Estwing Sportsman's Axe - 14" Camping Hatchet with Forged Steel Construction & Genuine Leather Grip - E24A

I don't write many reviews but this little gem deserves one. Proudly made in the USA since 1923, this is the same fine tool your granddad bought, with the same high quality forging and rugged leather grip. Properly used and cared for it will stand up to several lifetimes of hard use. I recently bought a spare from Amazon and this review is based on that item.A couple of observations/recommendations: I note one reviewer whose hatchet handle rotted. Well yeah. As these come from the factory the handle is given a glossy varnished finish and the stacked leather grip underneath is very dry. It looks nice when it's new but the varnish will crack and chip with use, and then the grip will absorb water like a sponge, ruining the leather. Thus, knowledgable sportsmen have long looked fondly on that glossy factory finish and then taken a couple of sheets of 100-grit sandpaper and sanded it off. Mask off the metal part of the shaft of the handle, no point in scratching that up, but do round off the sharp edge of the metal washer at the base of the handle to make it more comfortable in use. Be sure to get all the varnish off, the leather underneath will look almost white when you're done sanding. 100 grit is fine, there's no need to finish with finer grades.Then get a bottle of Fiebing's Neatsfoot Oil (available at Amazon!) and rub it in. If you didn't get all the varnish off you'll immediately notice light spots where the oil isn't soaking in, stop and sand those off. You'll be amazed at how much oil that leather grip will absorb, my new one has taken at least an ounce of oil and it's still sucking it up. It will take several applications over several days to do a thorough job -- the idea is to completely saturate the leather grip -- just slather it on with a fingertip at first and then rub it in after a couple of days' applications. Put some on the sturdy leather sheath they provide while you're at it. The neatsfoot will give the grip a nice antique brown finish and a slightly sticky, non-slip feel, and once the grip is thoroughly saturated it will be nearly impervious to the elements *forever*. I have hunting knives and another old Estwing hatchet that were given this treatment by my dad and grandfather before I was born -- that was a long time ago -- the grips have turned black over the years but they're still as sound as the day they were made and they've seen a lot of weather over the years.Then get a Lansky "puck" dual grit sharpener (also available at Amazon!) and sharpen the blade. They come dull, probably for product liability reasons it will only be as sharp as you're capable of making it, but it will take a fine edge with a little effort. Then avoid chopping it into the ground, rocks, or what have you -- it will take you several patient hours to put the initial edge on the blade and all that effort will be wasted if you whack it against a rock. The blade should never touch anything but the wood it's made to cut.Learn to split kindling safely by taking a 1-2' piece of wood 2-3" in diameter, holding it by one end pointed away from you and resting the other end parallel to the ground across a larger piece of wood. Split the far end by chopping through it sideways into the chopping block and then giving the hatchet and the wood a deft twist to split it lengthwise (a glove on your off-hand isn't a bad idea). Repeat with each half until you have enough kindling. Whatever you do, don't try to hold a piece of kindling on end and split it lengthwise lumberjack-style, that's a good way to lose a finger or chop yourself in the knee.Guys, this is a tool every manly man should treat himself to and learn to use! There's darn few things in this world that are the same high quality they were 90 years ago but this is one of them.

This is a totally excellent Hatchet. Weighted and balanced so incredibly well. Beautiful and great grip. Blade comes extremely sharp and ready for use. You can feel it's power and sturdiness the second you start swinging and chopping. The extra weight in so, so nice. Such quality and EXCELLENTLY shipped/wrapped to insure quality on arrival. Highly recommend spending the $ on this one friends! MADE IN THE USA!!!

I previously purchased an Estwing rock hammer and have been impressed with its quality and appearance. This hatchet arrived well-finished, and sharp enough to use on wood, but not as sharp as it could be! I used my Worksharp sharpener to put a very fine edge on this, actually sharp enough to shave arm hairs. This may be too sharp for a hatchet, but it does tell me the steel is of very good quality. I can't put a shaving sharp edge on the poor steels. Definitely not the case with this. I will be using mine for splitting wood, making kindling, and occasionally splitting the pelvis and sternum on big game.After admiring the beautiful handle, I decided to sand the clear coat off and saturate the handle with neatsfoot. I found the clear coat on mine somewhat thick and time-consuming to sand off with 100 grit, so I used my Worksharp (mini belt sander) to finish the job. It appears the white and black spacers are plastic and will melt and smear if you get them too hot sanding! Anyway, this had the effect of weathering my handle a little bit, but did not affect functionality. It is currently wrapped with a rag soaked in Neatsfoot oil, and I hope it will absorb completely in the next couple of days.I like the design on the leather sheath, and it is well-made and functions as a good, safe blade guard. However, the belt slots could be a little longer. My 1 1/2" belt just barely fits in them. I might put a leather drop loop on mine. Anyway, this is a great little hatchet and it will be handed down to one of my sons. I have Buck and Guide Gear hatchets also, with synthetic handles. They work fine too but IMO do not look near as nice as this one.

Great product and top notch quality and finish. This product embodies the idea of paying a few more bucks and getting a world class product made in the USA. One solid piece of American steel (says that on the tag). That's the five star part of this review.The one start part of this review is that Estwing has been selling out and making many of their products in China lately. The quality difference is noticeable from 5 feet away. No thanks. I'll only buy their American products.

If you have ever broken the handle of an axe or hatchet, this is what you need. I think it will last forever, as I sure will not be able to break the handle no matter how badly I abuse it!

This guy is very sharp right out of the box. Very solid construction and you can tell it has been made with quality materials. The only reason I did not give it five stars is because of how slick the handle can be. It's not going to fly out of your hand when you use it,but a little rougher material on the handle would be ideal .