Let's all just for one moment try to ignore the questionable trend of exorbitantly priced hand-painted tools meant more for wall hanging than wood chopping. This is not that—well maybe just a little bit, but not a lot, so again let's try to be impartial here. The 13" Manitou Half Hatchet from Victor Axe + Tool is designed first and foremost to be used, and well, both now and 50 years down the line.

Sure, the two pound Manitou doesn't come cheap, but that's because it's made in America, and has features. That's right, features. Like 16 feet of mil-spec 550 paracord wrapped around the American Hickory handle for use in unforeseen circumstances, a handmade leather holster, and a octagonal hammer rear for whacking stuff (regular and bent nails, stripped screws, other stuff). Plus the hatchet head is forged by the Midwest by BARCO Industries and hand honed by the Victor crew next door in the great state of Michigan.