THOSE HANDY HATCHETS

A hatchet is one of the must-have tools when heading outdoors. Lighter and more portable than an axe, which requires two hands to operate, hatchets lack the tactical elements of the modern tomahawk, which are often used by military and law enforcement types as a multi-purpose tool. This gives hatchet designers the ability to focus on a tool that will easily handle shelter-and-fire-building chores with ease.

For instance, take the hatchet James Gibson designed and which is now offered by ESEE. A knifemaker, flintknapper and bushcraft instructor, James originally designed the Gibson Axe for himself, something to throw into a backpack as he tramped the hills and hollers of east Tennessee. As he tweaked his design, eventually cutting out a prototype made from thin plywood, he focused on its balance and “rocker.”

“An axe with perfect