Best Survival Hatchets

Comfort

Comfort matters. In working with your hands, whatever it may be, the comfort of your hands is important. In regards to survival hatchets, the body or handle of the hatchet should be comfortable. Ensuring that you can get any job done without fuss or annoyance from poorly designed handles. The level of comfort for the grip matters.

Before purchasing your survival hatchet, it’s important to consider what you’ll be using the hatchet primarily for. If you’re a worker and you need it for industrial work, perhaps a hatchet with hickory will best suit your needs (if of course you are used to hickory). If you’re an everyday average person wanting something that won’t be too hard on your hands, perhaps a hatchet with a rubberized grip is best for your needs or be best for your level of comfort.

Accuracy

Accuracy is another important factor to consider when purchasing a hatchet. Determining the accuracy should be contingent on your intended use. Some may just need one for simple outdoor activities or for backup while others may need it for work or hobbies. Whichever your usages may be, the level of accuracy is something to keep in mind.

An accurate hatchet is one that provides precise work for splintering wood. One that is so accurate that you can get the job done in one or two strikes. Not every hatchet on this list can do this, so keep this in mind before making your purchase. Consider looking into reviews to ensure that your desired hatchet can provide you with accurate outcomes for your work.

Materials

Be it a compact or traditional,  always purchase one that is made with quality materials. You are guaranteed to get your money’s worth when choosing quality. If it is cheaply made, you will be able to tell immediately by its lifespan or durability (in regards to both the head and handle).

Not every product is made equal. Take into account the materials used for the body (or handle) of the hatchet (be it hickory, rubberized or stainless steel) and the head of the hatchet (be it high carbon or stainless steel). At the end of the day, the best hatchets should be durable and dependable, two factors dependent on the materials used.

Effectiveness

There are several factors to be considered in determining the effectiveness of a survival hatchet. For this list, factors such as durability, accuracy, and materials were put into consideration (amongst others). These factors play a hand in how effective it will be as each depends on one another.

However, keep in mind that effectiveness is another criterion that can be subjective. Consider first your needs, usage, and frequency as previously mentioned to determine whether the chosen hatchet will be effective for you and your unique needs. Nonetheless, if you are still uncertain, go for one with a high carbon or stainless steelhead or one fully forged together to avoid potential breakage of the head from the handle.

Durability

Purchase a hatchet that is meant to last. A quality survival hatchet should be weather resistant and impact resistant. Normally traditional, larger are known to offer the highest level of durability, yet smaller more compact hatchets can prove themselves to be durable as well. Especially the everyday carry ones on this list.

It’s smart to look at the design of the hatchet if you are unsure of its level of durability. What materials are used for the body? What type of materials are used to create the head of the hatchet? Is it coated with a layer of material to ensure further durability? What material is the grip composed of? Does the head seem prone to breaking from the body? Questions like these can be of aid if you are unsure about the flashlight’s durability.

Expert Tips

Axe vs. Hatchet 

What’s the difference between an axe and a hatchet? That’s a fair question as they both differ from one another. While they may look the same in their overall appearance at first glance (despite the differences in the size of course) these two serve different functions.

Axe

Axes serve a purpose for users with specific needs, in particular, to meet the needs of people in specific professions. They’re originally designed for work that involves forestry; cutting down an entire tree to be concise. Their handles are typically larger than hatchets and require more skill to use. They too aren’t made to handle the variety of tasks that a hatchet can complete. If you’re not a skilled professional, it would be best to purchase a hatchet instead.

Hatchet

A hatchet differs from an axe in that it is designed for multiple purposes, yet these multiple purposes are typically for smaller tasks in comparison to an axe. This is because of the size of the handle. Handles for hatchets are normally smaller which makes them easier to hold and use for cutting branches, splitting firewood, and so forth. They are not particularly designed for high maintenance or laborious tasks. However, when designed with high quality, grade A material, can function for larger tasks. Experts recommend them for the everyday man; someone looking to have a reliable hatchet to complete their survival kit.

Head/Blade Material

As you’ve read through this list, you may have seen the two different types of head or blade materials used to complete the hatchet. While there are other types of metals used to construct the hatchet’s head, these are the two most commonly used.

High Carbon Steel

High carbon tool steels are known and proven to be significantly tougher than stainless steel blades due to their material being that of grain structure. They too can be sharpened if required. However, because of this grain structure, they do not retain their edge as long as stainless steel blades do. Moreover, high carbon tool steels are more prone to corrosion when exposed to the elements. If you are one that does not want to bother with maintenance for your hatchet, perhaps consider one made with stainless steel.

Stainless Steel

Unfortunately, stainless steel blades are not as durable as high carbon tool steels. Moreover, they can be more difficult to sharpen than their counterpart steel. However, stainless steel blades are typically weather-resistant as they are significantly less prone to corrosion. They too are known to hold their edge longer than high carbon tool steels. Whichever type you chose, ensure that it is forged as this entails a longer lifespan of the hatchet in terms of durability.

Handle Material

It is important to take into consideration which type of handle material suits your needs. As you’ve seen thus far, hatchet handles are composed of typically three types of materials: hickory, leather or rubber.

Hickory

If you’re one for aesthetics, you may love the traditional look of the hickory handle. This is the most commonly used material for hatchet handles as it is a classic. While nothing is wrong with going hickory, it may pose an issue in terms of comfort. Ensure that the handle is coated with a material that will allow you to have a firm grip whilst maintaining its level of comfort.

Leather

Leather is another common material used for hatchet handles. This too is a classic. Leather is comfortable to hold and provides you a secure, firm grip. However, leather is known for not being to perform well in wet conditions so keep this in mind when choosing your preferred hatchet.

Rubber

For the best grip, you may want to consider a hatchet with a rubber handle. Rubber performs wonderfully in wet conditions as it keeps the handle from slipping under all conditions. While it is not the best in terms of aesthetics, you are guaranteed a secure and comfortable grip.

Other Factors to Consider

Portability

They are designed to be portable. However, in creating the criteria used for this evaluation, portability was put into consideration for a variety of reasons. The definition of portability can vary from person to person depending on their needs. For a survival hatchet, this is neither exceptional.

Before purchasing your desired hatchet,  it’s important to consider what you’ll be using it primarily for. Also, consider where you would be intending on storing the hatchet. These two factors will influence what portability means to you. For some, a smaller tool to keep in their backpack is best, for others, a slightly larger one to store in a kit or car is best. That decision is yours to make.

Ease of Use

The ease of use is another factor to consider when purchasing a survival hatchet. Having a hatchet that is difficult to use, isn’t secure in the design or too large for easy strikes can defeat the purpose of purchasing this product. While this factor is subjective, it is still something worth considering.

This too applies to any additional features your chosen hatchet may offer. If these features are complex in design that require too much thought or effort, they too can become cumbersome. Look into the reviews before purchasing. See if the average person can manage to both use and enjoy this product to ensure you’re choosing the right hatchet for you.

Brand

It is important to consider the brand when purchasing your chosen hatchet. As always suggested, do a quick search on the brand online if you’re unsure of their reputation. Online outdoor reaction or survivalist communities are very vocal in their favorite and most trusted brands, review their online community forums if desired (some do require you to register first, however). If you can’t be bothered, go on Amazon and vet through the reviews.

Also, keep in mind that there are countless knockoffs posing as popular brands so do be aware of this when making your purchase as well as if the hatchet is made in China. It is common knowledge that a lot of products made in China have a reputation of being made poorly or cheaply but this varies from brand to brand so this is not absolute. Still keep this into consideration and properly vet the brand before purchasing your product.

Size  

The size of a survival hatchet is another factor to put into consideration before making your purchase. In general, an average-sized has a handle size of about 12 inches and a weight of 1.5 pounds, however, some can be significantly smaller. A larger sized hatchet is about the size of a small axe, with a handle of about 20 inches and a weight of 1.5 to 2 pounds. Some hatchets can be larger than this, but this borders on what some may define to be an axe.

Depending on your intended use, the size of the hatchet should be put into consideration. However, keep in mind that the smallest of hatchets can be just as powerful and well equipped to suit the needs of the everyday person.

Weather Resistance

Weather resistance (and water resistance even) is another factor you may want to put into consideration. As previously mentioned both the handle and the blade or head differ from hatchet. Stainless steel blades are wonderful at avoiding corrosion, while high carbon steels are prone to it.

Furthermore, handles with rubber allow for you to use the hatchet in wet conditions whereas leather tends to fail. Hickory seems to work in both conditions, however, ensure that it is coated for a better grip and durability. Nonetheless, depending on your intended usage and or environment, this is a factor to put into consideration.