Plastic Hatchet

[21incher]

I found this plastic hatchet on clearance at Wally World for $12.00 so I thought tha I would try one.


 


 


 
The first peice of slabwood that I tried to split scared me. When it hit the wood and did not fully split it, the hatchet came flying back out of the wood. It seems like the shape of the blade and flex in the handle made it kickback. I guess that is why there were so many of these plastic handle tools on clearance. For some applications wood is the best solution.

[Czech_Made]

Ha!  Glad you ok.

Nothing like honest steel and hickory  ;D

[LeeB]

I've got a Fiskars splitting ax with a composite handle and I love it. Wife bought it of amazon on one of their lightning deals for super cheap.

[coalsmok]

I use one of there splitting axes as well and love it. Been planning on a short axe to go on my four wheeler if I ever catch one on sale

[21incher]

I've got a Fiskars splitting ax with a composite handle and I love it. Wife bought it of amazon on one of their lightning deals for super cheap.

They were putting a stack of them on clearance also for $19.00. Their handles looked like they were solid and not just a hollow shell like the hatchet handle. 

[21incher]

I use one of there splitting axes as well and love it. Been planning on a short axe to go on my four wheeler if I ever catch one on sale

I guess I am used to how a standard hatchet blade cuts and splits, but this one has a different geometry that will take some getting used to. It does not dig in and cut because the blade gets so thick near the sharpened edge. 

[starmac]

I have a 3/4 axe mounted on one of my four wheelers, and it is a nice axe. I have heard (no proof) that they do make two different grades of them, as in good quality and cheap quality, built in another country. Mine must be one of the better ones if that is the case, I do know it was not anywhere close to 19 bucks, more like 60, but don't remember the exact price.

[21incher]

I found my answer online. The hatchet head is designed for chopping, not splitting. I never knew there was a difference. The regular price was $32.00 for the hatchet and $58.00 for the  big splitting axes so I think they are top quality .

[Chuck White]

An axe for splitting firewood, for example should not be very sharp, pretty much dull, like a splitting maul.

One for chopping, like chopping down a tree should be really sharp.

[easymoney]

are you sure that plastic hatchet was not in the toy department? i can not believe that it could be hard enough to cut kindling with.

[LeeB]

The blade is not plastic, only coated.

Head Weight: 1-7/16 lb.
Head Type: Single Bit
Blade Head Material: Forged Steel
Product Type: Hatchet
Handle Length: 14 in.
Handle Material: DuraFrame
Replaceable Head: Yes
Sheath Included: Yes
Color Family: Black
Use to chop kindling and small to medium logs
Perfect balance and power-to-weight ratio increases speed
Hardened forged steel blade stays sharp longer
Low-friction blade coating cuts through wood
Inseparable permahead insert-molded head will not loosen
Shock-absorbing duraframe handle is lightweight and strong
Lifetime warranty

[coxy]

I went from a 8lb maul to the fiskars and have never looked back wish they had them 20 years ago 

[21incher]

I guess that I mostly use my hatchet for splitting kindling wood and the Scandivik one that I have been using for 30 years had the perfect shape blade for it, but the handle gave out. It would go deep in the wood and wedge it open with very little force and the energy always continued in the same direction. Looking at this one the blade is much thicker and I thought that it would be better to split wood. Turns out that the thicker blade does not bury itself in the wood and the spring of the handle kicks it right out of the endgrain. It works good cutting across the grain and has just enough spring back so it does not get wedged in the chips.  

[DelawhereJoe]

Its also great for backpacking, nice and lite, short enough to easily fit into my backpack. I use it for driving in tent stakes and cutting fallen branches/ trees shorter.

[WDH]

I have the fiskars hatchet at the mill.  I like it. 

[scully]

I have a bunch of hatchets and axe's  I still love my Estwing stacked leather handle hatchet .  Just a real nice tool .

[drobertson]

I have a bunch of hatchets and axe's  I still love my Estwing stacked leather handle hatchet .  Just a real nice tool .

Can't see ever owning any other,

[r.man]

Some variations of tools certainly work better for some jobs. I used to cut a lot of holes in lake and pond ice, always carried an ax on the snowmobile that did triple duty, cutting poles, splitting wood and putting holes in ice. Had a chisel to finish when the hole filled with water but most of the ice would be removed with the ax. One day I took a heavy splitting ax instead of the smaller one and never looked back. That heavier ax cut two to three times the ice with just a bit more effort. An ax or hatchet might be the right tool for the job but a different one might be much better at it.