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.
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I joined for the same reason. Those look awesome 👌
 
I picked up another square poll Craftsman mini, I see more round polls for sale than square, I prefer the looks of the square poll over the round.20250310_170609.jpg

Family shot, I'm planning on pulling the head on the straight handle and put it back on the original handle that came with it, then I'll put the round poll on the straight handle.
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I assume the square poll is an earlier version, I'm just basing that on Vaughan's round polls that have been produced in recent years. The round poll pictured above is just as well made as the square polls, high center line with a nice thin bit.
 
rockman0 said:
I picked up another square poll Craftsman mini, I see more round polls for sale than square, I prefer the looks of the square poll over the round.View attachment 2814939

Family shot, I'm planning on pulling the head on the straight handle and put it back on the original handle that came with it, then I'll put the round poll on the straight handle.
View attachment 2814942
Click to expand...
I like the square polls, too. They're almost a perfect scaled version of the full size axe. And those thin original handles are just the best. Perfectly shaped.
 
The square polls are definitely harder to find. Makes them a little more unique and more desirable. I only have one square poll and the rest of them are the rounded poll. Really like these little guys.
 
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