Fiskars X7 Hatchet Review
The Fiskars X7 features a traditional hatchet design and it’s small size make it suitable for carrying inside or outside of a backpack.
The Fiskars X7 is a great hatchet for anyone looking for an inexpensive, yet capable hatchet for camping, hiking or any other outdoor activity.
Who Should be Interested in the Fiskars X7?
Anyone in need of an inexpensive hatchet that functions well should be interested in the Fiskars X7. It’s capable of filling any role that you need a hatchet to fill but it excels in processing small logs and limbs.
Features
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet comes in at 1.41 pounds overall. The total length is 14″ and the cutting edge is 2.75″.
The head of the hatchet is made of a high carbon steel that is easy to sharpen.
The synthetic handle wraps around the head holding it in place securely. It is not a full tang but the head does extend slightly into it the handle.
The handle ends with a rubberized, non-slip coating, a flared front side to help stop slipping and a lanyard hole.
Finally, the plastic cover provided with the X7 does its job well fitting securely and protecting the blade without adding much weight. (There are several versions of this cover. All of the ones that I’ve seen look like they would work well. Some have belt loops, some have no handle or loops at all.)
Pros
The Fiskars X7 is really inexpensive but it still functions great! This makes it easy to recommend to almost anyone.
If you look around a little, you’ll notice that it’s pretty hard to find anyone recommending any axes besides the Fiskars X7 Hatchet at this price point. That’s because you can’t really get a better hatchet for less than $100 more than this little guy.
In testing, it made short work of smaller logs and trees. Even cutting through a 7″ log only took me a few mins.
The synthetic handle is supposedly stronger than steel, I don’t know that I believe that but it feels very strong and didn’t seem like it would break.
Cons
When you’re dealing with inexpensive tools, there’s normally some cost-cutting that has to be done. With the Fiskars X-7, this comes in the steel used in the axe head. It’s a little softer than more expensive hatchets so it doesn’t hold an edge as long as blades made of harder steel. This didn’t really bother me too much in testing as it’s still very easy to bring the edge back.
The biggest con for me is the molded handle around the head of the hatchet. I like a traditional wooden handle so you can replace the handle if it breaks out in the middle of nowhere. With this handle, the hatchet is basically trash if it breaks.
Fiskars claims a “Lifetime Warranty”. Further research says this warranty “does not cover sharpening, normal wear, and tear, environmental factors, accidental damage, misuse, industrial/commercial use.” So they will replace any product with manufacturing defects, but if you break it, you’re buying a new one.
Conclusion
The Fiskars X7 Hatchet is a great piece of gear for the price. (You can but 5 or 6 of these for the price of a Gränsfors Bruk Wildlife Hatchet.)
With that in mind, I highly recommend the Fiskars X7 if you’re just going to use it a couple times a year or if you have a bunch of kits that you want to put a hatchet in. Buy 4 or 5 and put one in with your camping gear, one in a bug out bag, one in the trunk, etc.
Check out our article The Survival Axe – The Piece of Gear You May Have Overlooked for our ideas on the survival axe. For more gear reviews, check out our gear review page.
