Definition: Given an Amazon customer review, write a title for the review. The preferred titles are under fifteen words.
Input: I'm an enthusiastic camper and backpacker who loves making campfires, and I also have a wood burning fireplace that I use a lot.<br />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&#34; for the home fireplace.<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br />Those are all great cutting tools, but this Fiskars is on a whole different level.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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&#34; Fiskars axe.<br />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.<br />The Fiskars does both. It also arrives VERY sharp out of the box, unlike many other brands of hatchet/axe.<br /><br />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.<br />The design of the Fiskars is that ergonomic and the wedge shaped blade is that effective.<br /><br />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.<br />So plan on sharpening your Fiskars periodically, but that should only take a couple of minutes.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br />There's a clever youTube video in which an owner shows his modifications of the factory Fiskars sheath.<br />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.<br />You could also just cut off that top loop and use the holder as is, either lashed to our pack or inside it.<br /><br />Both the 28&#34; X25 Axe and the 14&#34; X7 hatchet are totally outstanding. There's also a F11 &#34;splitting hatchet&#34; and an F27 36&#34; long &#34;splitting axe&#34; 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.<br />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&#34; F27, even though the X25 I found performs great and does a great job.<br />The 28&#34; X25 works so well I'll probably never be able to justify buying the longer 36&#34; X27.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I hope this is helpful as you comparison shop online. Happy trails and safe chopping, everybody.ut. 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.<br />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&#34; F27, even though the X25 I found performs great and does a great job.<br />The 28&#34; X25 works so well I'll probably never be able to justify buying the longer 36&#34; X27.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I hope this is helpful as you comparison shop online. Happy trails and safe chopping, everybody.

Outstanding Value, Excellent Chopper/Splitter: FISKARS X7 Hatchet with Unique Wedge Shaped Blade, 5 Stars!