The Fiskars X7 Hatchet is a incredible all-purpose hatchet that’s designed to final. This versatile hatchet is a superb tenting companion however will also be used for self-defense, throwing, and as a family instrument. Its clever design makes it light-weight and multi-functional, guaranteeing it lasts for years.
I’ve used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet in numerous conditions, akin to splitting wooden, chopping kindling and timber, hammering in nails, and chopping down small timber and bushes. The hatchet’s gentle weight has meant utilizing it for hours on finish is straightforward, and its ergonomic design lends itself to swinging.
The hatchet’s low value additionally implies that it’s accessible to nearly anybody. Its plastic deal with shouldn’t be perceived to imply that it’s constructed cheaply – it, in truth, is as sturdy, if no more sturdy, than a wooden deal with. It additionally means the deal with is hole, which makes it light-weight. Lastly, a plastic hole deal with implies that the Fiskars X7 Hatchet is top-heavy, which is nice for swinging and one thing you’d search for in a very good hatchet.
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet for Tenting
I first used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet when splitting wooden for our How To Begin a Campfire information. The hatchet went via the logs with ease with out requiring any sharpening, I took it out of the field and proper to splitting. That is nice for anybody who’s unfamiliar with sharpening because it comes out of the field razor-sharp.
Whereas beginning my campfire, I additionally used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet to shave wooden for tinder. Due to the blade’s tapered profile, it made shaving the wooden extraordinarily simple. If the blade had a very flat profile, it will slide proper throughout, however the taper allowed it to dig in and peel the wooden as I pressed down. Shaving tinder generally is a chopping hazard to your hand, so the truth that it was really easy with the Fiskars X7 Hatchet was actually spectacular.
I additionally used it to chop down small branches for kindling. It solely took one or two swings the place the department met the trunk of a tree for the Fiskars X7 Hatchet to get a clear reduce. Distinction this with my older hatchet, which took 4 or 5. These further swings add up when you find yourself attempting to preserve power.
I used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet once more when placing collectively our How one can Cook dinner Over a Campfire information. I used it for each beginning the fireplace and cooking. The sharp, high-quality steel makes the hatchet an awesome cooking instrument. After sanitizing it in my fireplace, I used it to cut meat and veggies simply.
Cooking and fires aren’t the one locations you need to use the Fiskars X7 Hatchet within the campsite. I used the flat again half (additionally referred to as the toe) to hammer in tent posts when the bottom was cussed and was in a position to straighten a bent pole with it. Its sturdy development proved invaluable when utilizing it as a hammer, as I used to be by no means nervous it would break.
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet for Mountain climbing
A hatchet could make an awesome mountain climbing instrument, particularly when going off-trail. I’ve used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet various occasions when forging my very own path. It’s a good different to a big knife or machete for bushwhacking and may simply carve a path. Moreover, not like a machete or massive knife, its design lets you reduce down small timber extra simply.
The blade is way smaller than a machete, which means you gained’t clear as a lot in a single swing, however it is possible for you to to clear thicker branches. Relying on the place you’re mountain climbing, this can be far more helpful than chopping away thick greenery. I selected to convey the Fiskars X7 Hatchet mountain climbing as a substitute of a machete for precisely this cause – it helped me reduce via the small timber blocking my means and concurrently make firewood.
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet for Protection and Throwing
Whereas I haven’t personally used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet for protection when mountain climbing, it may very well be a very good instrument of final resort. Its stability and light-weight make it simple to deal with, and its ultra-sharp edge is able to reduce. It may very well be used for looking in case you have been out of choices, although a hatchet isn’t usually the best instrument for this.
I’ve used it as a tossing hatchet just a few occasions, and it simply caught in. As a result of it’s top-heavy, it tends to spin downwards, so you’ll have to compensate for that. It’s not designed as a combating or throwing ax, so preserve that in thoughts, however in a pinch, it may definitely be used for both.
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet for Family Use
Whereas most individuals don’t consider a hatchet as a family instrument, it has many makes use of. Combining each the properties of a lightweight hammer and a knife makes it nice for getting small initiatives executed, particularly across the backyard.
I used the Fiskars X7 Hatchet to clear away cussed vines and branches that I couldn’t get to with an electrical noticed. The vines would clog it, so a handheld hatchet labored significantly better. I additionally used it to prune again some bushes that had just a few unruly branches.
I’ve even used it to shave away some drywall and make a gap larger. Very like making tinder, the tapered edge was nice for shaving again the drywall simply sufficient to get my measurements proper.
When you have a wooden hearth, the Fiskars X7 Hatchet is nice for splitting logs to burn in your
hearth. Simply two whacks is all it took for me to separate a pretty big log proper down the center. Additionally it is nice for chopping open cardboard containers, splitting them for recycling, chopping rope and cord, and just about anything you may consider.
Light-weight and Sturdy
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet shouldn’t be your usually designed hatchet. With its hole, plastic deal with and two-piece head, it’s possible you’ll assume that it’s not as sturdy as another, extra historically designed hatchets. That is an incorrect assumption. Throughout my time utilizing the Fiskars X7 Hatchet, I’ve reduce tons of wooden, crushed steel stakes, bent steel, and reduce every part underneath the solar with it, and by no means one had a problem.
Its weight makes it extraordinarily simple to make use of for hours, and the deal with could be very ergonomic. As a result of it’s top-heavy, gravity helps you swing, making it even simpler to make use of for lengthy durations. The Fiskars X7 even comes with a sheathing/carrying case, so it’s simple to move and preserve secure. When mountain climbing, I simply strapped the sheath to the skin of my pack and by no means needed to fear about it – the design permits for hanging it on a strap or in your own home on a peg board when not in use.
Upkeep and Cleansing
Ultimately, like something with a pointy edge, the Fiskars X7 Hatchet will boring. As a result of it’s manufactured from high-quality solid metal, you’ll want to sharpen it utilizing conventional whetstones. A tapered edge really means it’s simpler to sharpen because the angle of the blade is already inbuilt. You’ll want to observe the directions of any whetstones you’ve gotten whereas sustaining the angle of the tapered edge.
You shouldn’t need to sharpen it usually, as the solid metal will keep its edge for a very long time. After all, this may considerably depend upon utilization – each frequency of use and what you might be utilizing it for – so regulate the sting and sharpen as wanted. Fiskars is a identified high-quality model, so you may have religion that the steel they use is made to final.
Because of its plastic deal with, cleansing the hatchet’s deal with is straightforward. You should utilize nearly any cleaner to wipe it off or simply heat, soapy water. In contrast to wooden, you don’t want to fret about discoloration or having an opposed impact on a end. This is among the many benefits of plastic over wooden.
As for the blade, you’ll want to clear it off simply with water and never any chemical compounds. If it is extremely soiled, use a gentle cleaning soap and you should definitely dry it totally. Like several solid blade, it may be susceptible to floor tarnish if moist. Tarnish does nothing past have an effect on the look of the blade; it is not going to have an effect on the precise steel’s integrity.
The place to Purchase
You will discover the Fiskars X7 Hatchet conveniently on Amazon.
The Verdict
I’ve used many hatchets through the years whereas tenting, mountain climbing, and doing basic outside actions, and the Fiskars X7 Hatchet has change into my go-to. Not solely is it simple to make use of, well-designed, and light-weight, however I do know that it may face up to no matter I throw at it. If you’re searching for a flexible instrument that can final for years to return, that is the one for you.
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