What Is a Hatchet?
A hatchet is a blade characterized by a short, thick blade.
Hatchet blades are thicker than regular blades and are widely used in agriculture, forestry, and outdoor activities. It is also suitable for chopping firewood and pruning trees because of its blade’s resistance to breakage.
Uses of Hatchets
Hatchets are often used in agriculture, forestry, hunting, and other mountain work. In addition to being used to dismantle game when hunting, machetes are also used to chop wood for wood stoves and campfires.
They can also be used to remove branches, clear bushes, and cut vines when going into the mountains. In addition to these uses, machetes are also used in a variety of other situations, such as processing wood, clearing weeds, and cutting rope.
Features of Hatchets
Advantages
A hatchet is sharp and useful in a variety of situations. They are also easy to carry and very convenient for carrying outdoors.
Hatchet can be used for a long time if you choose a machete with the right features for your application and properly care for it, which is an economic advantage as well.
Disadvantages
A hatchet has a sharp and sturdy cutting edge that can easily split even hard materials such as firewood. Therefore, one wrong move can cause a major accident.
It is especially important to always check the position of the blade when swinging it down and to use it carefully to avoid causing unexpected accidents.
Types of Hatchets
1. Sword Hatchet
Hatchets are characterized by their sharp sword tip. It is used for a wide range of purposes, such as clearing bushes, handling game when hunting, and cooking when camping. Some machetes have a flange between the handle and the blade to prevent the hand holding the handle from slipping toward the blade and injuring the user. Because of its thick blade, it is not suitable for chopping hard firewood.
2. Hatchet with a Long, Square Blade
Hatchet with a long, square blade. Because it is moderately heavy, it can be swung down without effort and can be used comfortably for clearing bushes, chopping firewood, and other tasks that require strength. It is easy to use and easy to handle for beginners.
3. Hatchet
A hatchet is characterized by a stone section at the tip of the blade that protects the cutting edge. It is used for clearing bushes and chopping firewood in the same way as the Koshi Hatchet. In ordinary wood chopping, the blade tip lands on the ground when it is swung down, which may cause the blade to spill.
Hatchets, on the other hand, are shaped so that a stone attached to the tip of the hatchet lands on and protects the cutting edge, making it less likely to spill.
4. Bamboo Split Machet
A hatchet with a slender and light double-edged blade is used for splitting bamboo vertically. In addition to splitting bamboo, it is also useful for pruning garden branches and clearing bushes in outdoor activities such as camping.
The small size is easy to carry, while the larger size can be used as a waist hatchet.
5. Hatchet With a Single Blade
Single-edged machetes have a blade sharpened on only one side, and the cross-section of the blade is in the shape of a “le”. The blade is thin, so there is less friction and the blade can be inserted smoothly, but because the blade is asymmetrical, it is difficult to insert straight, making it unsuitable for chopping firewood. Since the blade is attached to only one side, grinding is completed on only one side.
6. Double-Edged Hatchet
The double-edged type has blades sharpened from both sides and is characterized by the V-shaped cross-section of the blade. Since the blade is symmetrical, it can be used with any dominant hand. While it is easy to use for chopping wood and pruning branches, it is necessary to sharpen the blade from both sides for maintenance, which requires a little more work than single-edged blades.
How to Select a Hatchet
Hatchets come in a variety of types, depending on the blade length and the material and characteristics of the handle. There are knife-shaped types, small types suitable for detailed work, and long-handled types useful for peeling. To use hatchet safely and efficiently, it is important to select one that suits your purpose.
Also, when purchasing a single-blade type hatchet, be sure to select a machete that matches your dominant hand.
How to Use a Hatchet
It is important to hold the hatchet with bare hands. If you wield the hatchet with military gloves, the machete may slip through your hand even if you think you have a firm grip on it. Only the hand not holding the hatchet should wear gloves or military gloves for safety. It is also important to avoid using the hatchet in areas where people are around and to always be careful to keep your feet and other objects out of the way when working with the hatchet.
Hatchets for right-handed people are single-edged, so they are used from the right side of the object. Hatchets for left-handed people are single-edged, so they are used from the left side of the object.