Fiskars X7 Small 14 Hatchet Axe with Sheath for Chopping Wood Kindling for Campfires while Outdoors Camping Insert-Molded

I'm an enthusiastic camper and backpacker who loves making campfires, and I also have a wood burning fireplace that I use a lot. Lately I've been looking for a really good 'upgrade' axe or hatchet, both for camping and for splitting smaller logs up to 12-18" for the home fireplace. After a lot of research, I settled on two FISKARS products, this X7 Hatchet and the 28-inch F25 axe. I'm totally pleased. They've exceeded al expectations, and I'm going to review each of them. Other than size, their designs are identical, so everything I'm about to say applies to both the X7 Hatchet and the X25 Axe equally. Long story short, these Fiskars' are really excellent. This is easily the best hatchet I've ever owned, including my Estwing all-steel hatchet and a number of very good vintage hickory-handle hatchets from Plumb and other USA makers. Those are all great cutting tools, but this Fiskars is on a whole different level. It's like comparing a modern Glock polymer .40 semiauto to a 1917 Colt .38 revolver. Both are great, but the newer design clearly outperforms. The Fiskars has a completely hollow handle, which is a huge weight savings. That fiberglass handle is virtually indestructible; the Fiskars website shows a video of a big truck rolling over those handles without any damage. So unlike wooden handles, this one won't break. It's totally immune to understrikes. It's amazing, and if I didn't own these I would have found it hard to believe. And if you do somehow manage to break it, Fiskars has a lifetime warranty. If your Fiskars ever breaks, just email them a photo of the broken tool and they will ship you a replacement for free. Fiskars' blade shape is like a splitting wedge, which is why it splits so well. The angle of the wedge on the hatchet is the same exact angle as on my 28" Fiskars axe. By contrast, most other hatchets (and most axes) use a more knife-like shape which slices in, but does not wedge wood apart very well. The Fiskars does both. It also arrives VERY sharp out of the box, unlike many other brands of hatchet/axe. There are many homemade owner videos and reviews on youTube showing the Fiskars products slicing and splitting BIG logs, often with a single strike. It looks too good to be true, but these are not faked videos. I know because my Fiskars gives the same performance. I'd say 60-70% of the time I can split with one good strike. It's rare to take more than two strikes. The design of the Fiskars is that ergonomic and the wedge shaped blade is that effective. Fiskars uses a relatively soft steel, which means it is more prone to dent or roll on the edge. On the other hand, it's very unlikely to chip. So plan on sharpening your Fiskars periodically, but that should only take a couple of minutes. Fiskars makes a $10 sharpener specifically for their axes and hatchets. I don't own it yet but there are rave reviews on all the blade forums and websites. About the sheath: The Fiskars do not come with traditional sheaths. (I wish they did). Instead they come with a lightweight plastic snap-in holder which protects the blade, but is not designed for belt carry. There's a clever youTube video in which an owner shows his modifications of the factory Fiskars sheath. Basically he cuts off the useless plastic loop at top and drilled 2 sets of 2 holes (4 total), then runs Paracord through the 2 sets of holes to make Paracord belt loops. You could also just cut off that top loop and use the holder as is, either lashed to our pack or inside it. Both the 28" X25 Axe and the 14" X7 hatchet are totally outstanding. There's also a F11 "splitting hatchet" and an F27 36" long "splitting axe" with even more effective wedge shaped blades. I don't own either of these, but the video reviews are impressive and I would recommend checking these out. I chose the X7 for backpacking and light weight, but if weight did not matter and I wanted a 'car camping' or base camp/cabin hatchet, I would have chosen the F11 instead. I found my X25 axe for a giveaway price at a garage sale, but if I were going to buy it again at full retail I would spend the few extra dollars for the 36" F27, even though the X25 I found performs great and does a great job. The 28" X25 works so well I'll probably never be able to justify buying the longer 36" X27. Outstanding products. I totally recommend these, and the price on Amazon (around $25 for the X7 hatchet, around $45 for the X25 axe) is a steal for the quality you get. The X7 hatchet is also available at a lot of Wal-Marts in the camping department, and some WalMarts and all Home Depot's carry the X25 axe at around $45-50. These sometimes go on seasonal sales as well. So there's no need to overpay online. I hope this is helpful as you comparison shop online. Happy trails and safe chopping, everybody. Read more

Awesome hatchet. Durable and sharp. Has handled med sized logs with ease to split for kindling. Will also split larger logs with some force. Read more

Outstanding hatchet. Light and sharp. Gets used almost every day at my conservation job and keeps an edge for a long time. You might want to modify the handle with some tape as it's rather smooth. Read more

When I look for wood chopping products that I know will handle the task I also seek out the "Fiskars" brand. Made in Finland and with the wedge shape power head and ultra sharp cutting/chopping edge coupled with the ergonomic hand friendly 14" handle this hatchet exceeds my expectations!! First the way it is balanced and with how the head is shaped maximizes every swing ensuring a sure split in small/medium size logs. Depending on your method you can actually make splitting logs an easy experience since this hatchet does as it claims and will split logs easily and quickly. I used it on approximately 5" diameter 15" log logs with little effort on my part. ensure your area is clear from obstructions and you have a solid base to help the splitting motion. Wear safety glasses and keep little ones & pets safely away as you use this hatchet. The ultra sharp cutting edge cuts clean and deep, the unique shaped head drives your power into the log splitting it in fewer motions. I am not amazed at the quality of Fiskars 14" X7 hatchet as Fiskars has the reputation world wide for their excellent wood chopping/cutting/splitting axes, wedges and hatchets and their tools can be found where ever you need the reliability and the true cutting Fiskars blades deliver! The handle fits into your hand comfortably and helps with the power being transferred into the head to make chopping/splitting wood easier. I have used it daily since getting this tool and have chopped limbs, split some fire logs, kindling and some trimming on low level bushes. The blade is still very sharp and wipes clean with just a rag before storing back into the enclosed blade cover. Lightweight, durable, sharp, powerful chopping/splitting head, FULL lifetime warranty and the Fiskars reputation and quality... What more would you need to choose a hatchet that will meet and exceed your expectations... Price is reasonable for a quality tool and you can count on this hatchet when you need it the most. I have several axes and hatchets for miscellaneous jobs but when I need one that will help get the job done quickly, efficiently and affectively I turn to my "Fiskars" every time! Read more

First off, the biggest reason I got this is because of the amazing customer service of Fisker/Gerber. Not only do they make good products, they stand by them. So the breakdown is below: The Good The hatchet is sharp out of the box, it's incredibly capable, and the way the head is weighted compared to the handle offers a lot of chopping power and saves weight for hiking. It is also very ergonomic in the hand and the heavy weight of the hatchet head and light weight of the plastic handle make it ideal for holding near the throat and trimming smaller branches. The Bad With the awkwardness I talk about below, I was bummed that it didn't come with a lanyard, that would have been a really helpful touch. I know that they will take care of it, but with the plastic handle, I have delamination occurring already in the handle base. The Awkward One of its benefits is also its downfall for me. The weight of the handle with it being both plastic and hollow makes it really slippery in your hand and makes it feel like it is going to constantly go flying out of my hand when I get chopping. Like I said above, having a lanyard for you wrist would have been amazing. I would also love to fill the handle with a resin and put a pin through the lanyard hole to secure it. Still, despite all of this, I still love the product, and it does what it should very well! Read more