They also make for a gnarly weapon in a close-quarters situation. When a full-sized axe is too much or you’re just trying to save as much weight as possible from your load a hatchet will fit the bill.
But any cutting tool is only as good as its cutting edge, and if you want to utilize your hatchet with maximum efficiency, not to mention safety, you’ll need to keep a proper working edge on it. Though it is true that chopping tools like hatchets typically don’t need to be kept at razor sharpness like most knives if you neglect to maintain the edge you will only be working harder than you have to while simultaneously shortening the lifespan of your tool.
You’ll also be inviting accident, as a dull hatchet is far more likely to skip or glance off of the wood and then embed itself in your thigh or shin! That could put you into an entirely new category of survival situation.
You can prevent all of these unhappy outcomes by staying on top of regular maintenance, and foremost among that maintenance is sharpening.
In this article, we will provide you with six time-tested ways to sharpen your hatchet. You are sure to find one or two favorite methods that you can employ with your hatchet so you can keep on chopping. Keep reading to learn more.
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