3 Benefits of Knowing How to Handle a Viking Hatchet

In order to experience the full potential of a hatchet, you should consider a few important points when shopping for one. For instance, if you are going to swing it once in a while, the cheapest option will do just fine, but keep in mind it’s going to be blunt almost right out of the box. A solid hatchet with a good wooden handle and a nice sharp blade will do the job as a standard tool. But if you mean business and you want to get the most out of your hatchet, you will need to get some pen and paper for this.

A good wooden handle made of hickory wood is a good starting point, because wood, unlike metal or fiberglass, absorbs hits at multiple angles way more efficiently. Plus, if the head gets loose, it can be repaired much easier when the handle is wooden. A tomahawk style blade is the best choice for a hatchet because it gives you more control and it is not as heavy as the same style blade that you’d find on an axe.

Also, you should be on the look-out for a hatchet that doubles as a hammer on the opposite side of the blade. With it, you should also get a nice leather sheath that will only cover the blade, but not the hammer so you can use it without having to take the sheath off. Oh, and just so you know, not every hatchet is the same, so do take your time when buying one. Since we’ve cleared up what you need to know when shopping, let’s explore the benefits and common uses of a Viking hatchet so you know what you are in for.

Benefits and Common Uses

First and foremost, hatchets in general, especially a Viking hatchet, are really good at splitting wood and small branches. Just put a nice flat ended log on the chopping block, and instead of a lot of force, apply a dose of finesse to the hit. A slight tweak with the side of the blade and you are off to a great start – the wood will separate and the only thing left for you will be to repeat this over and over again.
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Chopping down a tree is also possible with a hatchet. You will have to see where the tree leans and start swinging from both downward and upward angles in order to make a wedge. When you get halfway through, do the same to the opposite side but this time center the wedge higher so the tree doesn’t fall on you. Beware when you are near the end of making the second wedge – you’ll need to get ready to stand back a little bit so the tail doesn’t hit you on its way down.

Furthermore, I mentioned earlier that you can buy a hatchet with a hammer on the back of its head, or a hammer-like extension if you prefer. With it, you can easily hammer down nails, as you would with a regular hammer, you can even knock off dry branches after you’ve chopped down a tree. You can put it to good use if you look at it as an actual hammer, and not as an addition to your hatchet because it pretty much serves the same purpose.

How to Take Care of a Viking Hatchet

Depending on what you’ll mostly use it for and how often, you will definitely need to sharpen your hatchet from time to time. Rubbing it up and down in a circular motion, preferably with a stone and a little bit of oil, is the best way. When you are done doing this with the coarse side of the stone, switch to the fine side using the same technique, and from there on you will just need to repeat this until you get that sharp and shiny look and feel.

To best protect the head of the hatchet, you’ll just need to wipe it down with either beeswax or WD 40, and you’ll be good to go.
Again, when it comes to wiping it down, the same goes for the hickory handle and the leather sheath, except this time you should use linseed oil. Be careful not to leave any excess of it though. In case the head ever gets loose, soaking it in water will only make things worse, so your best bet here is to either put a new wedge or replace the old wedge with a slightly bigger one.