Gransfors Bruk Hand Hatchet

Small enough to fit in your pack/on your belt. Perfect for splitting firewood or limbing downed trees.

I bought this a while ago for longer canoe trips. It has since become one of my favorite pieces of kit!

CONSTRUCTION:  Gransfors Bruks is known for its attention to detail. This little guy is no exception. The construction of this little hand hatchet shows every bit as much care as my fully sized American Felling Axe. The hickory handle feels smooth and is attached using a traditional wood-wedge instead of epoxy.  The sheath is made from vegetable tanned leather to give you plenty of protection when not using your hatchet.  Finally, the head is hand forged and has the initials of the smith who made it.

CARRY OPTIONS:  The Hand Hatchet comes with a leather sheath that completely covers the blade and securely snaps in place.  This allows you to safely transport the Hand Hatchet in your bag without worrying about tearing the fabric of your pack.  By running part of the sheath over your belt, you can also carry the Hand Hatchet on your belt quite comfortably.

DESIGN:  The head is "traditional" rather than polished, which gives the hatchet a nice rustic look.  With regards to size, it is light enough to wear comfortably on your belt, but heavy enough for medium sized tasks.  When in use, the handle feels smooth and comfortable in my hand.  It is a little shorter than I would normally like, but is certainly capable in a pinch.

CAPABILITIES:  At just over 1 pound, the head on this hatchet is too light for serious work, but it is heavy enough to handle most campsite tasks. I have used it to limb fallen trees for campfires, to make feather sticks (while I still prefer my knife for this particular task, the Gransfors Bruks has proven nimble enough to get the job done), and to chop up a few branches reaching up to 4" in diameter (It takes more work to cut through larger branches than it would with an axe, but this guy is built for abuse and is easily up to the job). If you were really in a pinch, you could use this hatchet to fell small trees, but it would take a considerable amount of energy.

The one shortcoming of this hatchet in my eyes is the length of the handle. On the one hand, the shorter handle makes it easier to pack / carry. On the other hand, it makes it harder to use when splitting wood. The handle is so short that I have repeatedly bruised my knuckles while trying to split smaller logs (This only occurs when holding the log and hatchet together, then bringing both down onto another piece of wood).

This isn't a huge deal as there are other splitting techniques that work splendidly. However, do it once or twice and you'll be wary of splitting with this little guy for a while.

A small, light axe which can be easily carried, masked with its leather sheath, inside your pack or on your belt.

Check out the review on Youtube. Have fun.

Here you can watch the review. Have fun.