Fiskars X7 Hatchet Lightweight Wood Splitter for Small to Medium Size Kindling with Proprietary Blade and Shock-Absorbing FiberComp Handle, Lawn and Garden Tool, 14 inch, 1.5 pounds

After many purchases on Amazon, I think this may be my first review. I am extremely happy with this splitting ax. Here are my reasons for buying it: I do not own a wood stove, but I have had a number of large trees fall in the yard over the years. I typically just cut them with the chainsaw to a reasonable size and put them in the woods. However, I do have a fire pit and thought it would be great to start splitting some of these pieces into a size that would burn easier and would be more manageable. I could not justify a power splitter because, as I mentioned, I do not heat using a wood stove, and I thought using this ax would be good exercise. The number of positive reviews on amazon and YouTube convinced me to buy this particular splitting ax. Those reviews were correct. This was a great purchase that was well worth the money. Here are why I think it is great: Simply put, it cuts better and with less force than any maul or splitting ax that I have used. Nearly every cut is a full split on the first swing. In many cases, you do not have to use a full swing to split the logs, and those instances where I did not have a full split was because I only lightly swung the ax. Essentially, you can look at the blade design and see it is well designed to cut and wedge the wood. While not paper light, it is much lighter than a maul meaning one can work longer with it too. I used this ax primarily on Oak and Poplar. I also used it on green and old wood. The green obviously took a fuller swing, but not by much. If you do find that you need to make a full swing, the handle is very long and the head is lighter than a maul; so, you can generate a lot of acceleration resulting in tremendous force. I also tested it in near freezing weather because I was concerned that the composite handle may have issues in the cold (much like one is not supposed to use a composite baseball bat in cold weather.) It had no issues at all. As a matter of fact, on my first swing, I took a hard swing and missed terribly. I hit the handle directly on the log. It only scuffed it slightly. There is also no real vibration in the handle like you get in a wood handle ax. The shape and texture at the end of the handle makes for an easy firm grip too, even with gloves on. In addition, I have seen in other reviews that Fiskars is great about honoring the warranty if something happens to the handle. In theory, this should be the last splitting ax that I ever have to buy. As with any splitting ax/maul, I do recommend putting your wood on a stump for those instances where you cut clear through the log. The blade is sharp and has held its edge well, but it would clearly chip if hit into gravel or an unexpected very hard surface or material. In addition, I recommend wrapping the wood in a tire or strap to stop the pieces from flying. This will stop you from having to bend over so often to pick up the pieces. In summary, this has been a great product that does what it is supposed to do very well. The multitude of positive reviews will attest to this. It is a superb product with a great warranty from a reputable company. If you need an ax or maul for log splitting, I see no reason not to buy this product.

I'm an enthusiastic camper and backpacker who loves making campfires, and I also have a wood burning fireplace that I use a lot. Lately I've been looking for a really good 'upgrade' axe or hatchet, both for camping and for splitting smaller logs up to 12-18" for the home fireplace. After a lot of research, I settled on two FISKARS products, this X7 Hatchet and the 28-inch F25 axe. I'm totally pleased. They've exceeded al expectations, and I'm going to review each of them. Other than size, their designs are identical, so everything I'm about to say applies to both the X7 Hatchet and the X25 Axe equally. Long story short, these Fiskars' are really excellent. This is easily the best hatchet I've ever owned, including my Estwing all-steel hatchet and a number of very good vintage hickory-handle hatchets from Plumb and other USA makers. Those are all great cutting tools, but this Fiskars is on a whole different level. It's like comparing a modern Glock polymer .40 semiauto to a 1917 Colt .38 revolver. Both are great, but the newer design clearly outperforms. The Fiskars has a completely hollow handle, which is a huge weight savings. That fiberglass handle is virtually indestructible; the Fiskars website shows a video of a big truck rolling over those handles without any damage. So unlike wooden handles, this one won't break. It's totally immune to understrikes. It's amazing, and if I didn't own these I would have found it hard to believe. And if you do somehow manage to break it, Fiskars has a lifetime warranty. If your Fiskars ever breaks, just email them a photo of the broken tool and they will ship you a replacement for free. Fiskars' blade shape is like a splitting wedge, which is why it splits so well. The angle of the wedge on the hatchet is the same exact angle as on my 28" Fiskars axe. By contrast, most other hatchets (and most axes) use a more knife-like shape which slices in, but does not wedge wood apart very well. The Fiskars does both. It also arrives VERY sharp out of the box, unlike many other brands of hatchet/axe. There are many homemade owner videos and reviews on youTube showing the Fiskars products slicing and splitting BIG logs, often with a single strike. It looks too good to be true, but these are not faked videos. I know because my Fiskars gives the same performance. I'd say 60-70% of the time I can split with one good strike. It's rare to take more than two strikes. The design of the Fiskars is that ergonomic and the wedge shaped blade is that effective. Fiskars uses a relatively soft steel, which means it is more prone to dent or roll on the edge. On the other hand, it's very unlikely to chip. So plan on sharpening your Fiskars periodically, but that should only take a couple of minutes. Fiskars makes a $10 sharpener specifically for their axes and hatchets. I don't own it yet but there are rave reviews on all the blade forums and websites. About the sheath: The Fiskars do not come with traditional sheaths. (I wish they did). Instead they come with a lightweight plastic snap-in holder which protects the blade, but is not designed for belt carry. There's a clever youTube video in which an owner shows his modifications of the factory Fiskars sheath. Basically he cuts off the useless plastic loop at top and drilled 2 sets of 2 holes (4 total), then runs Paracord through the 2 sets of holes to make Paracord belt loops. You could also just cut off that top loop and use the holder as is, either lashed to our pack or inside it. Both the 28" X25 Axe and the 14" X7 hatchet are totally outstanding. There's also a F11 "splitting hatchet" and an F27 36" long "splitting axe" with even more effective wedge shaped blades. I don't own either of these, but the video reviews are impressive and I would recommend checking these out. I chose the X7 for backpacking and light weight, but if weight did not matter and I wanted a 'car camping' or base camp/cabin hatchet, I would have chosen the F11 instead. I found my X25 axe for a giveaway price at a garage sale, but if I were going to buy it again at full retail I would spend the few extra dollars for the 36" F27, even though the X25 I found performs great and does a great job. The 28" X25 works so well I'll probably never be able to justify buying the longer 36" X27. Outstanding products. I totally recommend these, and the price on Amazon (around $25 for the X7 hatchet, around $45 for the X25 axe) is a steal for the quality you get. The X7 hatchet is also available at a lot of Wal-Marts in the camping department, and some WalMarts and all Home Depot's carry the X25 axe at around $45-50. These sometimes go on seasonal sales as well. So there's no need to overpay online. I hope this is helpful as you comparison shop online. Happy trails and safe chopping, everybody.

I spent a long time researching all of Amazon’s top 100 hatchets. I’m convinced this was the best possible choice & worth every penny! LIFETIME WARRANTY was a huge selling point. Materials are top notch, especially the slick & durable ceramic-teflon-style coated blade. I chopped about 50 small to medium branches (including cedar) with surprising ease & comfort which left very minimal scuff marks & no scratches. Came sharp with a precise well-ground edge but I would invest $20 for a Sharpal diamond file sharpener (course + fine dual sided) for touch ups. Size & weight are perfect with nice balance, the relatively small head is extremely effective! I felt zero shock transfer from the nearly indestructible handle, it absorbs chopping impact surprisingly well. It’s all molded as a single piece so the head will never come loose. Fiskars Pro series makes very fine cutting tools! The locking carry handle is a nice touch & great feature. The high quality steel was designed specifically for chopping so it’s tough but not overly hardened. Hard strikes may gently roll the edge rather than chipping. A quick touch up after extended use will smooth & sharpen back to a factory edge. Enjoy, cause it truly is that impressive!!

Amazons service was a great. Even though I used Supersaver they shipped it right out using UPS and I got it 3 days later. Thanks Amazon. Let me say in general I despise Fiskar tools and never buy them. While some are very well designed the price point demanded by all you people who buy made in China or made India lousy products at Home Depot means Fiskar has to lower the price point to where the quality is not commercial. Fiskar tools in general are not commercial and I have destroyed or worn out every Fiskar tool in short order as I have a large property and commercial orchards and timber land and my tools are heavily used especially by the 'help' that does not have to pay for the tools. In general I stick with Gransfour Bruks (Sweden), Vaughn (USA), Estwing (USA), Milwaukee (USA-electric saw), Silky Saws /cutting hatchets (Japan) or the professional Grade Husqvarna chainsaws when it comes to felling timber. I took down a big ponderosa pine and was splitting it green. My near six pound maul was having problems with the big rounds as the wood was very wet. And it is a hassle to use a wedge and 8/10 pound hammer. And my 8 lb maul had a broken handle. Gransfour Bruks does not make an 8 lb maul. I checked the USA sources. No one made an 8 lb maul.I checked with Craftmans who while they do give a lifetime guarantee make their 8 lb Mauls in China now. So no 8 lb splitting mauls made in the USA anymore that I could find, if you know of one let me know. I have my old 8 pound maul head which was made by Craftsman in the USA but have to find a handle for it. Glad I saved the head now. China is gutting the USA with its currency rigging and we send them fake paper money and they send lousy products with a lot of 'cheating' in the steel quality so fat cat Home Depot Shareholders and Fat Cat Chinese sweat shop owners is all you have and then you get a lousy axe and the "opportunity' to make yourself poorer and Home Depot Shareholders and the Communist Chinese richer. And a sharp, well designed long lasting tool is the safest tool. Sad to see Craftsman Tools which are nearly commercial grade go to China. People buying these cheap made in China tools at Home Depot or Sears are hurting us all and especially the people who need commercial grade tools or the 20 pc of America that is unemployed. It is unethical to buy tools made in communist china or india as they use slave labor and you're taking a job away from an American/Canadian and china/india rigs it currency to give its manufacturers the ability to drive USA quality vendors out of business. Buy local. It is 'greener' for this politically correct generation of MTV bra....er kids to buy local. I was very skeptical about the review about this axe, given my prior experience to wear out Fiskar tools in no time or have the help break them in no time, but I ordered one against my better judgement as Fiskar tools are at least made in Finland which has good protection for labor. And the Finns have a big timber cutting industry they manage well so I suspected maybe the Axe was better or the Finns would just buy the Granfours Bruks' axes from Sweden. So the pressure was on Fiskars to come up with something world class. They surely delivered. This is a superb tool!! This axe is very, very well balanced and designed, as well balanced and designed as the Gransfour Bruks splitting axe or splitting maul which is saying a lot. It splits like a dream and has the same splitting ability as an 8 lb maul at a much lighter weight which really, really surprised me. So it is particularly good for older people like me that are starting to have trouble with swinging the big mauls all day. The ergonomics are perfect for a 6 foot tall man. The blade keeps its splitting edge well. Splitting a Cord of Pine is near effortless. The only problem is I don't get the good workout anymore the splitting is so effortless. You might not even break a sweat splitting with this axe if you touch up the edge after every cord with a stone. I'm a strong big guy and I was splitting wet 1 foot ponderosa rounds with a 3/4 raise and one arm. It Split just from the gravity fall with the dull factory edge. Truly amazing. Not even my Gransfour splitting axe does that and they shipped it with a dull edge for safety when I tried the dull edge first cut test with just a one arm 3/4 raise. This axe was truly amazing once I put a professional edge on it and got after those 30 in rounds with no problems although you do need some skill to crack a wet 30 inch round on the first go. FYI - Never ever take a splitting axe or maul behind your head. Learn to split and/or you need to get a heavier axe. I never take ad axe behind my head and have never seen professional fallers or buckers to so at least back in the days when they did not have chainsaws and people learned how to use an axe properly. I would have preferred a leather sheath but the plastic one it comes with is very clever. Plastic is not good for the environment. You can always grow more cows or wood. The only question I have is if the handle well hold up and how easy it is to replace. Fiskar steel is better than average, not as good as say Silky Saw steel or Gransfours Bruk steel which is world class, but it is as good as Estwing steel or Vaughn steel so it is great steel. This axe has a commercial grade head as far as steel quality. It is a great, great head. I gave it five stars as for the price you can't beat this splitting axe. For the homeowner or non professional you cant beat this splitting axe and the only shame is that Vaughn or Estwing don't make a splitting maul or heavy splitting axe in the USA. This axe is the bomb as this generation says. The only question is how many 'years' of hard use can you get out of the axe handle for professional splitters. But you could buy 4 of these for the price of the Gransfour maul and this splits better although Gransfours won't like to hear that. The Granfours of course last several generations the steel quality is so good so if you don't want to have your kids buy tools go with Granfours axes and maul if you can afford them. I inherited my grandfathers gransfour axes and I am an old man now and they still cut/split like they were new. Given what is available in the market for high quality 6-8 pound mauls not made in China or India or the third world this splitting axe is the best choice for the home owner with a lot of wood to split especially big rounds. It really cracks those big rounds I was using a estwing wedge and 8/10 lb Vaughn sledge to break. Looks like they are selling enough of these I can get a new handle if it breaks and the handle is under warranty but I always misplace receipts. I'm going to put some coffee can tin underneath the head to extend the life of the handle as the head is a 'perfect' design. They should give a raise to the engineer who designed this axe. I will buy a few more of these. In summary a superbly designed axe with capability to split equal to a good usa made 8 lb maul with near commercial quality ex for the handle and lack of a leather sheath. For the price you can't beat this tool and its made in Finland where the government respects labor and not China or India nations looking to gut and steal USA and Canadian jobs by rigging their currency and employing child labor. Too bad about the cheap looking plastic sheath. A leather sheath and a commercial grade handle of top quality hickory would make this a forever tool and I would gladly pay $75 dollars or more to get the upgrade to the commercial handle and a good sheath. Gransfour is on the run with this axe at last. Heck I would pay 125 dollars for his head on a commercial grade handle it is that good. Thanks Fiskar. Thanks for providing us with an ethical buying choice and such a superb design. Fix your other tool lines and I will be a buyer. This makes up for all the other Fiskar tools I wore out or the help broke. So Fiskar owed me as I don't take back tools I wear out. That is my job to be a buyer and pay a fair price for high quality. This axe has HIGH QUALITY although its is nothing to look at as far as aesthetics. Only Gransfour makes beautiful axes anymore.

Fantastic Axe...but... Still enjoy splitting wood the old fashioned way with a splitting maul axe over a gas powered splitter. I'm 65 and stay in shape better than most young people. So I ordered this Fiskars splitting maul on one of Amazons special Gold box or lightening deals, especially since I have other Fiskars products. Received it a couple days ago and when I open the box and looked at it my first impression was high quality as the rest of their products, but my keen eye picked up right away on two areas that might be an issue. The observation made was that the handle (butt end) is made of what appears to be a plastic coating, not rubber coating. This could be a problem since you want your anchoring hand to be firm on the grip when swinging this to split wood. The shaft can be somewhat smooth as the other hand has to slide down to complete the split. So with some caution I gave it a test ride. My observations were correct. I first tested it dry with bare hands and it was at best, okay, felt like I had to really squeeze it to hang on. Then I put leather gloves on and it improved somewhat as far as a grip. Next tried wet gloves, not good. I then sprayed water on the shaft and butt grip ( as we know we do split wood in wet or rain conditions sometimes even though you shouldn't) The water lubricated the shaft creating a dangerous grip. Knowing that this was a good product and split wood with ease, I didn't want to send it back. I knew I could improve on it. I first sprayed the grip with a rubberized spray that I use for high voltage electrical connections which after a couple thin coats improved the grip by 1000 percent. I then took it one step further and wrapped the butt grip with hockey players stick tape and BAM...Now I have fantastic grip and it works amazingly well. Pros: Company with great products. Gold Box deal great price. Well constructed, well balanced, not heavy, splits well, good quality with only one small flaw in my opinion (grip) see cons below. Cons: Me personally I'm not real fond of the pistol grip end at the butt. I wish it was just a straight shaft or even a ball style at the end. Not a deal breaker, but it just feels a little awkward is all. Secondly the butt grip area of shaft is smooth plastic coated which feels slippery when gripping whether it's dry or wet conditions, hands only or with gloves. Remedy to vastly improve grip. Spray with rubberize electrical coating which is used for high voltage lines or electrical wire, which can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot, and or wrap with Hockey players stick wrap, and problem solved. My recommendation even based on the cons is to go buy this splitting maul axe. If it was not for the grip issue I would have give this a 5 star rating.

I purchased the Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe (28 inch) in January 2025, mainly for splitting firewood on camping trips. My only real expectation was that it would make splitting wood easy and hassle-free. Performance Evaluation This axe has truly exceeded expectations. It splits logs with ease and power—each swing drives right through the wood without any struggle. The 28-inch length is ideal; it provides a solid arc and the right amount of leverage, yet it’s still very manageable to handle. I’ve used it on several trips so far and it has performed great every time. Pros - Powerful splitting performance, especially for firewood - 28-inch size is just right for both leverage and portability - Very durable construction; no signs of wear after months of use - Comfortable handle and grip reduce hand fatigue - Excellent balance and swing efficiency for consistent results - Standout fit on my Jeep’s molly panel – ideal for campers or off-roaders Cons - None noted so far Actionable Takeaways If you need an axe for camping, home use, or regular firewood splitting, the X25 should be at the top of your list. The combination of power, comfort, and compact storage (especially if you use a molly panel setup in a vehicle) make it a standout choice. I confidently recommend it to anyone needing a reliable splitting axe. Summary So far, the Fiskars X25 has proven itself as a top performer for splitting firewood, particularly for those who camp or travel. With its great build quality, balanced swing, and camper-friendly size, it’s the kind of tool you’ll want to bring along on every trip.

This thing works great. I've had some hard wood that's been harder to split. But for the most part this splits wood really well. Its easy to swing and use. I like the way it looks and feels in my hands. Feels like its built to last.

I want to like this axe, I do! I have used it for almost three hours over two separate sessions. The good points, this axe splits wood! It is sharp and the weight distribution is amazing. After my first 30 min trial run when I got it was fun. I did not want to quit but it got to dark to keep cutting. This axe is everything they say it is. It makes lighter work of the heavy task of splitting rounds 24"-36" in diameter. Now the only bad point for me, a tingling in my left thumb. I noticed it after the first time and just shook it off as getting used to a new axe. No big deal. The second time I used it for over 2 hours. I split a lot of wood. Wearing gloves with it was not workable. It caused a pinching and began to rub a blister on my left thumb. I took the gloves off and kept going as this axe makes splitting wood as much fun as it can be splitting wood. The tingling in my thumb began to grow. It feels like just the last joint in my thumb is asleep. Now two days later the tingling is still there, but dimishing. This is supposed to have shock-absorbing properties in the handle. But, the end of the handle is hollow. It seems like my left thumb bears the brunt of any vibrations coming down the handle. It makes it unusable for me. EDIT: I did not return the axe as I thought I would. I continued to use it and discovered the discomfort came from the gloves I was wearing. I changed to a different pair and the issue went away. This is an AMAZINg axe. I really like it. You can see from the pictures I have split a little bit of wood since I got it. It has kept a very sharp edges. I have not had to sharpen it and it still cuts though oak and hickory like butter. It has great weight distribution. And after changing gloves I can split till my I just run out of time and have a good bit of work to show for it. I like this axe! I have paired it with the 6.5 lb maul. They are a great combo.