{"product_id":"viking-hatchet-carbon-steel-charred-handle","title":"Viking Hatchet, Hand Forged Carbon Steel with Charred Wood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA hatchet is the small axe you keep in a pack or by the wood stove, sized for one hand and for work that does not call for a full length haft. This one runs 14 inches overall with a 5 inch head and a 4.5 inch cutting edge, forged from 5160 spring steel and hung on a birch handle charred black over the lower half. It splits kindling and cuts firewood to stove size.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCutting edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e14 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCharred birch\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5160 spring steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark gray hand forged, mirror bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather head cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per piece\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe head\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe steel is 5160 spring steel, what real axe makers use, tough enough to take an impact without chipping and easy to bring back on a stone. The head is 5 inches long with a 4.5 inch cutting edge, a compact Norse profile, the edge curved through its length so it bites on an angle rather than landing flat. The cheek is dark gray off the hammer with the forging marks showing, and the bevel is mirror bright. 5160 is carbon steel, which is the honest trade, so it darkens and wants drying.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe handle is birch, close grained and pale, charred black over the lower half and then sanded back so the grain comes up through the burn. The char is burned into the wood rather than sprayed on as a stain, and it gives the lower hand some grip. At 9 inches you can choke up behind the head for fine splitting, which is the point of a hatchet. It is driven through the eye with a wedge driven into the top, spreading the wood tight against the steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather head cover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cover is cut for this head, so the edge sits down inside it. The leather is vegetable tanned. A belt loop is stitched to the back, a strap with a snap closes over the top, and a welt is sewn into the edge so the stitching stays clear of the steel. All of the stitching is done by hand. The face is hand tooled with carved Norse knotwork inside a stamped border, cut and shaded rather than printed. Most sellers stop at the words genuine leather. This is the rest of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA hatchet is the piece people actually use, so this one sells as a working tool as often as it sells as a gift, and the charred handle is what makes buyers stop and look at it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCampers splitting kindling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who heats with wood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBushcraft and pack users\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHunters who want a light head\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGift buyers who want something used\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe viking hatchet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather head cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA free laser engraving quote on request\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery head is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. The hammer marks, the char on the handle and the tooling all shift from piece to piece. Yours will not match the photograph exactly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the head dry after use and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds on 5160 is normal and protects the steel. Oil the head before storage and oil the handle now and then, since a dry handle shrinks and a loose head is dangerous. Check the head is tight before every use. Sharpen with a file and a puck, following the bevel already there. More in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003ecare and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a head or a handle, and clean line art engraves better than a photograph. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a hatchet for?\u003c\/strong\u003e Splitting kindling and cutting firewood to size in one hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the handle charred?\u003c\/strong\u003e The burn is sanded back so the pale birch grain shows.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do I sharpen it?\u003c\/strong\u003e With a file and a puck, following the bevel already there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can, so dry the head and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the head tight?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, the handle is wedged in the eye. Check it before every use.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow sharp is it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Sharp enough to use straight away, and sharpening is free for life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same steel on a longer handle, see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/viking-bearded-axe-carbon-steel-ash\"\u003ecarbon steel bearded axe on ash\u003c\/a\u003e, and for a lighter head the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-throwing-axe-hickory\"\u003ehand forged throwing axe\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/axes-hatchets\"\u003eaxes and hatchets\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/carbon-steel-axes\"\u003ecarbon steel axes\u003c\/a\u003e, and in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/viking-axes\"\u003eviking axes\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134757498998,"sku":"VEF-AXE-HC-HAT-404","price":139.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/carbon-steel-viking-hatchet-charred-handle_5bfb31b6-e9d4-4fb4-aa1e-86b66c2396ac.jpg?v=1788742095","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/viking-hatchet-carbon-steel-charred-handle","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}