One of the items I took on my recent outing was a Marble’s Safety Hatchet.
I was always interested in an original version but didn’t do anything about it until the recent imported one was released. At a price in the mid $20’s to upper $30 range depending on the handle choice of either a hardwood handle of unknown origin or the higher priced one with American Hickory. I chose the American Hickory.
The Marble’s Safety Hatchet is one of those designs that’s been around for ages but kind of got lost in the shuffle as our outdoor activities changed. The days of heading out in the wilderness with only what we could carry on our back or in our canoe for a week or longer have been largely replaced with how much gear can be stuffed in the back of the SUV or 4×4. I’ll even admit to carrying a chainsaw along for some of our extended camping outings.
At under a foot in length and weighing around 15 ounces, the Marble’s Safety Hatchet isn’t meant to be a replacement for an axe.
Marble’s Safety Hatchet and my well abused Hudson Bay AxeOne of the advantages of a hatchet is obviously the size. A huge advantage (in my book) of the Marble’s Safety Hatchet is the built in blade guard which eliminates the need for any type of sheath. Sorry, but the custom sheath on my axe is not commercially available.
Blade Guard or Sheath (?)This little hatchet came with a razor sharp edge which was a surprise. I had anticipated something considerably less and was amazed at how aggressively it cut into a chunk of firewood.
Marble’s Safety HatchetI was pretty aggressive with the chopping to see how it would hold up and if the edge on the blade would start to roll on me. The only issue I had was the head of the hatchet loosened and moved about an 1/8″. I kept chopping to see if it would continue to loosen up and was relieved to see that was the extent. A sharp rap on the butt of the handle reseated the head to it’s original location and a couple taps on the wedge seemed to anchor everything solidly in place. I didn’t encounter any other issues. Over the course of a couple of days I was really impressed with the way the edge on the blade held up.
While I don’t envision or suggest the hatchet replacing or completely filling the role of an axe, it’s a great item to carry along for lighter chopping. With that sharp edge, it also did a great job splitting off smaller kindling pieces to get the cook fire going. For splitting bigger pieces, I’ll use the axe, but the hatchet definitely has a permanent place in my kit.
Marble’s Safety Hatchet inside the Jeep DoorThe compact size and built in blade guard make it a simple matter to tuck under or beside my seat in the Jeep. Just remember, it’s not an axe, it’s a hatchet and as such the Marble’s Safety Hatchet is a great little tool to bring along!
Update 10:44AM 9.2.14
Muskrat was asking about the grooves where the head mounted on the handle. They have a unique shape for the handle to fit in the head.
Hatchet Handle
Marble’ Safety Hatchet Head
