A light tool-and-weapon of two to three pounds, hafted short at three to four feet, built to split kindling and hung from a belt as a utility blade and close-quarters sidearm. The hatchet swings fast enough for camp work and quick enough for ambush or skirmish. Soldiers, woodsmen, and hunters all carry one; it is the most common blade on the roads.
Hatchet
Light tool-blade for kindling and ambush; road's most common sidearm.