Hi, I'm new to this part of the forum. I'm looking at hatchets and have noticed that some have "ears" and some don't. I think they're probably to make it harder to break the handle, but doesn't the handle just break lower? Do they have any other purpose? Are they an advantage?
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Hatchet Ears
- Thread starter vcbvcbvcb
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- Mar 8, 2008
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- 25,989
It's for increased surface area inside the eye for the handle to grip against. The lugs are an extension of the eye to allow for a more secure bond.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2008
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- 25,989
Yes. 
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2015
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- 295
Always wondered why nobody hasn't put these on a Hudson Bay pattern. May look weird but those have short eyes.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2008
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- 25,989
I've wondered about that, too. Granted, part of the original appeal of the pattern was that not only was it light for its bit size, but it was cheap to manufacture. Lugs would have complicated that process and increased the price as a result, but in the modern era that's less of a concern.
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
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- 7,745
My understanding is like you FourtyTwo, hudson bay stuff was designed for speed of manufacture and cheapness. Yes a lot of it gets rave reviews now, but I think that is more due to some generalizations and misplaced nostalgia. Some things like the blankets might have been cheap enough to make very well back then, and its no longer economical (can't hire a crew of 6 year olds to do that work these days) but in general all of those sort of quasi trade good products were just the cheap and dirty versions of better products.