Estwing 12 in. Sportsman’s Axe with Leather Grip

It was a gift for our granddaughter’s boyfriend. He is extremely pleased with the gift. He likes the handle. He likes how the hatchet was made. It is a little smaller, but they are campers and it is the perfect size.

Beautiful Hatchet. Exactly what I wanted.

Great axe

I received a Estwing E14A hatchet as a gift for my 8th birthday. I am now 54 and still treasure it. I have owned other hatchets, but they were junk compared to the Estwing. The tapered, hollow ground blade will slice into wood where other “steep angled” hatchets will just rebound off. The solid, one piece steel design eliminates the head flying off a handle like the cheap hatchets. As a kid, I had no idea how to take care of it. I had dropped it in the woods and lost it, then miraculously stumbled across it a year later (this happened more than once!). I have left it out in the weather, and pretty much abused it as much as anyone could. Due to my lack of care, the leather discs on the handle dried out and rotted over the 45+ years I have owned it. I removed all the leather discs and wrapped the frame with leather thong (leather string) multiple times til the handle was built back up to the same size. I took a few spray cans of marine spar varnish and repeatedly soaked the leather until I built up a thick heavy coating that will last for another generation.My Grandson turns 8 soon, and I am purchasing an E14A for his birthday present. Over the years, I have purchased several E44A Camper’s axes and E45A Long handled Camper’s axes both for myself and a few of each for our Boy Scout troop. There is no way you can go wrong with purchasing Estwing products!

To use while camping small and not to big it will do the job for those camp fires.

First off, this is a small hatchet and suited for small jobs. Within the limitations of its size, this is a high quality tool as every Estwing product I own has been. I carry this backpacking when forced to be weight conscious. I wouldn’t use it on pieces of timber larger than 3-4″ in diameter unless I absolutely had to. It could conceivably cut down a tree, but it would take a long time. That said, it’s far better than trying to baton a large knife.There is a fair amount of skill and technique involved in using a hatchet this size efficiently. Very few people get into it beyond occasional recreational use. For the vast majority of people the next size up would be a better choice. On paper the size difference doesn’t look like much, but I can tell you the E24A (14″) is in fact much more capable. The trade off being size and weight.Estwing makes very tough tools. The leather handle does require some care. Don’t leave it out in the elements for extended periods of time. Aside from that it’s almost bullet proof. Expect that you will need to touch up the edge with a file or stone when you get it. If you own any cutting tool you need to know how to do this. The hatchet is proudly made in the USA. The sheaths are foreign made, but generally very nice.To sum it up… This model is really for experienced bushcrafters in need of a light weight chopper who understand and can work within the limits of it’s size. Also okay (with close supervision) for a younger person learning to use a hatchet that doesn’t posses the strength to control a larger one. Great build quality and value. This model isn’t easy to find. Glad I could order it from Home Depot.*(photo of E14A(12″) and E24A(14″) included for size comparison)

It was needed for my Hike light weight and heavy !!

Great axe

Very sturdy hatchet, great weight for hammering yet light enough to pack and not notice.