There are some tools that come and go - and then there are the ones that stay with you, shaping the way you work and the way you move through the woods. For me, that tool has been the Gränsfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet.
Flash back to 2019 I had just signed up for the Woodland Ways Northern Forest Year course ,and was doing my research into all things boreal. Surprise surprise it wasn't long before I came across the topic of axes (an invaluable tool during harsh northern winters) and I quickly ended up with my heart set on the Gränsfors Small Forest Axe. I then spoke to a friend of mine who happened to be fairly in the know about all things bushcrafty and he recommended the Wildlife Hatchet as a good entry level all-rounder that would fit easily inside a pack for travel and punch well above its weight with a little knowledge on how to use it well.
That week I walked into a local outdoors shop that stocked GB axes and picked out a Wildlife Hatchet not really knowing just how central it would become to my time in the outdoors or my journey as a student of this vast array of skills we call bushcraft. Over the last six years it's travelled with me on expeditions, carved more spoons and spatulas than I can count, and split its fair share of firewood as well as a few tree trunks. Somewhere along the way, it became more than just a tool.
From Course Kit to Companion
Back when I first held the Wildlife Hatchet, I was drawn to its balance, light weight and slender profile - small enough to pack without thinking, yet capable of real work. It quickly became my go-to on every trip.
I remember early on in the Northern Forest Year course we were building personal shelters and I had forgotten to pack my folding saw, now I could have just asked my Woodland Ways Instructor for a company saw but I thought no let's add a bit of reality if I was out in the wilds and forgot a bit of kit I'd have to do without. So by the end of the weekend me and my new hatchet had cut more shelter poles and bed logs and processed more fire wood than my hands or arms were ready for; there were blisters, there were aching muscles but there was also one tenacious little Wildlife Hatchet that had soaked up everything asked of it with ease.
Since then it has been driven through tree trunks with a wooden mallet to split out bow staves on bow making courses; its crafted deadfall traps in woodlands in Ireland (for educational purposes only); it has butchered large and small game with surprising ease, its carved feather sticks and utensils that I feed my family with; its split kindling for the log burner on family trips away; it came to Sweden with me on my first expedition with Woodland Ways.
It's only dawning on me as I sit here writing but It was in my pack the first day I walked into a Woodland Ways woodland in Scotland as a green student looking to begin a journey that I hoped would end up as a career one day, and it was in my day sack five years later when I stood in a woodland car park in the Peak District being handed my Woodland Ways Instructor shirt... what a journey.
So whether in the Swedish wilderness or a Scottish woodland, it's been at my side, or tucked neatly into my pack. It's the kind of tool that quietly proves itself over time, not in a single dramatic moment, but in a thousand small, reliable ones.
One Tool, Many Skills
Part of why this hatchet has earned its place is its versatility.
- Fire preparation - From splitting out kindling to battening larger rounds down for the camp stove, its compact head gives control without losing bite.
- Carving and shaping - The head shape makes it easy to choke up on the handle for controlled carving work - feather sticks, spoons, spatulas, camp tools.
- Shelter building - Processing stakes, trimming poles, or splitting wood for frame construction.
- Bow staves and craft work - It's helped me shape raw logs into clean, even staves ready for tillering.
This isn't just about what it can do - it's about what it lets me do well. Over time, I've adapted my techniques to suit this hatchet.
More Than a Tool
A few months ago, I bought a fantastic carving axe. It is a fine tool - sharp, well made, and capable. So as I do when I get a new tool like this I work with it for a good while just to get the feel of it how it cuts, how the weight transfers when you swing it how it bites on stop cuts and how smoothly it clears those stop cuts out and I had a great time but when I picked the Wildlife Hatchet back up, it felt like shaking hands with an old friend. The handle fit perfectly, the weight swung just right. I didn't need to think about how to use it - my hands already knew.
That's the kind of relationship that only forms with time, repetition, and trust. Every nick, every burnished patch of handle; every sharpening session has built that bond. It's why I encourage students to pick one good tool and really get to know it - to make it an extension of themselves rather than just another object in the pack.
A Word on Craftsmanship and Care
Gränsfors Axes have a well-earned reputation, and this hatchet is no exception. Its forged head stamped with the initials of the smith who made it, fine grind, and simple hickory handle make it a tool built to last - but only if you give it the respect it deserves. And I feel these tools do deserve respect, made in the small village of Gränsfors in northern Hälsingland Sweden since 1902 they have gained a worldwide reputation among outdoors people as being some of the best axes in the world.
I keep the edge sharp, maintaining it in the field as religiously as I do my knife giving it a going over with a DC4 and strop in camp of an evening , oil the handle with boiled linseed oil thinned out with a little white spirit to help it absorb, my rule of thumb with any new wooden handled tool is once a day for a week, once a week for a month and once a month for a year and in return, it’s been with me through rain, snow, and more than a few hard knocks. It's not a shelf piece - it's a working tool, and it's better for it.
Lessons in Simplicity
In a world full of gear lists and endless options, this hatchet reminds me that you don't need to carry everything - just the right things. A single, well-chosen tool can cover countless camp tasks if you take the time to learn its strengths.
After six years, the Gränsfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet isn't just part of my kit, it's part of my craft, part of how I teach, and part of how I connect with the landscape.
And honestly, it's hard to imagine heading out into the woods without it.