The 12 Best Small Hand hatchets (2023 reviews)

Compared with other hatchet in this category, the gerber gear small hand hatchet has a design with broader appeal. Light and durable enough for canoe trips, it's great for splitting kindling or making wood shavings. It reduces friction, chops clean and provides superior chopping strength. It's got a much heavier head and makes for easier splitting on bigger logs. It’s good quality and heavy duty.

The usable handle extends only 9 1/2 inches below the axe head. It is a bit longer than the back paxe ii and slightly shorter than the camp axe ii. It's very sharp and durable and the sheath makes it easy to store or carry.

Why We Like This:

Has a good grip, and feels good in hand when chopping
Compact, sharp, and effective for managing small piles of wood
Feels great in hand and the handle is long enough to get good leverage

Best For backpack: Estwing Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The estwing small hand hatchet gives the top-tier hatchet a run for their money by offering flagship specs at a much more affordable price. This is a top quality hatchet, the head/handle is completely one piece tempered steel, so there's no concern about the head flying off of a belt. It comes with a leather cover for the blade, which has a loop so you can hang it off of a belt. It comes easily with a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alcohol. The handle/sheath is wrapped with leather. It offers unsurpassed balance and temper.

The hatchet comes with a small leather sheath with 2 small slits for a belt loop. It is light weight and the edge is sharp. It comes with it is incredibly useful for safety in transit and keeping the tool handy on the belt while working.

Why We Like This:

Small enough to tuck away in a backpack for camping or bugout
Comes with a nice leather cover for the hatchet
Delivers what they promise

Best For trees branches: Columbia river Knife Tool Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The columbia river knife tool small hand hatchet has killer features for the price point. This is perfect for backpacking, it's heavier than the average hawk, but works well. It is throwable, one hand-able, splits the toughest wood, AND the head comes off to use as a hand tool. It is fairly lightweight and has a really nice hickory handle. It is perfectly formed to the handle to keep water and debris out. It does exceptionally well making short work of logs and the poll easily facilitates batoning smaller pieces of wood to size.

It provides durability and edge retention. It has good weight not too heavy to carry while hunting or packing on horses.

Why We Like This:

Excellent, heavy duty hawk for chopping wood, hammering nails and splitting
Great for throwing and well balanced
Nice weight and feels natural in your hand

Best For clearing Small brush: Schrade Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

If you often find yourself scrambling for appropriate and satisfactory hatchet, schrade small hand hatchet should be your first option for buying. This Schrade Axe is a great size for camping and hiking. It's nicely shaped and is an excellent size to stow in a backpack for a woods trek. The sheath fits nicely and covers the entire blade well. The fire starter in the handle is a nice touch. The blade is tough and keeps a good edge. The weight distribution and ergonomics are very good. The striker is a pretty sweet bonus in case you lose any other ways to start a fire.

Why We Like This:

Makes an excellent gift for an outdoorsman as it is great for camping
Stays very sharp and very ergonomic
Great for survival and bush craft
Fits a belt or can be lashed to gear

Best For unsure new beginners: Smith Wesson Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The smith wesson small hand hatchet's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. If you want to have fun in the backyard throwing knives with a reasonably good chance of them sticking, these are a decent choice. This is a quality set of throwing knives made with good steel, smooth design, and good balance. They are sleek, slim and have blades on three surfaces, front, back and top. It is easy to throw and can stick in 3 points so great for all levels.

The weight of the knives and the carrying case for the knives is good. These are solid so mud won't get in the holes but other than that they are great. It is great for unsure new beginners. It is a perfect combo kit for beginners and experts alike.

Why We Like This:

Come in is super handy and well made as well
Lot's of fun and great quality
Very well balanced eazy to learn to through once you fine your range

Best For reenactments: SOG Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

Not everyone likes to purchase hatchet for their daily purpose, but the sog small hand hatchet would be an anomoly. It is great for outdoor travelers like backpackers, hikers, hunters, or paddlers. It has a glass-reinfored nylon handle, extended cutting head, spike for piercing, and a metal pommel cap. It will work for light camping needs, defensive needs, and emergency situations. It is safe and has a great grip on the handle that makes the odds of danger very low.

The two-piece construction ensures that the handle won't break on a throw, as it's able to resist impact. It is useful for chopping small pieces of wood to start a campfire, but you will have to sharpen the edge, first. The blade is sharp and you won't have to use a lot of force.

Why We Like This:

Nice and sturdy even for throwing
Holds an edge well and does a good job
Fits on the back of a day pack and super useful fantastic
Functional and nice enough to be a wall hanger

Best For Chopping fire Wood: Wakeman Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The wakeman small hand hatchet should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. This hand axe comes with a serrated wood saw that is nested within the handle and a magnesium fire starter that clips to the included blade sheath. It is great for chopping fire wood. The composite plastic handle is textured and ergonomically designed to comfortably fit your hand. The included sheath has both a belt clip and hand loop to make this axe convenient to carry no matter what your situation.

These are the composite plastic handle that is molded to fit around the axe head for strength and stability while chopping. It is lightweight enough to be used for long periods of time without causing hand fatigue or discomfort. It is designed for hard-core use. It is an exclusive product of wakeman and only hatchets for camping and survival by wakeman are guaranteed to be genuine.

Why We Like This:

Perfect for camping,used the heck out of it for weeks,no wear at all
Perfect for chopping squirrels heads off
Good investment for long term

Best For splitting: Coleman Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The coleman small hand hatchet might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year. It's used to chop up some firewood into kindling while camping. It's the most inexpensive axe that chops and hammers. It can't chop already dry and chopped wood that is brittle and less than an inch thick. It works good for a beater hatchet. It comes with the coleman camp axe, so you'll be ready for any camping contingency.

This is a perfect little axe. It has a few minor rust spots, gouges and discoloration but still responds to sharpening. It is used to chop up some firewood into kindling while camping.

Why We Like This:

An affordable, occasional use little camp hatchet
Great for camping and taking on trips
New and hot release

Best For emergency situations: Cold Steel Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

If you want nothing but the best suitable hatchet, then cold steel small hand hatchet is the one you should definitely consider. This axe is a pretty sturdy axe that throws nicely. It has just enough weight, and the thin grind helps it stick in even tough targets. The hickory handle feels good in your hand and indexes really well so you're always lined up for a perfect throw. The handle provides a comfortable grip, minimizing hand fatigue and enhancing safety during prolonged use.

The handle is long enough for a two handed grip, the edge is straight allowing it to be used as a carpenters axe and for efficient chip removal, it's light enough to be used for carving and it's heavy enough to be used for chopping. The cutting edge maintains its keenness over time, ensuring consistent performance during repeated use. The handle has a flush square corner at the base of the head. It's well made, good looking, well balanced for throwing and light camp use.

Why We Like This:

Perfect for axe throwing, highly recommend
Works great for one handed throwing
Definitely will crush some zombie skulls

Best For Any car kit: Camillus Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The camillus small hand hatchet is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your daily usage. The hatchet looks sturdy and has its own liner. It's not that heavy and the saw locks open and closed and has its own liner. The feel of this ax is light, and lively. It comes in very handy for camping. The cover is well built and has a clip to keep it on your pack. The saw locks in and out to prevent accidents. It's also perfect for weight.

Why We Like This:

Sturdy and decent size for a pack
Great little hatchet with some good extra features
Solidly made and great for an emergency, camping kit

Best For inflicting Much damage: SZCO supplies Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The szco supplies small hand hatchet's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. This axe is the perfect size for camping or to put in a Bug Out Bag. The Hatchet is short and light weight, comfortable to wear around the waist line. It has a great feel to it and is very well balanced. The carrying case has a belt loop on it for easy carrying. It is a perfect small hatchet for getting the fire started.

The quality of this hatchet makes it very well and the rubber grip is strong and feels right in hand.

Why We Like This:

Very compact, perfect for light pack
Really sharp, handles great, weights decent
Rubberized handle is positive and the blade is sharp
Lightweight and holds a good sharp edge

Best For meat processing: Morakniv Small Hand Hatchet

Buy on Amazon

The morakniv small hand hatchet might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year, thanks to multiple price cuts and added new features over the past few months. This is a beautiful, lightweight, medium duty camp axe. It's light and feels great in the hand. The handle design allows you to choke up for short stroke chopping work like busting up kindling, or move your grip to the bottom for hard swings at thicker branches or logs. It's not really a sheath, since you can't carry it or attach it to your belt, just a blade protector.

The back of the axe head can be used as a hammer to pound in tent stakes or whatever else. The leather blade cover fits over the sharpened edge perfectly and secures with a snap. It doesn't instill a lot of covidence.

Why We Like This: