Bear GryllsBear Grylls Ultimate Hatchet, Axe for Camping, Survival, and Backpacking, Includes Sheath, Bottle Opener, Hammer, and Hex Wrench, 3cr13 Stainless Steel - Black Oxide

Not for everyday splitting of wood, but I bought as a 'prepper'. Well balance in hand. It will serve well in camping and emergencies. I used to cut/split/stack 20 cords of wood a season. Not for that purpose, but for the other items I listed, perfect and well balanced in hand.

I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. I order new items, and then write honest, unbiased reviews of that product, along with my impressions and experiences. I am not paid for these reviews.Way back in the day, when being a boy scout was the best entertainment our little town had to offer, my first cutting tool, other than my pocket knife, was a small hatchet. (It was believed that I would get into less trouble with that innocent looking tool than with a ¾-sized axe.)The small hatchet is a pretty basic camping and survival tool. Gerber and Bear Grylls have long offered what they called a (very short) survival hatchet. Now they have created the "Ultimate Hatchet". I do believe it is an improvement over the original.This new hatchet measures about 11½ inches long - four or five inches longer than the original. It is made of 3CR13 Stainless steel, and measures about 4mm thick except for the molded plastic hand grip at the base. That is thick enough to be quite stiff, and the balance of this little hatchet is well forward of the hand. That is exactly as it should be, and something the original could not claim. The blade edge is a hollow grind bevel from tip to toe, and that bevel is quite wide. That means that this blade can be made very sharp - razor sharp if desired. It also means that some care should be taken to protect the blade edge from contact with rocks, metal, etc. I believe the back of the hatchet head could be very useful for striking sparks from flint to start a fire.This little hatchet weighs about eleven ounces. It is sturdy enough to split kindling, pounding on the back of the head with a hard billet of wood to drive the sharp edge through the wood. It is also long enough and heavy enough to make trimming away smaller branches, or sharpening the end of a stick, much easier than using your sheath knife.This "survival" hatchet includes a couple of features that may or may not prove useful for your purposes. The cut-out that promises to act as a wrench for turning nuts does not impress me. The bottle opener feature does not impress me much, either. Still, the inner edge of the bottle opener is well-sharpened and might be used as a skinning/cutting tool when gutting an animal. There is also a metal "bump" on the bottom of the hand grip that might prove useful for cracking nuts, etc. There are various shapes cut on the haft of the hatchet that might help provide an alternate grip when using the hatchet to shave kindling down to tinder.The sheath will serve to protect the head and edge of the hatchet, and it includes a loop sufficient to strap this tool securely to your survival pack.I would not choose this hatchet as my every-day firewood tool. On the other hand, if I had this with me in an unexpected survival situation, I believe I would be far better equipped than if I did not. With that thought in mind, I gladly give this Bear Grylls Ultimate Hatchet five stars. I recommend it!

This looks like a full tang hatchet. It seems like it's got an edge on it, and it's thick enough that it should hold up to chopping some wood. The bottom has a little metal to use as a hammer. Top inside the blade looks like you can turn some bolts with it (maybe), back of the top has a can opener. I'm not really a fan of multi-use items. They could have just made a nice solid sharp hatchet and it would be good. If when I use it, if for some reason it fails me I will come back and update this rating. The reason I didn't give it five stars is the hatchet cover is kind of budget made. I don't think I'd try carrying this on my belt loop, but I would lash it to my backpack if I planned on using it to cut small wood for a stove or needed to cut a little bigger stuff for what I'd need to lash up a lean-to using a tarp. That being said, four out of five for function! - Thank you! -Mike

Junk does not hold up to quartering out an elkThe second date today

Out of the box you can tell this is a solid, well built tool made from quality materials. The steel has a nice, clear "ting" when struck. It is just the right hardness to be sharpened but can hold an edge well. The blade was plenty sharp out of the box but the "cord cutter" on the back would need some work with a round file before it could easily make it through 550 cord. The bolt holding cut does lighten the tool without weakening it but holds some nuts well, others not so well. That isn't a critical design element though.What is most impressive is the blade, handle and pommel. This is a great ax for cutting and splitting wood. The handle fits my hand just right and there is a very secure stop at the top and bottom so your grip will not slip. The pommel at the bottom is just the right place to use the whole weight of the tool to place a tent stake etc. The groove it the back is handy for removing them, even while still in the sheath. As a bonus, the blade is sharp and with the grips milled on the back of the handle, it fits nicely in the hand. It reminds me of a large ulu, kitchen knife of the Inuit. You could use this tool to effectively skin large game and even use it as a clever.

This is a nice compact hatchet for easy camping/ hiking use. It is good sized to put in your pack and not take up a lot of space or weight.It does come with a head cover. It seems cheaply made. It has what I guess is a belt loop that is pretty small. Wouldn’t fit any of my belts. I’d basically use it as a safety cover when carrying in your bag.The blade is sharp out of the box. Good weight and balance. The first thing you notice is the secure feel of the hand grip. Definitely made so as to not slip out of your hand whilst using it.It has some multi-function uses. I would have been fine with just the hatchet and a better head cover than the multi function pieces, but then again, you never know.Again, love the hatchet. It easily split some smaller wood in the yard. Good grip and balance. Small and light enough to carry in the pack. Looks great. Good deal.

I have not had the chance to test the hatchet out, but it seems durable and sharp.

Needs proper cover.