Hand axes: for kindling and camping adventures

How do you choose a hand axe?

Choose a hand axe for the job: making kindling beside your tent calls for something different from an afternoon splitting firewood.

• Head weight. Around 600 grams is the middle of the range here. An axe lighter than 450 grams fits in your backpack and is useful for small pieces of wood. An axe heavier than 800 grams splits deeper, but you will feel the weight after an hour.
• Length. Most handles are between 30 and 40 cm long, with 35 cm the most popular size. That is short enough to use with one hand and long enough to put some force into each swing.
• Wood or composite. Hickory and ash absorb impact, feel good to use and can be replaced. Composite and fibreglass hardly ever break and withstand moisture, but transmit more vibration.
• With a sheath. The vast majority of axes here come with a sheath, usually made from leather or nylon. It is not a luxury: an unprotected edge in your backpack can damage both your belongings and itself.

Fiskars and Hultafors are the best-selling brands, with axes you can take along without a second thought. Gränsfors Bruk and Hults Bruk are a step up: hand-forged in Sweden and made to last a lifetime.

Compact hand axes for various purposes

A characteristic of a hand axe is that, in general, you can easily use it with one hand. As such the axe isn’t too big or too heavy. It often fits in your backpack. A hand axe is not razor-sharp when it is delivered, but is best when it is razor-sharp. After all, you use it for cutting feather sticks to make sure a couple of sparks from a firesteel are enough to start a fire.

Here you will find the best hand axes from top brands such as Fiskars and Hultafors who wish to carry on the Scandinavian axe tradition. But also more special axes such as the Japanese Silky axes and camping axes specifically designed for camping trips.