I have a vintage Craftsman 4810 Hatchet, and it still has the original leather sheath (it needs a bit of leather care). It's a solid piece of some sort of high carbon or tool steel, with a rubber handle. It looks a lot like solid Estwing hatchets, which are 1055 carbon steel. I haven't been able to find the steel type. But, since it's quite rusted (but not too badly), I'll assume it's 1055 or higher. It weights 1_lb 9.5_oz without the sheath, and has a 2.75" cutting edge, and a flat grind. OAL is a tad over 13".
My question is whether this hatchet is good enough for a bug out bag. It was bought in the early 1980s, maybe late 70s. My mom gave it to me. It's seen a lot of use, with no chips or rolls, So the steel must be pretty good. The rubber handle is splitting slightly due to dry rot, but I can fix that. I can either remove the rust, or use paint-over-rust that they make for vehicle ladder frame chassis. I'd rather not spend money on a new hatchet, if this one works fine. I suspect it's a lot better than new hatchets with stainless steel heads.
The only negative I can think of, is that since it's an entire piece of forged steel, the handle will be heavier, and I'll get less power on the swing.
So, do I keep this old, solid hatchet, that's last at least 34 years, or do I spend money on a new high carbon steel hatchet?
My question is whether this hatchet is good enough for a bug out bag. It was bought in the early 1980s, maybe late 70s. My mom gave it to me. It's seen a lot of use, with no chips or rolls, So the steel must be pretty good. The rubber handle is splitting slightly due to dry rot, but I can fix that. I can either remove the rust, or use paint-over-rust that they make for vehicle ladder frame chassis. I'd rather not spend money on a new hatchet, if this one works fine. I suspect it's a lot better than new hatchets with stainless steel heads.
The only negative I can think of, is that since it's an entire piece of forged steel, the handle will be heavier, and I'll get less power on the swing.
So, do I keep this old, solid hatchet, that's last at least 34 years, or do I spend money on a new high carbon steel hatchet?