Forged Carbon Steel; Low-Friction Coating; Composite Fiber Handle; Superior Blade Design; Lifetime Warranty
Dimensions: 14-Inches; 1.4-Pounds
5. Schrade Full Tang Hatchet
The Best Hatchet for Camping.
When you’re camping, you’ll need a small hatchet that’s versatile and can be used for many tasks. If you’re looking for the best hatchet for camping, you’ll want to look at the Schrade Full Tang Hatchet. This is a small hatchet that can be easily stored and is affordable for the average consumer. The Schrade Full Tang Hatchet features an 11-inch handle with a rubber grip, making it easy to hold in all weather conditions. This axe also comes with a thermoplastic cover to be carried without cutting yourself or your gear. If you’re a camper, you’ll want to use this axe. It comes with a pommel head, which is ideal for pounding stakes into the ground. The blade is also sharp, making it easy to chop wood, split kindling and cut down tree branches for firewood.
Features: Stainless Steel Blade; Black Rubber Handle; Pommel Hammer Head
Dimensions: 11.1-Inches; 2-Pounds
6. Estwing Sportsman Hatchet Axe
The Best Hatchet for Backpacking and Hiking.
If you enjoy going for adventures in the outdoors, you’ll want to be prepared by having some camping essentials in your backpack. One of the camping essentials you’ll want is a small hatchet that can be carried in your backpack and used on hikes. The Estwing Sportsman Hatchet Axe features a 14-inch axe made from a single piece of forged steel. The axe handle is wrapped in leather, so you always have a comfortable grip and better control of the axe. The Estwing Sportsman Hatchet Axe comes with a nylon headcover, which prevents the axe from becoming dull. These axes are hand sharpened, so you’ll want to store the axe in your backpack carefully so it doesn’t cut your gear.
Features: One-Piece Forged Steel; Genuine Leather Grip; Ballistic Nylon Sheath
Dimensions: 14-Inches; 2-Pounds
The Best Sharpening Tools
A hatchet is only good if it’s sharp. If you’re using a dull hatchet, you’ll have trouble chopping down trees, splitting wood or cutting kindling to start fires. To keep your hatchets sharp, you’ll need to use a sharpening tool. In this section, we’ll review some of the best sharpening tools for hatchets so that you can keep your hatchet razor-sharp and effective for cutting wood.
Here are the best sharpening tools for hatchets.
- Best Sharpening Tool: Sharpal Dual-Grit Sharpener
- Best Sharpening Stone: Sharp Pebble Premium Stone
- Best Whetstone: Sharpening Whetstone
- Best Sharpening Belt: Work Sharp Field Sharpener
How to Choose the Best Hatchet
We want to help you find the best hatchet for your needs, so we’ve created a list of tips to help you find the perfect hatchet for your lifestyle. If you’re new to using hatchets, you’ll want to read through these tips before choosing a hatchet axe.
Here are some tips for choosing a hatchet axe.
- When you’re choosing a hatchet, you’ll need to consider how you’ll be using the hatchet. If you’re splitting wood, you’ll need a different hatchet than if you’re chopping down trees with the hatchet. By knowing how you’ll use the hatchet, you can choose a hatchet that’s right for your needs.
- If you’re splitting wood, you’ll want an axe that has more weight so that the axe can easily split logs. The heavier weight will also prevent the axe from getting stuck in the wood and make it easier to split logs with less effort.
- If you’re chopping down trees or chopping branches, you’ll want a lighter axe, so it’s easier to swing and a sharp blade. With a lighter axe, you’ll be able to swing the axe on a horizontal plane without tiring. The axe’s sharp edge will also eat away at the tree and make it easier to chop down the trees.
- You’ll also need to consider the length of the hatchet handle. If you’re camping or hiking, you’ll want a smaller hatchet that can easily be carried in your backpack and doesn’t weigh very much. However, if your hatchet is for home use, you may want a longer handle that makes it easier to use the hatchet.
- When you’re looking for the best hatchet, you’ll also want to consider the handle’s material. We recommend that you use composite fiber because it’s lightweight and durable. However, you may prefer wooden handles if you’re an old soul and love the traditional look of wooden hatchets.
- We recommend finding a hatchet with a comfortable grip. If the axe has a leather grip or a soft leather grip, you’ll find that they’re easier to use. If you’re using a wooden hatchet, you’ll want to use work gloves, so you get a better grip on the axe when you’re using the hatchet.
- To gain a better grip on your axe, you may want to use a hatchet that comes with handle flares. The handle flares make it easier to grip the hatchet and prevent the axe from slipping out of your hands while you’re swinging the hatchet.
Summary
We hope you enjoyed this article, and it helped you find the best hatchet. If you’re new to using hatchets, you may want to read through our list of tips to help you choose the perfect hatchet axe for your lifestyle. When you’re purchasing a hatchet, you should always set a budget for your purchase. By having a budget, you’ll be able to quickly find the best hatchet for your needs by eliminating the axes that are outside of your price range.
