Helko Werk Germany Traditional Rheinland Pack Axe - Made in Germany, Compact, Lightweight Axe for Backpacking, Camping - Head 1.5 lbs, Handle 20 in

A fantastic hatchet, I was really reticent to spend this much but it's a great product. Great fitment and metal working and overall quality. I've rigged up a pack carrier for it out of a standard US MOLLE II holster/leg extender and a couple of Maxpedition's Tac Ties. Secure, but quickly removable from the carrier, and the carrier from the pack for belt carry if needed. I've only used the hatchet lightly so far, and I did improve the edge with a couple of different stones. Great weight, I'd say it's at the upper limit for a hatchet length handle, but that head cuts well. What I didn't see on Amazon (yet) are OEM replacement handles and parts, for spares just in case. The leather case was really dry, hit it with leather oils, bought the leather handle guard as well, soaked it and tied it on nice and tight. I didn't use the included leather lace, but used 550 cord instead. So far so good.2020 edit: still going strong, lots of use, sharpened twice, doing it's job well.Oct.2020- Could well be the best tool I've purchased through Amazon, just cut a red oaks smaller limbs into an 1/8 cord of kindling with this hatchet, it's still perfectly sharp and working great. I may have to decide which kid i like best, cause this is gonna be in the will 😁Well, it's 2023 now, and this damn hatchet is still absolutely fantastic. I've only "sharpened" it twice when fairly new a few years ago. And since I've only dressed the edge after heavy use. It's still fantastic, still together, no looseness, metal fatigue, chipping etc. Cut shitloads of firewood, done trail clearing, even helped build a cabin with it. Thousands of strikes so far, no problems. A great damn tool worth every penny.It's a bit customized by now, I'll post a new pic at some point. But, the modifications were only to make a great tool perfect for my individual use. Not to improve the actual tool. Thanks Hello Werke team! Heirloom.

What can I say, the quality of this tool is amazing. I unboxed this axe and immediately checked out the grain orientation in the handle- so far, it seems to be the only negative I have is that the grain is about 25-30 degrees angled away from the head. its a bit more than i am used to. with that said, I seriously doubt it is going to be a problem. The wood looks of high quality. The dimensions of the handle are wide, giving me optimal purchase with a variety of grip positions (I have larger hands) the cutting edge was a solid 4.5/5 on sharpness, a little love with a stone and it should be good to go. I have heard that these axes sometimes need work on the cutting edge, but i got fortunate I suppose. The black forest model is the perfect length for a taller guy like myself who finds that 17-18 inch handles are awkward,( causing me to have to get into janky footing positions as to not whack myself in the leg) but still compact enough to be articulate in my cutting motion and retaining a small footprint on my mountain pack. This axe also has a very wide cutting edge in comparison to the rear of the head, a slight even beard above and below, with a notible and almost "medieval" reduction to the rear.I know some folks like myself talk about axe's and hatchets having a soul or spirit, whether or not its true is irrelevant. I cannot wait to bring my Helko Werk axe with me to the sticks and build a bond with this wonderful example of fine craftsmanship. This is definitely worth what they are charging. Germany, giving Sweden a run for their money.UPDATE 3/19/19Had this axe out for a three day winter bushcrafting trip. The edge was lost pretty quickly the first day- so I took the bastard file to it to reallign the bevel edge and rehoned with a stone. The edge kept sharp after that for the rest of the trip. The handle worked itself slightly loose on the last morning, it had dropped down from 40 degrees F that previous afternoon to almost negetive 5-10 F. So, I set the head in boiled linseed oil and added a single beavertail wedge and it tightened right back up- (I might note that once I got home and got the axe back into room temp, the head could no longer be wiggled) This axe exceeded expectation, wonderful for one handed use debarking and gerdalling larger frozen logs- felling smaller 3-4" pine and aspen was easy but anything girthier than that was quite a chore. Splitting with this axe is not really an option unless you have very small pieces. The axe would just sink into stumps without causing much of a split, but its cutting ability is top notch. I will update again as time goes on.3/29/24 update.Still using it! Still my go-to, although I have more to my collection now for specific trips out. This one is still my first choice, and will likely outlive me.

Excellent, top quality build and feel. Razor sharp edge, with quality edge guard.