Broad Hatchet

[Dave Lehnert]

Don't get out to rust hunt much.
Anyone have an opinion on the two Broad Hatchets linked below? Just looking for something inexpensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-207-0...=Broad+Hatchet

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Plumb-36...FQNTwQodTusACA

[Grant Aldridge]

I don’t have experience with a broad hatchet but I love my fiskars x7 for general hatchet duties!

[Tom M King]

Flip a coin. I have one of each, although they are older ones, because I actually use them, and it's nice to have one facing each direction. I mainly use them on knots when hewing a beam.

[ernest dubois]

Flip a coin. I have one of each, although they are older ones, ...

It's a pretty significant distinction. The older ones, in terms of material, production and finish will be much better than what's on the shelf at the box store and which just came off the ship.

[Bill Houghton]

Both respected brands. There's also: https://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Bushn..._&dpSrc=detail

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

It's impossible to tell without looking at each in person. There are a number of things to check for, and though I could go into detail on those things, I think this guy says it better than I can:

https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/20...wing-hatchets/

In my limited experience with hewing hatchets, paying particular attention to the details in the second and third pictures is important.

I have two hewing hatchets--one that has a slight convexity along the edge as shown in the second picture and one in which the edge is dead flat. On the latter I rounded the corners which does help but it's still hard to keep it from biting nearer to one or the other corners. The other hatchet is a lot easier for me to use. It's similar to camber on a plane blade.

As for the slight convexity across the edge as shown in the third picture, it seems to help the hatchet pop out of the cut-like a scooping action-rather than digging in too deep. I put a slight curve on one of my hatchets on my own and it wasn't difficult, so I wouldn't be too worried about buying a hatchet that didn't have this feature already. Just make sure the leading edge is still close to flat and not convex like on a felling axe.

In the end I would think you'd be better off buying an old hatchet off of ebay. There's still a good chance you'll have to do some grinding yourself to shape the edge exactly how you want it but I would bet a lot of older hewing hatchets would require less work than a new one.

[Matt Lau]

how will you be using it?

If it's for true broad hatchet work (hewing), i vote ebay.
For just hatchet work, I like the husqvarna hatchet

[ernest dubois]

Yes but these (once) respectable brand names have little to do with the products that they are now attached to, don't be fooled. There will be none of the features that made the old ones work, most importantly the geometry of the back-side with its curves toe to heel and you definitely won't be able to verify that when you get it off amazon.
The cutting edge geometry will determine the kind of work the axe is suitable to do. The straight edge along the hatchet's length is for working a piece of wood smaller than the length, toe to heel, of the blade. The curved edge is for working wood larger than the length of the blade.

[Bill McDermott]

Ironically, I have a vintage Plumb that has the same lines as the new Vaughan. The steel tabs along the handle are there to provide a better hold on the handle. That's one advantage. It's also configured so that you could handle it lefty or righty. I also see "made in the USA" on the Vaughan. For those reasons, I'd go Vaughan. In either case, I'd encourage you to modify to suit. Some time with a file might smooth some of the roughness and make it more pleasing to the touch and eye. Seems like a fast and easy way to get started with a reasonable broad hatchet. If you find it wedging itself into and sticking into the work piece, rather than slicing off stock, you might ease the face that is flat with a very small bevel. Easy does it. That is often recommended and a very little bit of bevel on the flat face made the tool much more effective for me.

[Brandon Speaks]

In a hatchet size I use a gransfors carpenters hatchet. They also have a broad hatchet but the price goes up a lot. The gransfors carving axe looks close also but still the price is creeping up. I did see a reasonable priced counsel tool one but though it is called a hatchet it is more axe sized.

[Jason Baker IX]

how will you be using it?

If it's for true broad hatchet work (hewing), i vote ebay.
For just hatchet work, I like the husqvarna hatchet

Second the husqvarna hatchet. Hand forged in Sweden. Inexpensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-576.../dp/B00HC077GQ

[Patrick Chase]

It's a pretty significant distinction. The older ones, in terms of material, production and finish will be much better than what's on the shelf at the box store and which just came off the ship.

Errm, the Vaughan doesn't come off of a ship. Look closely at the head in the picture the OP posted.

Plumb is Apex/Nicholson, and like most of their stuff comes from overseas (most likely Mexico or Brazil IIRC).

[Patrick Chase]

In a hatchet size I use a gransfors carpenters hatchet. They also have a broad hatchet but the price goes up a lot.

Where "a lot" in this instance means $330. Note the "twisted eye" that provides slick-like handle clearance.

[Roger Nair]

Of the two I'd choose Vaughan due to being 8 oz lighter, however the Husqvarna carpenter's hatchet is a similar price to the Vaughan.

https://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-576...AX9CEN84QXY4AH

[Wallace Brooks]

Broad Hatchet.jpg

This old Broad Hatchet (is that an oxymoron?) was sold to me by Patrick Leach: http://www.supertool.com/
The hickory handle was purchased from House Handle Company: https://www.househandle.com/
It was shaped with a rasp to fit the offset in the eye, then glass bedded in with Marine Tex fiberglass compound. The topcoat is Bullseye Shellac, which I prefer to BLO.
The steel edge is very hard. I periodically hit it with an angle grinder and a 120 grit flap wheel.