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Axes & Hatchets

Knives & Tools

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Felling, Splitting, Bushcraft & Throwing

Q: What is full tang in an axe?

Full tang means the blade steel runs in one piece through the entire grip – there's no joint that can break. This is typically found on tomahawks and tactical axes (Camillus Ravenous, Gerber Downrange). Classic axes with wooden handles, by contrast, have an axe head anchored to the handle by a wedge – equally stable and repairable when properly constructed.

Hand-forged axes from Hultafors (Hults Bruk – the world’s oldest active axe forge since 1697), Gerber, BeaverCraft, Camillus and Morakniv. Shipped from our Swiss warehouse, with personal advice from a Swiss outdoor shop.

Hand-forged since 1697

Hults Bruk in Sweden – the world’s oldest active axe forge

5 top brands

Hultafors, Gerber, BeaverCraft, Camillus and Morakniv in stock

For every use

From compact bushcraft hatchets to 1.5 kg splitting axes

Swiss warehouse

Direct Swiss outdoor shop – no customs fees

At a glance

Axes and hatchets for bushcraft, forestry, camping and throwing sports
Blade material: carbon steel, stainless steel with titanium-bonded coating
Handle materials: American hickory, ash, FibreComp glass-fibre composite
Weight classes from 0.3 kg (hatchet) to 1.5 kg (splitting axe)
Hultafors / Hults Bruk – hand-forged, lifetime warranty on premium models
Gerber Freescape 9/14/17, Pack Hatchet, Bushcraft Axe and Downrange Tomahawk
BeaverCraft AX1 – hand-forged bushcraft axe from Ukraine
Camillus Camtrax & Ravenous Tomahawk with titanium-bonded blades
Morakniv Lightweight – lightweight tactical axe from Sweden
Swiss weapons law: axes are classified as tools, no permit required
Swiss warehouse – free shipping over CHF 100

Axes and hatchets for outdoors and bushcraft

A good axe is perhaps the most universal tool you’ll need in the woods, around a campfire or in the garden. It splits, strikes, carves, hammers and protects you in an emergency. At Swiss-Sale.ch you’ll find a carefully curated selection of axes and hatchets – from compact 300-gram bushcraft hatchets to 1.5-kilogram splitting axes for large logs.

Our range includes models from Hultafors / Hults Bruk, Gerber, BeaverCraft, Camillus and Morakniv. All premium Hultafors axe heads are forged individually at the Hults Bruk forge in Östergötland, Sweden, from Hults Bruk Swedish Axeblade Steel, shaped with around 50–60 hammer strikes and hardened to 55 HRC. The range is rounded out with tomahawks from Camillus and Gerber and specialist carving tools from BeaverCraft.

Axe types at a glance

Choosing the right axe depends primarily on the intended use – handle length, head weight and grind vary widely between applications. Here are the main types from our range:

Felling axe – cutting and limbing trees

The felling axe has a long handle (60–80 cm) and a narrow head with a concave cheek profile. It bites deep into wood and is optimised for felling smaller trees and limbing. Recommendations: Hults Bruk Åby (classic felling axe with 24" hickory handle) and Hultafors HULTÅN (premium model with weight-optimised head).

Splitting axe – for firewood

The splitting axe is significantly heavier (1.0–1.5 kg head weight) and has a wedge-shaped, broad head with convex cheeks. It doesn’t bite deep but levers the wood apart. Top picks: Hultafors WETTERHALL (1.4 kg splitting axe with long hickory handle) and Hultafors STÅLBERG (compact splitting axe for garden firewood).

Hatchet – the universal camp tool

The hatchet is the one-handed axe variant: short handle (25–40 cm), light head (0.3–0.7 kg), perfect for bushcraft, camping and detail work. Recommendations: Hults Bruk EKELUND (premium 0.6 kg hatchet), Gerber Pack Hatchet (compact travel hatchet 0.5 kg) and Hultafors QVARFOT (the smallest Hults Bruk hatchet, ideal as a backpack companion).

Bushcraft and survival axe

The bushcraft axe combines features of hatchet and felling axe: compact enough for the backpack but with enough power to split and chop. Specialist models for this role: BeaverCraft AX1 (hand-forged bushcraft axe from Ukraine, excellent value), Gerber Bushcraft Axe Coyote (FibreComp handle, virtually indestructible) and Hults Bruk Dvardala (classic Scandinavian bushcraft profile).

Carpenter’s axe

The carpenter’s axe has a straight grind and often a flatter beard for precise hewing of beams. Today it’s mainly used by timber-framing professionals and restorers. From our range: Hults Bruk ÅGELSJÖN with classic beard shape.

Throwing axe & tomahawk

Throwing axes and tomahawks are purpose-built for axe throwing: balanced head, robust handle, often full-tang construction. From our range: Camillus Ravenous Tomahawk (titanium-bonded blade, full tang), Camillus Camtrax (multifunction tomahawk with built-in hammer) and Gerber Downrange Tomahawk (tactical model).

Hultafors & Hults Bruk – the world’s oldest active axe forge

When you buy a Hultafors axe from the Hults Bruk line, you’re holding a piece of industrial history. The forge in Hults Bruk in Östergötland, Sweden, has been producing axes continuously since 1697 – that’s over 325 years of axe-making experience. Each premium axe head is forged individually from Hults Bruk Swedish Axeblade Steel, shaped with about 50–60 hammer strikes and hardened to 55 HRC. The edge is ground in a three-stage process – on premium models so sharp it slices paper as cleanly as a razor.

Three things make Hults Bruk axes special: First, the steel is produced climate-neutrally from recycled material. Second, the handles come from American hickory – one of the world’s toughest woods. Third, premium axe heads carry a lifetime warranty. The production site is certified to ISO 9001:2015 (quality) and ISO 14001:2015 (environment).

Brands in our range

We carry selected manufacturers proven in outdoor and professional use:

Brand	Origin	Speciality	Price range
Hultafors / Hults Bruk	Sweden (since 1697)	Hand-forged, premium, hickory handle	CHF 149–499
Gerber	USA / Finland (Fiskars)	Robust, full tang, bushcraft, tomahawks	CHF 60–200
BeaverCraft	Ukraine	Hand-forged carving and bushcraft hatchets	CHF 50–120
Camillus	USA	Tomahawks, titanium-bonded blades	CHF 70–130
Morakniv	Sweden	Lightweight tactical axes	CHF 40–90

Steel, handle & material – what matters

The lifespan and edge retention of an axe depends 90 % on two factors: steel quality and handle material. High-quality carbon steels (such as Hults Bruk Swedish Axeblade Steel) can be hardened to 55–58 HRC and hold their edge significantly longer than budget stainless steels. Corrosion-resistant coatings (e.g. on Gerber models) strike a compromise between sharpness and easy maintenance.

For handles, hickory is the gold standard: extremely tough, fibrous structure, absorbs impacts and rarely breaks. Ash – as on BeaverCraft – is a classic European axe wood with good shock damping. Glass-fibre-reinforced plastic handles (FibreComp on Gerber Freescape) are virtually indestructible and maintenance-free, but transmit vibrations more strongly to the hand.

Buying an axe – what you should know

Our recommendation: Choose your first axe based on intended use, not price. A 60-franc hatchet for camping is better invested than a 300-franc splitting axe you use once a year. For regular use, however, the step up to a hand-forged Hults Bruk pays off – with proper care it will last a lifetime.

Use case & recommendation overview

Use case	Axe type	Head weight	Recommendation from our range
Camping, campfire	Hatchet	0.4–0.6 kg	Gerber Pack Hatchet, Hults Bruk QVARFOT
Bushcraft, hiking	Bushcraft axe	0.6–0.9 kg	BeaverCraft AX1, Hults Bruk Dvardala
Felling / limbing	Felling axe	1.0–1.3 kg	Hults Bruk Åby, Hultafors HULTÅN
Splitting firewood	Splitting axe	1.2–1.5 kg	Hultafors WETTERHALL, STÅLBERG
Throwing / tactical	Tomahawk	0.5–0.8 kg	Camillus Ravenous, Gerber Downrange
Carving / hobby	Carving hatchet	0.3–0.5 kg	BeaverCraft carving hatchets

Why buy axes at Swiss-Sale.ch?

As a Swiss outdoor shop we deliberately stock only brands proven in real use. Hultafors for those who want a hand-forged axe to last generations. Gerber and Camillus for robust, tactical use. BeaverCraft for the best price-performance ratio in hand-forged bushcraft hatchets. Shipping from our warehouse in Menzingen across Switzerland and Liechtenstein, free over CHF 100.

Direct Swiss shop – no customs fees, no waiting times
5 selected brands from premium hand-forged to robust bushcraft hatchets
Real advice by phone, email or in our showroom in Menzingen
All prices include VAT, no hidden costs
Shipping from Swiss warehouse – free over CHF 100

FAQ – common questions about axes and hatchets

Are axes freely available in Switzerland?

Yes. Under Swiss weapons law, axes and hatchets are not classified as weapons but as tools. There’s no minimum age for purchase, no permit procedure and no registration requirement. For transport in public (e.g. on public transport) a legitimate purpose should be present – transport for hobby use, to the woods or for tool servicing is unproblematic.

What’s the difference between an axe and a hatchet?

The terms are often used synonymously, but technically they differ: An axe is a two-handed tool with a long handle (50 cm and up) and a heavier head (from about 0.8 kg). A hatchet is the one-handed variant with a short handle (25–40 cm) and lighter head (0.3–0.7 kg). Hatchets are more compact, lighter and perfect for camping, bushcraft and detail work.

Which axe is suitable for beginners?

For beginners we recommend a light hatchet of 0.5–0.7 kg with about a 35 cm handle – easy to control, versatile and with low injury risk. The Hultafors ÅGELSJÖN or Gerber Pack Hatchet are ideal entry-level models. If you want to go higher: the BeaverCraft AX1 is a hand-forged bushcraft axe at a fair price.

How do I maintain my axe properly?

Three rules: First, after each use wipe the blade dry and apply a thin film of camellia oil or blade-care oil. Second, treat the wooden handle with linseed oil once or twice a year – this prevents drying out and cracks. Third, sharpen the edge regularly with an axe sharpening stone or diamond file. With proper care a Hults Bruk axe will last several generations.

How do I sharpen an axe correctly?

For standard use an axe sharpening stone in 220/600 grit is sufficient. Work the edge in circular motions while maintaining the original grind angle (typically 25–30 degrees). For premium sharpness, finish with a fine leather strop after the stone. Important: Never use a belt grinder or angle grinder – this overheats the steel and destroys the heat treatment.

What is full tang in an axe?

«Full tang» means the blade steel runs in one piece through the entire grip – there’s no joint that can break. This is typically found on tomahawks and tactical axes (Camillus Ravenous, Gerber Downrange). Classic axes with wooden handles, by contrast, have an axe head anchored to the handle by a wedge – equally stable and repairable when properly constructed.

What does the HRC rating on the steel mean?

HRC (Rockwell Hardness C) is the international standard rating for steel hardness. For axe blades, good values lie between 52 and 58 HRC. Lower values (below 50) are too soft and dull quickly; higher values (above 60) become too brittle for axes and break under hard strikes. Hults Bruk hardens to 55 HRC – a good compromise between edge retention and impact resistance.

Hickory, ash or composite – which handle is best?

Hickory is the gold standard: extremely tough fibre structure, excellent shock absorption, long-lasting with proper care. Ash is a good European alternative, slightly softer and cheaper. FibreComp and glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (Gerber Freescape) are virtually indestructible and maintenance-free, but transmit more vibration to the hand – more tiring during long use. For hard professional use I’d choose hickory; for rugged outdoor use where weather resistance matters, FibreComp.

Do I need a leather sheath for my axe?

Yes, definitely. A leather sheath protects the edge from damage and you from cuts during transport. Most premium axes (all Hults Bruk, Gerber Bushcraft, Camillus) ship with a leather sheath. For cheaper models, buying a separate sheath pays off. For backpack transport, additionally orient the tip downward or fix it in place.

Can I take an axe on a plane?

In carry-on, no – axes are generally classified as dangerous items. In checked baggage yes, provided they’re securely packed (leather sheath or hard case). For international travel check the import regulations of the destination country before departure – some countries restrict certain axe types or tomahawks.

Does Swiss-Sale.ch ship from Swiss stock?

Yes. All axes and hatchets in our shop are available from our warehouse in Menzingen (ZG) – no waiting time, no customs fees. Free shipping within Switzerland and Liechtenstein on orders over CHF 100. Personal advice in our showroom or by phone on +41 41 755 34 33. If you’re not satisfied, our 30-day voluntary return right applies.