REVIEW – Spring camping season always sends me back through my gear pile, and fire prep is one of the jobs I care about most. I may lean into glamping more often these days, but I still want a compact tool that can split kindling, drive stakes, and survive rough camp chores. The Gerber Bushcraft Hatchet looked promising because it combines a carbon steel hatchet head, a hammer surface, an ergonomic handle, and a small storage compartment in one $70 package. After using it, I like the overall design a lot, but the dull factory edge and rattly storage insert keep it from being perfect.
What this hatchet is
The Gerber Bushcraft Hatchet is a camp focused chopping tool with a one piece high carbon steel axe head and a glass reinforced nylon handle. It is sold in Grey or Coyote Brown, with both versions using a black head and black handle accents. The handle is curved for grip, lightened with cutouts, and built around a removable water resistant gear storage stick.
Gerber keeps the packaging simple. In the box you get the hatchet, its nylon sheath, a few information tags, shrink wrap around the handle area, and a warning sticker on the side.
Included gear
- Gerber Bushcraft Hatchet
- Waterproof Gear Storage Stick
- 5 feet of Paracord
- Dry tinder or mini lighter storage
- Nylon Sheath
Specs
- Overall Length: 15.25 in.
- Weight: 2 lbs. 6.4 oz.
- Blade Head Length: 5.5 in.
- Blade Head Thickness:.81 in.
- Blade Head Material: High Carbon Steel
- Blade Head Finish: Black
- Blade Cutting Edge: 3 in.
- Handle Material: Glass-reinforced nylon
- Available Colors:
- Grey/Black
- Coyote Brown/Black
- Sheath: Nylon with plastic insert
Design and build
The handle shape is the first thing that stands out. It is more sculpted than a basic camp hatchet, and the curve makes it comfortable to hold whether I am choking up for control or swinging from farther back. The black finished axe head has machined reliefs that Gerber says help it bite deeper into wood.
The biggest problem is right at the cutting edge. My sample arrived extremely dull, with no usable edge to speak of.
That matters because a hatchet should be ready for basic chopping out of the box. This one needed sharpening before I could fairly test it.
Once sharpened, the high carbon steel took an edge without a fight and held it well during my use. I still expect a $70 hatchet to arrive with at least a serviceable edge.
The other side of the head is much better news. Gerber gives the back of the axe head a wide flattened hammer surface, which makes the tool more useful around camp than a hatchet alone.
In hand, the handle remains the strongest part of the design. It feels secure, comfortable, and controlled during both chopping and hammering.
Three large cutouts run through the handle to reduce weight and give the hatchet its distinctive look.
The butt of the handle flares outward so the tool does not feel like it wants to slide away during a swing. Stippled texture along the grip also helps when hands or gear are damp.
The hidden storage stick
The most interesting trick is hidden inside the bottom of the handle. Press the small tab at the butt and the gear storage stick releases.
The insert slides out as a narrow plastic storage module. Gerber calls it water resistant, and it fits into the handle cavity from the bottom.
Five feet of paracord comes wrapped around one end of that insert, giving you a small emergency cord stash without needing another pouch.
The center of the stick has enough open space for dry tinder, a mini lighter, or another small fire starting item.
A rubber washer sits near the end of the insert and helps seal the storage area against water.
You can use the hatchet with the insert installed or leave it out. If you remove it, the opening for the release tab can serve as a lanyard point.
The sheath
The included sheath fits snugly over the axe head and closes with a Velcro strap. A small loop at the top gives you a way to hang it.
The sheath material feels durable, and a hard plastic insert inside protects the blade edge.
Seven plastic rivets with washers hold that insert in place, which gives the sheath a more reinforced feel than plain fabric alone.
Setup before use
A hatchet should not need much setup, but this one needed two fixes before real testing. First came sharpening the blade.
I am not claiming master blade smith skills, but a few passes on a sharpening stone gave the edge enough bite for camp chores, even if my edge looked a little uneven.
The second issue was the storage compartment. The first time I tried to remove it, the tab took far too much force to press down.
After wrestling the insert free, I found the cause. The small spring that tensions the release tab had shifted sideways and kept the tab from moving fully.
I removed the tiny spring, bent it back slightly, and reinstalled it under the tab.
Once the spring was properly seated, the tab worked as intended and the insert came out much more easily.
Chopping and hammering
With the edge sharpened and the storage stick fixed, the Gerber Bushcraft Hatchet finally got to do real work.
It split small and medium pieces of wood into kindling without drama. The head shape, curved handle, and sharpened edge made it feel efficient, and the relief angles seemed to help the blade sink in deeper like Gerber claims.
I then flipped the tool around, choked up on the grip, and used the hammer face.
The hammer side drove both small and larger nails without trouble. It felt light enough to control but still had enough mass behind each strike.
Around camp, I could see that hammer face being useful for pounding tent stakes or helping with quick shelter work. During use, though, the gear storage insert rattled noticeably. It did not stop the hatchet from working, but it was annoying enough that I would rather remove the insert and use the opening for a lanyard.
I also tried feathering wood with the sharpened edge. The result was not as clean as I hoped, although I think a professionally sharpened edge would improve that job.
My plan is to pull the storage stick, add a lanyard, and have the blade sharpened by someone better at edge work than I am. With those tweaks, the excellent handle and practical hammer face make this a tool I expect to keep in my camping kit.
The good
- Comfortable ergonomic handle
- Useful as both a hatchet and hammer
- Easy to sharpen and maintain edge
The not so good
- Arrives completely dull
- Gear Storage Compartment rattles during use
- No lanyard hole without removing Gear Storage Compartment
Final thoughts
The Gerber Bushcraft Hatchet gets the important parts mostly right. It is comfortable, versatile, and useful for both splitting kindling and hammering camp hardware. The hidden gear storage idea is clever, but my sample needed a small spring fix and the insert rattled during use. The dull blade is the hardest flaw to excuse, especially at the original $70 context, but the steel sharpens easily and holds an edge well. At the listed price below, it is still a solid value if you are willing to sharpen it before relying on it.
Price: $55.89
Product Link: Gerber
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Gerber.
RATING: 4 stars
