Best Survival Hatchets
- The Bear Grylls Hatchet
- Fisker X7 Hatchet
- Estwing Sportsman
- Schrade SCAXE 10 Hatchet
- Husqvarna H900 13″ Composite Hatchet
- Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet
Are you in the market for a new canteen?
In this post, you’re going to see the best survival hatchets so you can get the one you’re looking for will be as easy as possible. That’s the goal.
Welcome to the Ultimate Buyers Guide on the sharpest hatchets.
RELATED: Best Survival Canteens
Overview
We’re going to give you specifics on what we found to be the top hatchets for survival, camping, backpacking, and other outdoor activities. The features, pros, cons, and overview are described for each hatchet below.
Let’s look at a broad overview and comparison table of the best hatchets. Then we’ll go through each one individually with the specific details for the hatchet.
Criteria
But first, keep these in mind as you’re looking at the comparisons and details of each hatchet.
Here are the criteria I used to determine the best ones.
- Material
- Design:
- Durability:
- Brand
- Price
- Preference
Top 10 Hatchets
After hours of research, reading articles, reviews, and watching videos. This is what I found for the best survival hatchets.
All of the following are the best ones we’ve found. They all have raving reviews by owners and are more than worth the money.
Now to the nitty-gritty details of each one.
Bear Grylls Hatchet
Overview:
The Gerber Bear Grylls hatchet was made with the camper in mind.
Made in Portland by the colossal brand Gerber. This compact hatchet comes with the sheath.
The Bear Grylls hatchet is full-tang construction hatchet that was made for more than just chopping. The back of the stainless steel head has a surface that allows you to use it for many camping uses.
Most of its weight is inside the head of steel.
This military grade hatchet is one of the best hatchets out there today.
Specs:
- Blade Material: Carbon Steel
- Handle: Polypropylene
- Full length: 9.46 inches
- Weight: 1 lbs
Video Review
Here’s a video review of the Gerber Bear Grylls hatchet. He says it’s the best survival hatchet.
Pros
- Good price for the quality
- Comes equipped with a built-in hammerhead
- Larger blade than others like it
- The handle is made of non-slip rubber
- The belt loop is included
- Sheath is included
Cons
- Only con would be its limitations for simply being a hatchet
Fiskars X7 Hatchet
Overview:
This hatchet is one of the most recommended hatchets you’ll see around the web. Many of them mention that they’ve had this blade for decades and is still working good as new.
For first-time hatchet buyers, the Fiskars X7 is strongly recommended.
Specs:
- Blade Material: Steel with a low-friction coating
- Handle Material: FiberComp
- Full length: 14-inches
- Weight: 1.38 lbs
Video Review
Here’s a well-done review of the Fiskars X7 hatchet.
Cons
- The low-friction blade making chopping safer
- Durable handle material
- Comes with a lifetime warranty.
Cons
- The built-in hammerhead is smaller than expected
Estwing Sportsman
Overview:
If you’re looking for a good hatchet, this is it.
The Estwing seems unbreakable due to its one-piece construction of steel. The entire hatchet is one piece forged construction. Meaning the steel doesn’t attach to the handle, the steel continues throughout the handle for the full length of the hatchet. The handle is layered in leather for a grip that’s too comfortable to let go of when you stop chopping. Not only is this overloaded with steel, but it’s sharpened by hand. Made right here in the US, and they even polish it with their hands for you.
Want a hatchet that will never break? Get the Estwing.
Specifications:
- Blade Material: Steel
- Handle Material: Leather
- Full length: 14 inches
- Weight: 14.9 ounces
Video Review
Here’s a review of the Estwing Sportsman.
Pros
- Genuine leather for handle material so your grip is comfortable
- Carbon steel for durability
- Made in America
Cons
- Some have experienced quality control issues
Schrade SCAXE10
Specs:
- Blade Material: Powder Coated 3Cr13 Stainless Steel.
- Handle Material: Black TPR Rubber.
- Full length: 11.1-inches.
- Weight: 1 lbs.
Overview
This hatchet is made for the outdoorsman. If you’re a backpacker, camper, or bushcraft master, this hatchet would be a good option for you. It’s one of the best backpack hatchets there are.
Video Review
Here’s a review of the SCAXE10.
Pros
- Stainless steel blade. Does not chip easily.
- Very maneuverable. Lightweight.
- Lanyard and belt sheath for accessibility.
- Comfortable handle with TPR rubber.
- Full tang blade
Cons
- The stainless steel blade is more difficult to sharpen than carbon steel.
Husqvarna H900 13″ Composite Hatchet
Overview:
This hatchet is made in Sweden. It comes with a Fiber-reinforced PA shaft makes the hatchet durable and robust
Specifications:
- Blade Material: Steel
- Handle Material: Composite Fiberglass
- Full length: 14.4 inches
- Weight: 2.4 lbs
Pros
- Soft grip for ergonomics and secure handling
- Good for backpacking or camping
- Ability to purchase a wooden handle model
- Belt hole for accessibility
Cons
- Heavier than most other hatchets in the same league
- Some reviews say the hatchet broke too soon
Overview:
Made in Sweden, this brand makes some of the highest quality hatchets on the globe.
Specs:
- Weight:
- Full Length:
- Blade Material:
- Handle Material:
Video Review
Watch this gear review of the Gransfors small forest hatchet.
Pros
- Soft grip for ergonomics and secure handling
- Good for backpacking or camping
- Ability to purchase a wooden handle model
- Belt hole for accessibility
Cons
- Heavier than most other hatchets in the same league
- Some reviews say the hatchet broke too soon
Best Activity Specific Hatchets
If you’re looking for the best survival hatchet for a specific activity like camping or fishing, this is the section for you.
Below, we listed the best hatchet for specific purposes.
Camping Hatchet
The best survival camping hatchet is the Estwing Camper’s Axe.
It has forged steel construction so it can withstand a beating in a wilderness environment.
For Backpacking
The best backpacking hatchet is the Schrade SCAXE10. It’s small and lightweight.
So packing it in your backpack is ideal. It packs a lot of power for its small size.
According To Reddit
After reading and going through dozens of Reddit threads, many Redditors say the best survival hatchet is the Estwing. They say it’s unbreakable and they have been using the same one they’ve had for decades.
Least Inexpensive
The best inexpensive survival hatchet would be the Fiskars. They are light-weight and phenomenally functional. They’re not just hatchets, they’re survival tools. They have some of the best budget survival hatchets.
Brands
The best brands of survival hatchets are:
- Hultafors
- Gerber
- Gransfors Bruks
Gransfors Bruks makes some of the best hatchets and axes in the world.
One of the common questions I see is, “who makes the best survival hatchet?”
One of the best brands for survival hatchets is Hultafors
You can check out what hatchets and tools they make here.
Accessories
If you’re looking to mod and accessorize your new hatchet.
With any modifications you get, be sure to match it with your new hatchet.
How To Choose
So how do you choose which one is right for you?
When looking at how to choose a good survival hatchet, we want to look by specific criteria and standard just like most gear we buy.
Remember the criteria we talked about above. Keep those in mind. We want to check all those boxes as we’re looking for which one to get.
Does it meet all of the criteria?
Does it have what I NEED?
After you check all the boxes of what you need and what you’re going to be using it for, you’ll know.
Material
For the material of the blade, we want the best steel we can get in the budget.
What is the best steel for a survival hatchet?
A higher-quality stainless steel is ideal. If you get 440-grade stainless steel, that’s good steel and will last a long time. That is if the construction of the actual hatchet is of quality as well.
Hatchet vs Axe
A common question when looking to buy an ax or hatchet is, what’s the difference?
There’s a small but important difference between the two. You’ll want to look for one or the other depending on what you need it for.
Watch this video for a clear explanation of the difference between an ax and a hatchet.
Conclusion
After reading this guide, you’ll know what the best survival hatchet for you specifically, is.
So you’ll have a sharp edge (pun intended) in the buying process.
I hope this buyers guide on the best survival hatchets will help you for when you need to get a new one.
If you’re interested in more of the best gear, see more of the best survival gear on the market in the Ultimate Survival Gear Guide. You might also want to check out the guide on the best splitting mauls.
Which one do you think is the best survival hatchet right now?