I’ve searched some old post and didn’t find anything. I need a new camping hatchet. I find some overseas but I’m not having any luck finding handmade high quality American axes and hatchets. Any suggestions? Thanks

Snow & Neally (no, I am not related). Check the mark on them, they were out sourced for a while.

Just confirmed, new Snow & Neallys are made in USA of USA materials. They are advertised in Trapper's Post.

You might be surprised at what you can find at a gun show.

Moosetrot

Fiskers X27 splitting axe is a beast. Not American but not China either. Made in Finland.
Have split a lot wood with it and it just keeps going.

Council tool has three lines available

Their sport axes being the midgrade and what once was expected quality in a user grade axe. Next level up is their velvicut line.

Never mind those overpriced yuppie axes,just get a good old axe to suit your purpose at the hardware store and make sure its not made in china.
Bring an axe file with you.
Too hard of a steel is no good for a working axe.

The Swedish axes are nice, Gransfors, and a few others I can't remember the names, pricy but high quality. Anything from camp axes to felling axes...

Or, a lot of good, old American axes can be found in junk shops, auctions etc. might need to rehandle it but they're usually good steel.

Ask Keith here too, he's the Axe guru

If I were not getting a new hatchet like council or something like that Id look vintage like Plumb, Bluegrass or the like.. They are fine tools.. I can tell you for a fact that Gransfors uses a modified 1050's ish steel in thier axes, Hults bruks used the same.. Wetterlings, also.. I knew a smith that worked for Hults Bruks.. A lot of the Plumbs , BlueGrass, or Vaughn are every bit the tool, they are just not made in the same manner and the design is different. Vaughn uses 1080 in thier hammers and axes. I know that for a fact as well..
The style of axe and hardness really depends on what you want to do with it.. They are like knives, they have different purposes but for a general camp hatchet a nice vintage with a new handle would be a fine tool

just find a nice cheap old axe head at a swap meet or antique show and make a nice handle fit just for you that's the true american made cheap and made with your own hands.

Snow and Neally Hudson Bay Camp Axe is an amazing all around that fits nice into back baskets great.

X2 on the Council Tools.

Thanks for all the replies. I’ll look into them

Some of the council sport axes have a hardened poll making them suitable for driving stakes or light nailing. I still wouldn't try to use them for heavy hammering like earth anchors but something like a fence staple would be fine.

Hudson Bay Axe all the way. Small enough to carry around all day and large enough to put to hard work

Estwing. Made here, durable, and affordable

Love mine but they are bad to loosen up if you do much heavy work where you have to pry the handle out.

Yeah the weak spot on the Hudson Bay axe is where the handle mates with the axehead. Not the best for prying in a twisting motion

You can find good used king kutter or older collins for decent prices on eBay I have multiple of both they are great

You might also look at Hardcore Hammers. I just bought the carpenters hatchet. Its the sharpest I've seen

Vaughn is still around.


https://www.vaughanmfg.com/Departments/Shop/Contractor-and-Tradesman/Hatchets-and-Axes.aspx

That’s one I haven’t heard of. They are 100% made in the USA. Decent price. Thanks and thanks to everyone who replied.

I had never looked at eBay. Some good values there too.

I have the Snow & Nealley Hudsons Bay axe and it has never come loose after years of abuse.I will say that Council Tool also has a quality line of axes and hatchets.

For a camping hatchet, I have always used an old Plumb, my dad bought when he was in the Boy Scouts. The Plumb BSA hatchets are very useful, for most common purposes requiring a hatchet in the woods and while camping. The US and 1940s date stamped, easy to find WWII hatchets, made by Plumb, Woodings Verona and American Fork and Hoe Company are basically the same pattern and just as useful. If you look around, you can often find them on Facebook Marketplace for $20.00 or less.

New hatchets are often pretty poorly made with inferior quality steel and rough, poorly finished handles made of wood, that grew to quickly to develop any strength.

Keith

Here are my Snow & Neallys. All used on the trap line and for general cutting work.

I have a couple Iltis axes,I like them.
Their felling/limbing axe is a workhorse.

Estwing

My axes and hatchets are made in Sweden, by Gransfors Bruk.

Those broad hatchets are good at putting a flat side on a piece of wood. Hatchets with two beveled edges split better than those broad hatchets do, with one beveled edge and one flat edge.

Keith