Best Made Company Straight Hold Hatchet Review

Best Made Company Straight Hold Hatchet Review



The Best Made company, found at www.bestmadeco.com are gear and clothing company which emerged circa 2011 in New York City. They style themselves as a mix between an old world adventure outfitter with a very modern look which taps directly into the 'artisan' movement currently going on in the gear world and beyond.

Beginning as an Axe reseller, selling Snow and Nealy brand axes with small markup (perhaps a finders fee) primarily, it seemed, as functional talking points for those wealthy enough to afford to display them in their communal areas at home.

A short time later, it appears they went into business with Council Tool, another US told producer, and tapped into their emerging 'Velvicut' line of premium axes - a line which CT aimed squarely at the market share dominated by the Swedes and their much admired Wetterlings and Gransford Bruks brands. 

The concept of axes as heirlooms is not new, but appears to have gotten shelved by the mainstream consciousness during the rise of Chinese mass built, low priced, disposable commercialism that took hold in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Now however, with a resurgence in quality over quantity mentality linked to a contagious pride in American cottage industry and honest blue collar work, as well as the rise of outdoorsmanship in general (my generation finally putting down their video games and getting outside) there is a strong and highly competitive market for axes and hatchets that promise durability across many years of adventure.

The newest Hatchet from the Best made line (which until this point has consisted of a longer handled CT Hudson Bay axe and a full sized American felling axe) is also a partnership with CT. From what I can tell, the straight hold hatchet is the head of a CT Hatchet, with a handle unique to this retailer, as well as some other flourishes you would expect when paying an upgrade in cost.

The Hatchet cost $89 USD. I ordered it from the website, the end price including shipping was about $130 AUD with shipping. It took two weeks to arrive. I have taken in on four extended trips and cut a large amount of wood, both in a chopping and splitting role.

This is a link to my video review, the only one so far: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMFj4Zj1a4E



Blade: 4/5


The blade is a traditional, jack of all trades Dayton pattern hatchet head with a roughly 4 inch cutting edge. It is made of 1060 carbon steel which is a pretty standard carbon steel for axe heads. I appears to be cast and shaped via stock removal. The head is 1.25pounds, which feels substantial on the footlong handle. As a chopper the blade is heavy, so you'll be doing fewer, more forceful cuts. The shape is definitely geared towards splitting. As a chopper, it takes reasonable bites from wood, but a narrower blade profile with less steel on the cheeks (the portion from the edge to the eye) cuts far better across the grain.

In a splitting role however, the extra steel is well spent, the weight and blade geometry thoroughly penetrating any mid sized round of wood I would put it to. The blow is a first strike into some ghastly, knotty, seasoned red gum. It splits like a much larger axe.

A second strike, and its all done and dusted. A light twist will do the rest. 

This blade functions very well in its intended purpose - I view hatchets as fireside camp tools, mainly filling the role of a spitter and occasion limber when doing a small projects like fashioning a walking stick. You are obviously not going to have a great deal of success chopping down a tree, although even against a standing dead hardwood tree, as shown in the video review, the axe did eventually do the job. The weight lends itself well to demolition tasks. The steel is a mid to high carbon and takes a sharp but soft edge, which is preferable in tools which intend of being used and abused. There is no reason you could use the poll to pound any material softer than the steel. I don't, generally, but you could.

Useability: 3/5

The selling point for this over the standard CT hatchet, or pretty much any other modern hatchet, is the handle. Best Made state they were inspired by the carpenters hatchet handle pattern - a straight and versatile straight line, with very little flourishes to speak of. They have added some palm swells in a couple of places, in the middle and toward the heel of the handle.  You can see below it is rather straight compared to two other popular axes - the Gransfors Small Forest (middle) and the Estwing Sportsmans Hatchet (far).

This handle does have a fair amount of utility. I found it very comfortable, despite coming coated in a grippy lacquer. I cannot stand lacquered handles. They mix poorly with dirt and fluid and tend to become tacky after hours of use, leading to blistering. I found this occurring after several minutes of frenzied chopping (which I do more as a test for the head stability). I deduct a point for this, as although it is a simple process to remove it, it does take some time and a little extra cost (linseed oil and several grits of sandpaper. 

Here is a video of me stripping the coating after my testing: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfJCIQOPs18

Another two small problems which each knocked about half a point from the score are the sheath accessibility - the issue being it is difficult to pry the (very nice looking) button snap off the belt. The strap is also somewhat floppy in my example, so it is not ideal for affixing to a belt. A second holster is recommended if you want to belt carry this hatchet.

                                      

The other small issue I had, which was also remedied in my handle re-do, is the end of the handle doesn't retain the grip as well as I'd like. Simply getting as rough file and adding some crosshatched markings has done the trick though.

Overall, I would rate usability as a solid 'good'.

Build Quality: 4/5


Theres no getting around it. One point knocked for the very ugly attachment method. The aluminium wedge  has been driven in unevenly, and the supporing epoxy is quite visible to the naked eye. The below images show the hatchet (middle) between the Gransfors Small Forest Axe and the Estwing Sportsmans. Whether this will stand the test of time like the well used Gransfors, time will tell. It has held fast so far, so I am only reducing one point. The rest of the hatchet is utilitarian and practical. The lacquer cost a point elsewhere. Everything else on the hatchet was clean and the grain orientation on the handle is very straight. The axe head is hung evenly and correctly, with the blade following the handle angle all the way down. Apart from the ugly eye, it is a good looking hatchet from any other angle and has held its edge very well for the steels expectations, indicating it is well heat treated.

One thing that I would also change would be to set the handle above the head, as shown below in the Gransfors. This is a must more trustworthy way of hanging a head in my experience.

                           

Value: 3/5


The Council Tool variant of this axe is half the price to start with. It retails from the website at $42 USD.  That is 5/5 value for an an American made hatchet. So we need to look at what we get extra, for our extra $43. The straight handle is one, which is fairly well implemented, but does require end user tweaking to get just right. The leather mask is high quality but does not function as well as competing axe masks. Even the Estwing, which is also a $40 hatchet - a very different type of hatchet, nonetheless - has a high quality belt mountable sheath. 

Overall, for the high quality steel head, the less common and (eventually) highly ergonomic american hickory handle, US production and a good amount of after care support (I have had great experience with Best Made Co customer service - you do read mixed accounts, but I have never found them to be many less than highly accommodating) I would place this a good, but not great, value.

                                        

So would I recommend this hatchet, compared to the highly competitive and varied market it sits in? Well despite not being amazing value, it is still half the price of what a Swedish made hatchet will cost you these days. It is not to that same standard, but for the average camper, its a great purchase for someone wanting something a bit more substantial than the polymer and all steel hatchets from Fiskars, Schrade, Sog and even Estwing. It's also light years ahead of a painted no-brand number you'll grab from your local hardware store. Whether you like then handle enough to depart from the base council tool model is a bigger question.

Overall Score: 14/20

Council Tool original (as far as I can tell) : http://www.counciltool.com/product.asp?pg=product&item=20HCT14C

Multi Tool Review: Leatherman OHT

The Leatherman OHT is a large sized multi tool introduced into the Leatherman line during a bountiful 2011, which also saw the arrival of the huge selling Wingman and Sidekick budget line of tools. The OHT is the first foray into a sliding plier design from Leatherman, meaning that the standard 'butterfly' opening mechanism where the user rotates each arm of the closed tool from six o'clock to midnight/midday is replaced by a set of rails affixed to the bottom of the plier head, which run the length of the handle. 

The result is a different way of accessing your pliers. Proponents for this method assert that they are fully one hand opening, and Leatherman has certainly adapted that philosophy. 'OHT' stands for 'one handed tool' after all. And they have ran with that idea, the clear mission being full one handed opening and closure of all tools, whilst still incorporating the mainstays of their large and heavy duty lines - multiple knife blades, locking everything, and strong build quality.

Primary Tool : 4/4

The plier head on the OHT channels the peak usefulness of multi tool design. The fine needle nose is far superior in every day and small job use (the domain of the multi-tool) to the blunt noses you see across other lines. The additions of the replaceable wire cutters add longevity and an extra cushion against warranty return for Leatherman - I suspect warped cutter blades may have been a big enough problem to adopt this across the majority of the over 4-inch line (only the Wave and Charge series retain the cast cutters, which is surely on the way to being remedied).

The main win here though, and what sets the tool apart from many other Leatherman tools is the spring loaded pliers. It seems it is something that the company has resisted for some time. The eagerness for the non-name multi tools to go sprung does make me suspect Leatherman was waiting to implement this in a way that seemed different enough to separate their tools from the legion of Coleman and Kookaburra branded 'multi function tools'. The new form and idea behind this tool appears to have given them the platform to do so. Some concerns with regard to sprung pliers, and especially hidden sprung pliers) is that they may have to hollow out too much of the head to fit the springs, creating a weak point. I haven't read or watched any reports of these pliers failing.

Secondary tools: 2/4

The secondary tools are fairly standard set of tools, and are the price paid for the excellent set of pliers. You get three dedicated drivers. One is a medium flat, one is a small flat and one is a phillips. The medium flat will be your main turner for large slotted things. I use it to take the batteries out of my apple keyboard, to take the bits of my Dyson apart when stuff gets stuck just before the cylinder, and also to do some light prying.

Pictured next to this is the can opener which I will probably never use. It could be modified into an awl if you were looking to void your warranty. It is sharp and does open cans, but these are really superfluous tools, added more for the sake of tradition than utility.

Back to the other drivers. You get a small flat which is too big for eyeglasses and too small for much else. And you get a reasonably long phillips which does moderate work in most phillips screws. The 2.5 dimensions make it feel like a tool from the Leatherman Bit Kit but with longer reach.

The next tools are the knife and the saw. The knife is made from Leatherman's 420HC stainless and comes very sharp. It has an aggressive and somewhat futuristic look. It has some belly and a very sharp but delicate tip. I prefer the clip point of the Super Tool 300 and Rebar series to this. The thumbhole works well as long as your thumbs are worn in enough to not be too bothered by slight angles.

My main criticism of these blades, the saw especially, is that they are far too short for a tool of this size. I would have been more than happy to lose the tiny screwdriver and pointless can opener for longer blades. A saw with just over two inches of teeth on a handle which feels frankly rather large and blocky is not an ideal tool. It is properly formed, and at least does cut (very) small sticks and notches. 

The other sides tools form somewhat of a 'rescue' layer. The serrated blade is a handy sheepsfoot pattern and is probably the best secondary tool. It is mighty sharp and feels more substantial than the plain edge, despite being the same length. I suppose we are accustomed to just having two or so inches of serrations on our partially serrated knives, so it feels more normal to use.

The other tool is a very trendy rescue hook, featuring the obligatory 'oxygen bottle wrench' which I am almost certain has never been used by any multitool user, and is a very simple way for companies to up their tool count. The end of the rescue cutter has a practical flat driver. The cutter is sharp and would be handy if it was required. Difficulty in sharpening would suggest it may be a single or seldom use tool. 

I suppose the toolset might benefit an emergency response worker well, but for the everyman I would either drop the can opener and driver and make the knife and saw longer. This would make the tool a bit more woods-friendly. Or I would go fully urban and get rid of the saw, and replace it with a file, and swap the strap cutter out with scissors.

The sacrifices made in length and some odd choices do reduce the wide appeal of the tool. They work, but they don't work well.

Ergonimics and accessibility: 3

This was almost a 2, but I look at the thought the company has put in and it is truly too much to marginalise. The pliers fly out once you get your technique down. If you are having problems, I assure you - its not the tool, its you. I had a couple of little flick tantrums in the first few days but now I'm a master of the slide. The one handed opening tools all have the ability to be unlocked and closed. They are all on obvious liner locks of stiff sprung steel and are all tactile. The gadget factor for this tool is off the charts. The sprung pliers are perfect in their feedback. A nice, soft yet positive push from the internal spring.

It is a big square brick of a thing though, when using the secondary tools. The photo above shows it next to the super tool 300. The 300 has rounded edges galore, and the butterfly design enables smooth surfaces against the hand. This is a bit of an oddbod in the hand. Lots of lumps and bumps. The tool lacks a pocket clip, which I would probably add, as well as any lanyard hole. It comes with a molle sheath, again hinting at the more emergency response type ideal user for the tool.

Quality: 4

There isn't any debate about how well Leatherman builds a multi tool. Everything on this tool, regardless of how good the idea or the design is, is well engineered. It is probably the least 'hard use' of the Heavy Duty Leatherman line (their categorisation, not mine) but it still inspires confidence in the hand. The flourishes like the tool diagrams on the pressed handle scales are very eye catching. There isn't a tool on the market that looks like it. All the basics of good QC are there in my OHT. And of course, the plier tips merge into an indistinguishable black blot on the tip, where they meet perfectly.

                    

Value: 3

This is a high quality tool for a fairly good price. In Australia, you will pay about $110 from most eBay stores. Bricks and mortar shops will hit you for about $160 (they adhere to Leathermans very high RRPs a little better). For $110 the competition will be a Leatherman Wave for about $10 more. The Wave is a bit of a compromise between this being a functional and fun gadget and the Super Tool 300 being a serious performer. It is made of the same materials but has greater versatility in tools and carry options. I would give the Wave a 4 in value, and recommend that over this tool. But looking at this alone, there is certainly your moneys worth if it is all thats available.

Total score 16/20

The OHT is a guaranteed buy for collectors of multi tools, or those in its target audience, which would be police, fire, paramedic, park ranger, helicopter medic, soldier. Those tactual types will appreciate the one handed tools and notice the shortcomings a little less than those who may well have a friend with a wave in his home toolbox when it comes to comparison. Is is surprisingly cheap, which does keep it in the market, however if you are looking for supreme value over all else in the Leatherman line, it really doesn't elevate above the Rebar which is still the most tool and quality for under $80 if you look in the right spots. Not the failed experiment that some spout, and certainly better than the original sliding plier (the constantly dating Gerbe rMP600) but definitely not your first of second choice in the line. If you own up to the Leatherman Crunch though and still feel like something else different, then go your hardest.

Pete

Scoring System: Axes

SCORING SYSTEM: AXE

The axe is a difficult tool to make a constant scoring system. The idea only works if the categories are vague and fairly fluid. 

There are four main types of axes I will likely review, based on a quick look around my stock.

Felling Axes - Axes for cutting down mid to large sized trees. Example - the Gransfors Bruks American Felling Axe

Splitting axes - Axes with heavy and steeply angles heads for splitting wood with the grain Example - the Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe

Forest Axes - Mid to short length do-all axes. Packable or wearable by sheath, but with more size and functionality than the hatchet. Example - the Wetterlings Hunters Axe

Hatchets - Small hand axes designed for one handed swings and smaller tasks. Generally fall under an overall length of 14 inches. Example: The Estwing Sportsmans Hatchet.

To find common ground that all of these tools is difficult. The categories give me wriggle room, tailoring each review for the purpose the axe entails. A splitting axe won't lost points it it is rubbish for cutting down trees. 

Here are the proposed categories, each being worth a maximum of 5 points, for a total of 20:

Blade 

This will look at how well the blade is formed and most importantly, how well it is designed for completing it selected task. I will give a brief descriptor of what I expect from the axe and then assign a score with this in mind. Factory edge does not fall into this category. Axes are constantly being re-sharpened and often an axe that ships dull still ends up chivying a high score.This will be examined in a later category. This is about the blades shape, profile and effectiveness at its purpose. Steel quality will make up at least a point of this. Catastrophic and constant steel failure may well grind this score down to 2 or 1. Its rather important.

Useability

How the tool feels in hand. How it carries and feels after prolonged use. How the handle absorbs recoil from strikes. How the collar gives the hand a clear area to choke up on a hatchet. If it is a smaller axe, how versatile it is for other tasks. How it feels being raised for long periods above the heart level (arm fatigue generally accelerates when chopping up high). Things like well formed handles, safe design and out of box readiness will effect this category.

Build quality

Not fit and finish. These are hard use tools and I never expect them to come and remain perfect for much longer than the first 20 minutes of use. Build quality is grain orientation on the handle, grip material, if any, the head being fixed firmly to the handle, eye symmetry and blade:handle symmetry (the heel of the handle being in line with the blade when one looks at the tool from above). Poor steel will also effect this category. Poor handle material will effect this category.

Value

Whether the tool is disposable or of heirloom quality and whether the price reflects that. What materials you get and the overall sum of the quality versus the price. Any extras which come with the tool will also contribute to this score. Leather masks and warranty cards will help here. 

Each review will describe how long I have owned the tool and how many hours of use it has been put through. This system may change as I review more axes.

Keep an eye out for a hatchet review, coming soon.

Pete

Scoring System: Multi Tools

SCORING SYSTEM: MULTI TOOLS

Multi tools have a great deal of variability present across the various brand ranges. The challenge here is to develop a fair scoring system that can be applied across all tools. I have chosen five areas in which multi tools will need to 'work' in order to achieve a score of '10' which indicates that the tool is at least worth buying for an enthusiast. 

Each of the five categories will be trying for a maximum score of 4. 

4. Class leading

3. Works well

2. Works

1. Does not work

Here are the categories I will be working with. 

Primary tool

This category is the success of the primary tool of the multi tool. What the tool is based around. For example, on a Leatherman Wave, a plier based multi tool, this will be an assessment of how the pliers work. On a knife based multi tool such as the Victorinox Explorer, it will be the main folding blade. 

Secondary tools

This will be an assessment of any other main tool or tools present. Success in this category will be guided by a quality over quantity philosophy. For example, the excellent secondary tool of the Leatherman Skeletool CX - a one hand opening 154CM steel locking blade - would score a 4 in this category, whereas  less useful, but more numerous secondary tools, such as the diminutive blade, saw and strap cutter on the Leatherman OHT would likely score at least one point less. This will be a category to read closely.

Ergonomics and accessibility

How comfortable the tool is to use in its primary and secondary stages. How easy it is to deploy the primary and secondary tools. A high score here will be claimed with rounded edges, well designed nail nicks and general great design. The sheath and carry options also fall under this category. if a multitool feels like a giant brick in the pocket and comes with a lacklustre sheath, points will be lost in this field. I will discuss and weigh up size and weight issues. Large tools will do fine if they have good sheaths. Small tools will do poorly if they have low quality clips or jagged edges in the pocket.

Quality

How substantial the tool feels in hand. How it comes from the factory. The durability of the tool after hard use. High scores here will be achieved with sharp blades, tight locks, aligned plier heads and how well it wears.

Value

This category hits at the hip pocket, but takes in all the X factors such as warranty, brand, and competing options, as well as how the previous four categories stack up against the market price, which will generally be attained by an ebay search. 

I will generally begin with an introduction, containing more difficult to quantify calls on things like looks, gadget factor (how fun the tool is to play with) and a bit of background on the tool.

I will conclude with alternative choices and how I would compare the reviewed tool to its playing field.

This system may morph if it comes across tools which require it to, but I think it is quite a malleable little matrix. 

Stay tuned

Introduction

Hello.

I'm an Australian Gear Enthusiast, with a bent on gadgets and tools that bring happiness to the user.

On this site, I will be publishing written reviews on Axes, Knives (fixed blade and folding, large and small), Multitools, Torches, Bags - gear in general.

Each category of item will be scored. I am from a generation raised on statistics. I want to know if a knife has +2 durability or -1 edge holding. Numbers help me understand quality. The first couple of posts will be laying down these matrixes as I work them out. Then the written reviews will begin filtering through.

I have a youtube channel which has been going for a couple of years now, https://www.youtube.com/user/CedricAda which has a lot of stream of thought style reviews on a lot of stuff. So check that out, too.

Stay sharp!

Pete