Hults Bruk Almike Hatchet

I’ve been contemplating a high quality hatchet purchase for some time. Got an Asian made gerber and an even poorer quality one that are just not inspiring to use...they don’t keep an edge and balance/swing-feel seem to be non existent or just off. Can you whack limb and prep campfire fuel with them—yes, but not without some effort. Enter: the old world craftsmanship and materials of Hults. Out of the box—you could literally shave with the almike. It’s simply a pleasure to use. We’re consciously trying to buy high quality, serviceable goods that have a chance to last a lifetime and I suspect the hults Bruk Almike and their other premium axes tick those boxes readily.

In full disclosure, i'm an ambassador for Hults Bruk.

I own way too many hatchets to count, and the Almike has been my go-to for a lightweight hatchet since I got it. Before that I was mainly using a restored Plumb scout hatchet, a timeless design but sort of clunky and it has wider cheeks than i'd like.

The grain orientation came completely straight and It comes shaving sharp out of the box, so far has retained it's edge very well after several multi day trips with a lot of abuse. I use it mainly in place of a knife, and also plenty of light splitting tasks. You can even fell smaller diameter trees with ease despite it being such a light hatchet, it really swings above its weight. It's also perfect for trapping or field dressing larger game. The design of the head allows you to really choke up for certain tasks as well.

I have a Husqvarna 13" hatchet as well, a common comparison to this one, although I wouldn't even call it a hatchet, it's basically a boys axe on a 13" handle. and is in a completely different category than the Almike.

How much wood would you chop if you had a wood chip chopping tool?

Answer: all of it.

Side note - this is a fantastic hatchet. Really very pleased with it's ability to chop things.