Axes & Hatchets

Hatchets

Hatchets are short handled, axe head profiled tools that are used in carpentry to rough shape components. When felling trees, full size axes are used to chop through the fibres of wood, as well as to remove smaller limbs from felled trunks. They can also be used to remove bark from logs to rough shape timber beams during traditional post and beam construction. The smaller style of hatchet is a single-handed use tool that can be used for most delicate shaping work. They can be used to effectively split and shape smaller timber components. In site carpentry applications, they were traditionally used to shape propeller wedges for creating mechanical timber anchors in masonry components. Whilst less commonly used today, it still pays to carry one in the toolbox.