How about a HF "Fireman's Hatchet"?

C

Chris Meyer

Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Messages
1,297
Greetings all,

I was at Harbor Freight Tools the other day and I saw that they are now carrying what they call a "Fireman's Hatchet". The handle was a little weird, but overall it didn't look too bad. I thought about buying one, however, I assume it's made in China, so the $19.99 price tag seemed a little steep. Has anyone here actually purchased and used one? If so, would you give it a thumbs up, or a thumbs down? Thanks.

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I think I saw those at a Harbor Freight store. IIRC, they may have been made in Germany! However, the edge was thick and blunt, just like almost any axe/hatchet you're likely to find in a hardware store.
 
shecky said:
I think I saw those at a Harbor Freight store. IIRC, they may have been made in Germany! However, the edge was thick and blunt, just like almost any axe/hatchet you're likely to find in a hardware store.
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Is that not why they invented files? :D
 
Hmmm, if it's made in Germany it might be worth a try. A bit of re-grinding/modifying on the Bader, along with a good sharpening, and it could be good to go. Thanks.
 
I contacted HF customer service about this axe, if they respond I'll post the answer.
 
I have old fireman`s hatchet,official issued in Croatia,steel handle,they are meant to be thick.Designed to break,tear down and remove.Not much use for bushcraft for me.But I like blades of any kind so I cleaned it from rust,and I keep it, just for collection.
 
Recently i rehandled a full sized Fireaxe.
Its freakin huge! Makes my other axes feel like toys!
But Now i need a hose, a red extinguisher and a metal box with a glass door!
:D

Those haligan/hooligan thingees are kinda cool as well.
lol!
 
I think the blade is probably designed to be more of a "basher" than a chopper.

Still, if made by "zee Germans" and $19, why not?
 
I received a reply today from Technical Service at HF: the fireman's hatchet is from Germany.
 
I think it would make a great truck axe, I might get one myself. $20 looks like a pretty good deal.
 
I grabbed the last one off the shelf just before closing time. At first blush, it seemed okay...straight forward design, decent wood grain, and an edge that looked like it would come to life after a little attention.

Upon closer examination at home, it's a real turd. The blade edge is twisted about 1/4" out of true with relation to the handle. The fitting around the handle isn't what I'd hoped for either, but I could have lived with that as I likely planned to replace it with a longer handle.

I'm gonna stop by another store in the next couple of days and see if maybe I got that one-in-a-million dud. (Wishful thinking, I fear).

I don't know a whole lot about the finer aspects of hawks, hachets, and axes. So here's some info off the product if anybody cares to comment or do additional research.

The head is labeled 2-1/4. I assume that means it's 2.25#, not the 2.0# listed in the online ad. Overall actual length is 19-5/8". It's manufactured by Helko Tools International (http://www.helko.de/profil_e.htm) in Germany for Harbor Freight.

The upside is...if the house gets overrun by zombies tonight, I'll have the upper hand. ;)
 
I think you need to polish off all the paint, buff the head until it looks like chrome, cover the entire handle in black leather, stud the handle with chrome spikes, and carry it around when you go out partying.
 
Just emailed them. I wondered if they ship internationally.
It's not easy to good good axe here in Malaysia.
 
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