I’ve been using this Husqvarna hatchet for good two years now, and I decided that we knew each-other well enough for me to be able to say something about it.

My opinion about the hatched changed radically relatively recently. At first I was a little disappointed and thought the thing was too heavy and the shaft was too wide and uncomfortable. Then I kind of got used to it and thought it was ok but nothing special.

In the meantime, I was using other, smaller and lighter hatchets and they felt alright. Maybe even better than the Husqvarna. Or so I thought at the time. Some time ago, I came back to this one and I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought it was too heavy, too wide or unwieldy.

What I think happened there was I simply got stronger from using various axes and hatchets for carving (especially with one hand) and suddenly all the draw backs turned into big advantages. I could finally focus on work instead of whining about how heavy the hatchet was.

Yes it is easier to swing a lighter hatchet but because it’s lighter you have to lift it higher and drop it faster to get the effect you would when hewing with a heavier one. It’s easy to miss and hurt yourself this way. It also isn’t as precise as when lifting the axe lower. It’s simply a lot easier to hit the spot your aiming for when you don’t have to swing the axe too hard.

And finally that wide shaft… It actually assures a firmer grip. It prevents the hatchet from glancing and turning in your hand.

Practice pays off guys 🙂