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Axes and Hatchets

The best axes and hatchets, reviewed and curated by the Trailspace community. The latest review was added on January 8, 2023. Stores' prices and availability are updated daily.

Recent Axe/Hatchet Reviews

rated 3 of 5 stars
Council Tool Forest Service Axe

Decent axe for the price, but it came with a bad handle and worthless plastic handle wedge. I'd recommend buying the Council Standard boys axe instead due to the price difference. After suffering humiliation attempting to use the Gransfors small forrest toy, I went ahead and bought this. Well, the first time out it didn't go much better lol.  After about three wacks the blade sunk very deep in the tree, but with the handle no longer attached. I found out the hard way that the plastic wedge they… Full review

rated 0.5 of 5 stars
Gransfors Bruk Small Forest Axe

Not for any serious work at all. I stumbled across another glowing review of this axe and I figured someone should know the truth. You're paying for a fancy piece of equipment that's not built for hard or real work. This was the absolute worst camping axe my family ever owned. I had one gifted to me many years ago when these were much less expensive. Now they go for around 250 bucks on amazon which I find amazing.  This Gucci axe was sharp and cool looking, but then we actually tried to use it… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Hults Bruk Jonaker

Handy trail companion. Bombproof craftsmanship and ergonomically excellent!                   This handy hatchet has been used on a multitude of adventures and it has really performed flawlessly. Knowing from the outset that it is a hatchet, NOT an axe, is beneficial in helping keep expectations realistic. If you are looking to fell some trees or split some large logs, don’t expect the Jonaker to be your tool. However, if you need an alternative tool to help split some smaller pieces,… Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
Estwing Leather Sportsman's Axe

Well-built little hatchet.             OK, so first off I must say that this review is from Australia, so pricing and types of wood encountered are very different to a USA-based review. Firstly, as it is fully imported from the US the little Estwing here sells for just over AUD$100.   The second thing to bear in mind is a thing called the janka hardness scale, an international scale that determines the hardness of any timber globally.  Interestingly the number one spot is held by a native… Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
CRKT Woods Nobo T-Hawk

With a few mods it makes a great camp tool. It's lighter than most hatchets but heavier than some T-hawks and gets a good chop. Not ideal for splitting but will do for most camp purposes. A few mods are necessary for this to be a great tool. 1) (Most importantly) put a much better edge on the head; it comes very dull. 2) Refinish the handle. It has some horrible varnish on it, but with some sanding and some boiled linseed oil it feels much better and handles much better (there's a reason it's the… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Gransfors Bruk Mini Hatchet

I've had mine for over 35 years! I use it instead of a knife quite a bit. Just received a hand hatchet to go with it. Not much I couldn't do with these, short of felling a large tree. Just a great all around tool to get most chopping cutting chores done. Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Gransfors Bruk Outdoor Axe

Lightweight, a fantastic chopper and splitter...much better and lighter than a large Bowie-style knife for bushcrafting and camping chores. A joy to use. This is a beautifully designed and balanced lightweight hand axe for the hiker, back country camper, and bushcrafter. You can certainly build an expedient shelter, you can fell, limb, buck, split, and carve trees that are 5-inches in diameter or less fairly readily. You can use it to skin, clean, and butcher small game. Carrying this and a small… Full review

rated 3.5 of 5 stars
Estwing Camper's Axe

A decent light axe for minor felling, chopping, and splitting...but doesn't compare to a good HB or GB. I bought one of these a few years ago, and have used it mostly around the house. I've found it's best for light limbing and felling, but the design of the blade is such that it really is a chopper, not a splitter. I'm surprised at how much better a smaller, lighter Granfors Bruk axe is at both felling and splitting.  Buy it if you want a fairly inexpensive and durable decent axe for occasional… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Estwing Camper's Axe

Lifesaver on a long hike. A while back when I was with a Scout Troop hiking the JMT in the High Sierras we were caught in a severe summer storm near Gem Lake. Lightning, hail, low temps and high winds. We found ourselves in an old hunting camp that had been dismantled and discovered our tube tents were no match for the storm, so with a little ingenuity and freezing desperation we set about building a storm haven. With the hatchet we pulled dozens of six inch nails from timbers and with just the… Full review

Other Types of Knives and Tools

Find more knives and tools reviewed in these related categories:

Knives

Multi-Tools

Camp Saws

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