The Mini Hatchet

I did not expect my handle to arrive today, but I didn't get a tracking number so I really had no clue when it would arrive.

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If these handles were sized to a standard 1-1/4lb hatchet eye they'd only need a couple minute of work on the fawns foot to be perfect, they're too big for these as they come though.
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I'm almost done, and will finish it up tomorrow after work.
I just need to do a tad more sanding, hang it, and trim the fawns foot.
I'm out of BLO, otherwise I'd have finished it today.



PS : be careful with mora knives.
 
A lot of companies have rebranded the Vaughan mini hatchets, enough that I keep remembering more that I forgot about.

Here's the overpriced gussied Best×made version ( no longer offered I don't think).
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And here's the bark river version, I don't know what they're smoking but somebody actually thinks they can get $500 for one on ebay.
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They were a fairly nicer version with a better finish on the heads , but the handles weren't improved much and you still got the same vinyl faux leather sheath.

I remember a long time ago on a forum I used to belong to somebody was telling a member not to buy the Vaughan garbage because bark river made a much higher quality version that, I had to break it to them that the BRKT was just V&B that's been smoothed out a bit and sharpened.

Back 12-15 years ago the Vaughans were finished nicer too so it's not like they were starting with one of the rougher blue powdercoated recent examples , they didn't have to do all that much.
 
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I have a new Vaughan on the way and since neither the timing nor asking price are right I didn't buy this one, but I just found another rebrand of the V&B that I didn't know about ( unless I just forgot ) and borrowed the sellers picture.

The Hartwell name sounds familiar, but I know nothing about the brand.
 
I picked up this small “Olivo” brand head last weekend, made for Olivo by Ramon Onraita, Spain I believe (both now defunct).
8.4oz (240g), old & rusted but no sign of use.

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I’ve just handled it by thinning down a slightly bigger handle.
Head 4.5 x 3”, handle 13.5”. (90mm SAK for scale).
 
I'mSoSharp said:
I picked up this small “Olivo” brand head last weekend, made for Olivo by Ramon Onraita, Spain I believe (both now defunct).
8.4oz (240g), old & rusted but no sign of use.

View attachment 2364023

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I’ve just handled it by thinning down a slightly bigger handle.
Head 4.5 x 3”, handle 13.5”. (90mm SAK for scale).
Click to expand...

Gee, she's a beauty. I'd love to have one like that.
 
Here’s a little one I haven’t posted in this thread, it can still be bought new produced by “Flores Cortés” in Don Benito, Badajoz, Spain.
In their catalogue as a “Huesca” Hatchet at 200g, this head actually weighs 233g.

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The Olivo one should be 250g but is actually 239g so there is 6g difference between them.

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Shown here with an unusual miniature head I picked up in Portugal with a small eye (post #393, 398).

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The key to the usefulness of these is handle length, the longer the better, the F.C being the longest & best at 40cm (16").
I've done a little carving with the F.C one which it does OK thought obviously it won't remove material like something heavier. They'd be good near a fireplace for kindling.

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I decided to blue my most recent Vaughan super sportsman and the one of my last 2 that I kept.
I have used the perma blue quite successfully before on an old Sears rifle, but no matter what I couldn't get the finish to come out very black on these.
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I don't mind though, I kind of like the Case hardened-ish look.
 
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JLRubicon said:
I got my first one at an estate sale for $6 and then I had to have more. The estate sale find is the one in the upper right corner. The others were ebay purchases which were a bit cheaper a few years ago. Funny thing is, that is how I got started on this forum, by looking these little guys up to get some info on them. It brought me to this exact thread.
Click to expand...
I joined for the same reason. Those look awesome 👌
 
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