Spear & Jackson 3715AB/09 1.5lb Hickory Shaft Hatchet, 1.5-Pound, Brown

I received this little gem and put it to work right away. I will say that I have a little handheld sharpener that I picked up on Amazon and stroked it a few times with that  Creative Sales Company 41000 Lawn Mower & Garden Tool Sharpener  I didn't notice much, a little clear plastic substance came off the axe. I suppose I could get a little more aggressive in sharpening the unit because what company is going to send you a axe that you could cut your finger on in this age of sue-happy consumers? Anyway, I bought this specifically because I am getting rid of a very large yucca plant that was planted by someone long ago in my front yard. It was encroaching on the sidewalk poking anyone that ventured down same with its razor sharp fronds. I cut it down as much as possible with my electric chainsaw bought (where else) here and needed something to get more material out. To kill it the best product I found was to use this  Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer, 41-Percent Glyphosate, 1-Gallon  full strength on the shoots that appeared. It's tough to kill a yucca, the superintendent of the grounds where I live laughed after I told him I was getting rid of it with "It will be BACK!".So the axe is a delight. Very well secured to the hardwood handle and appears to be a very high quality metal. It did a great job of slicing through all the various shoots that are still there ranging from 6" in diameter to less than an inch. I used it one and two handed and it was both big enough and small enough to use comfortably. I highly recommend this product.

Let me say first I have never bought a hatchet that was this poorly made. That being said, its made out of pretty good materials which I know seems... backward. For a drop forged head the steel isn't bad. It's not great, but hey its 30 bucks. The handle follows the same suit, decent quality wood, grain not completely straight but lets say about 25 degrees to parallel so pretty close. Wood sands nice and it takes oil well.However the manufacturing is abysmal. On the one I got, one side of the head was convex, one was concave. Like deeply. So much so that at a certain point I won't be able to sharpen it to a straight bit anymore. The grind was horribly crooked. The bit was so dull it was literally almost flat. The haft fitting had large spaces in it and shaved some of the handle off when the head was hydraulically pressed. They also aren't 1.5 lbs. I have 2x 1.5lb hatchets that I have had the heads off of and I know they are dead on 1.5lb heads. These are lighter. They are probably like... 1.4ish and change. Not a lot of difference but a noticeable one.If you are buying these to throw, they are going to take a ton of work to get the face right just fyi. But they are cheap so you wont mind breaking them. I wouldn't use it as a primary competition hatchet though. MAYBE a back up if you had fixed all the issues.They are probably just fine once sharpened for little jobs like splitting kindling/ lightweight backpacking hatchet.

Eye is offset so maul is not balanced. Handle is terrible. Head is loose. Once I get done grinding the ax down to balance the offset head, making a new handle and re-handling the maul it will be great.. I bought it with the knowledge that this could be something I would have to do based on the reviews. If you are looking for a maul that can be used out of the box, this is NOT it. It is a danger out of the box and requires a ton of work to make it proper.I don't mind working on my skills fixing this ax. Even with that in mind, I'm not looking forward to the time it will take to fix this ax. Having the skills to fix something that is not right is worth just as much as having a good ax/maul to begin with.I do like the design of this ax. The weight of the maul is good as well. That's about all I can say on the positive side.It gets two stars based solely on that fact that once I put the time and energy into fixing this maul I'll have gained some skill and have a great maul that will have more meaning to me. Besides, Covid19 is here and I need a few projects to keep the mind centered in the crazy world we are living in.

The head initially appeared and fealt tight but loosened up after about 25 strikes. The handle wiggles in the head. Before using it I treated the handle head with BLO 3 times and the used paste wax for additional protection. Now I have it soaking in a bucket with BLO and will let it soak for at least two weeks. Don't know if replacement handles are available. Before the wiggle became noticable I was very pleased with the maul's performance, feel and balance. I have several mauls and this one seemed like it was the the best of the bunch as I was getting 2 shot clean splits on 15"-17" rounds. If the head tightens up then 5 stars. If not, I suppose I could try shimming it....? Update: The head is now tight and I really like this maul.

I was looking at premium (exorbitantly priced) splitting mauls from Hults Bruks, Grandfors, Prandi, etc. The reviews are good, but it's a chunk of metal with a stick and I can't justify spending that $$ to split wood to save a few $$ on heat. The design on this maul looked similar to the fancy Scandanavian and/or German units, and I'm glad I pulled the trigger because this thing is excellent. I find I don't even bring out my wedge, sledge, and axe much anymore. The angle of the head must be perfect because it splits so effectively, and is easy to remove when it gets stuck. It seems to be quality steel, the handle is nice, everything has remained tight, and I couldn't be happier.

This is a good axe, not a great axe but I wouldn't expect a great axe at this price. I bought two and both were not "razor sharp" but I didn't expect them to be. They were ok in regards to sharpness. One has a handle that is loosening up rather soon. It's an easy fix but should not be needed. They seem to cut ok and are balanced well. The handle is sturdy. Overall worth the price but if you are looking for high performance and high quality then this isn't your axe. Overall because of low price it is still decent value for your money.

Not razor sharp, but when I launched it across the back yard, it went deep into a log, so not too bad. Will try on a burglar in future.

Like: cheap, looks pretty in the photos, sharpens up okay, seems fairly sturdy.Dislike: quality control - bent axe headGot this for splitting firewood & occasional chopping where a hefty kitchen knife just won't do. Wasn't looking for top quality, just enough so it'd do the job.Arrived blunt as ten but some work with a file and whetstone soon sorts that and there are tutorials aplenty on axe sharpening. Balance okay, handle okay, rubber blade guard not bad, nothing special. Split some kindling, chopped some logs. Felt it wasn't quite hitting right, so looked closer.Yeah, axe head is bent - see photos. Possibly by design, but I can't find any other than broken heads this shape. Suggests the manufacturer's quality control is severely lacking or has well low tolerances for this product.So I guess I got what i paid for. Works well enough for me, but if you're looking for something you'll be relying on or using often, buyer beware.Tl;dr: low price, low quality. Go figure.

Excellent maul - I had always used an axe for occasional log splitting but suffered with it often getting stuck in a log. You won't get this irretrievably stuck, it will either split the log, or (beware!) bounce off!Mine arrived with a very very slightly loose head (do check for this). As it says on the maul, soak the head in water if this is the case.Or, living in the west of the UK with damp air, just wait for the atmosphere to do the job before using the maul!And, living in the west of the UK where the wind blows and trees invariably grow under stressed conditions, don't expect to be able to get away with just a maul... Timber grown under stressed conditions rarely has straight grain, and trees adapt by seemingly locking the grain together into a kind of textured web. Believe me, log splitting in the South East is a (literally) more straightforward experience!For me, a proper log splitting wedge (about 8" with the finest point you can find) and a 7lb sledge hammer are an absolutely indispensable accompaniment to a maul. For a big log, preferably maximum 12" but better 8-10" high, set on another, wider log. Look carefully for a natural shrinkage split in the end grain (however small). Set the wedge carefully into the split (the reasonably fine edge on the wedge is useful here), and give a few reasonable taps with the sledge hammer. The log will split (so long as you aren't headed towards branch bases or other complications within the wood).When using the maul, the standard energy required is much higher, as having a very steep wedge shape a lot of energy is required.Take care at all times. Eye wear is required, even ear plugs, the noise level is significant, gloves, strong boots and in the past I have had experience of bashes and grazes to my shins, not funny, if a log goes awry (probably a consequence of working on rough ground, so my fault). Now I make sure I am on clear, level ground, and don a pair of cheap cricket pads, adult size, which are now part of my equipment. I don't care what the neighbours say, I am happy to share a joke; if shins take weeks to heal, as a cut with an accompanying bruise can take a while to settle down, I'd rather have a laugh as a result of wearing shin pads!

As many commentators have said, this axe isn't particularly sharp as received, and so it's somewhat mis-described in the product details, but so what; can any axe keep a knife-edge given the way in which axes are used. Surely even a sharp knife would dull immediately upon being pounded into a piece of wood rather than sliced across it.At any rate, this axe is made from mild steel and so would take an edge from a grind-stone if necessary.Overall this is a well-made product from a well-regarded company and so I recommend it.

This is a proper log-splitting maul, not a wood axe - not intended for chopping down trees, it's a specialised tool for splitting wooden logs, and ours does this exceptionally well. Wikipedia says: "A splitting maul (is) also known as a block buster, block splitter, sledge axe, or go-devil" and goes on to explain that it is a properly heavy wedge on a stick, rather than a blade.My mate Ron advised me to keep an oily rag tied to it, since wedges of all sorts work best with a spot of lubrication, and he's right,Neighbour Pete has shown me how it is used by an expert - which was impressive!I'm not that strong or skilled, but I get the job done, albeit slowly.Together with a shiny new 'grenade' wedge ( XTools Wood Splitting Log Grenade Bomb Wedge - Splits In Four Directions } we have done serious damage to nearly a ton of firewood in the recent springtime cold spell.We used to have fibreglass-handled wood axes in the past, and this is a big improvement - recommended! XTools Wood Splitting Log Grenade Bomb Wedge - Splits In Four Directions