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I was raised to call the one on the right a "Boy Scout hatchet," but I guess the terminology has changed; same concept.
The one on the right, I believe, is what used to be called a "half hatchet." I'm not sure of the name's origin, but it was a carpenter's hatchet. Before cordless chainsaws and reciprocating saws (sawzalls), a lot of rough trimming was done with a hatchet; and, of course, a carpenter is always grateful for a hammer face on any tool with a handle.
The shingling hatchets I've seen have a rather narrower cutting edge, like this:
![[Image: 518h4JBu%2BfL._SX425_.jpg]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518h4JBu%2BfL._SX425_.jpg)
This is not to say that you couldn't use the half hatchet for shingling, particularly wood shingles; just that the specialized tool is better for that purpose.
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(12-10-2018, 11:42 AM)hbmcc Wrote: Yours also has a mismatched handle. They had a standard straight hammer handle. If my poor memory is any good.
Your memory is spot on.
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12-14-2018, 05:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-14-2018, 09:23 PM by adamcherubini.)
(12-10-2018, 08:45 AM)Elijah A. Wrote: Would one of these be better than the other?
Eli
Yes. The dark handle hatchet has a few advantages as a carving tool. The radiused cutting edge is an advantage. It can work like the curved blade on a jack plane, able to concentrate cuts in a small area. It can also be swept thru wood with a shearing action easier than the straight edged carpenters hatchet (that's not a shingle hammer).
The other advantage is the lack of a hammer head on the poll end. I often place the poll of a hatchet in the palm of my hand and use my razor sharp hatchets to plane with. Remember:
"The Broad Axe said without a miss, he said the plane my brother is. We two shall cleanse and make full plain."
Adam
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(12-10-2018, 08:45 AM)Elijah A. Wrote: Hey, My grandfather recently passed away and I found these 2 hatchets in his barn. The light handle has TruTemper TFH stamped into it. The dark handle one doesn't have anything other than an "8" stamped into it. Does anybody know anything about them or how old they are? They are special to me regardless and I have been wanting to get into spoon and bowl carving and I thought about fixing them up to use. Would one of these be better than the other? The dark handle one is shorter which might be good. Any information would be appreciated! Thanks!
Eli
Eli
The first one I have used many times and it is both a framing/shingling hammer.
The last one is just a hatchet.
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The camping ax might be slightly better for shop use, mainly because it appears to have had a bit of mushrooming on the hammer end, being a bit softer than the shingling hatchet. Softer would be easier to sharpen and keep sharp. In any case, be careful what you hammer with the camping ax, as the head may crack on you.
