A Hatchet With the Soul of an Axe: Hults Bruk Spika Review

One day after school when I was 14, I took my grandfather’s hatchet and ladder, and meticulously chopped and bucked a 20-foot-tall pine tree in our backyard. Starting from the top and moving my way down, I removed the limbs and then the trunk in 18-inch sections. By the time I was done, I had two neat piles of logs and branches, and a stump low enough for the lawnmower to roll over it without issue.

I couldn’t have taken down that tree as easily or proficiently with an axe, as I would have lost my balance on the ladder. The shorter handle of the hatchet and its lighter head allowed me to work using precise chops as opposed to big swings. Ever since then, I have preferred a hatchet to an axe, as they’ve proven to be more adaptable to the things I need them for.

That afternoon taught me two things:

1. Hatchets, being smaller and lighter, are more portable and versatile than axes.
2. Everything you need to know about a hatchet, you’ll learn in the first couple of swings.

Recently, Hults Bruk sent me its new Spika All-Purpose Axe to test out. Even though the name would indicate otherwise, the 17.5-inch handle on the Spika confirms that it is indeed a hatchet.

It’s also a very proficient one that has incredible balance. From the first swing, I knew that I was going to end up on a variety of adventures with it, all of which would be aided by a series of accessories made to keep this cutting tool up and running for years to come.

In short: With the Spika All-Purpose axe, Hults Bruk carries on its tradition of offering only heritage-inspired products that have been field-tested over time. The Spika blends power and portability with a classic look and a line of accessories that will keep it an effective and versatile tool for your wood-processing needs for years to come. It’s not for massive felling work, so if you need a true axe, look elsewhere.

Looking for your perfect hatchet? Check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Camping Hatchets.

Hults Bruk Spika All-Purpose Axe Review

Features and Accessories

With an overall length of 17.5 inches and a 1.5-pound hand-forged head, this axe is lightweight, portable, and efficient. Whether it’s dry wood or wet and tacky wood, the Spika slides through it with ease and precision. This is partly due to the head weight and how it balances against the length and shape of its hickory handle.

But a lot of the magic also resides in the shape of the head itself. Not only does it have thicker cheeks for splitting, but the notch in the bottom of the head allows you to choke up on the handle to work more precisely and in tighter spaces. This will allow you to limb a tree easier, as well as carve and slice.

In designing the Spika, Hults Bruk said it trimmed half a foot off its Akka axe handle. The end result is a more versatile, all-purpose forest hatchet, made easier to carry with the sling that ties into the sheath and handle of the hatchet. This sling allows you to strap the Spika to your back leaving your hands free to carry more wood back to your camp or cabin.

Hults also launched an overstrike guard, leather belt, axe holster, spare handle, and grinding stone. All of these work to add options for carriage, protection, and field maintenance.

Though some of these accessories, like the leather belt, axe holster, and grinding stone, are universal, this is the first time I can remember a company launching a line of accessories along with a new axe or hatchet.

Hults Bruk was kind enough to send one of each along with the Spika and they not only completed the kit, but also the experience.

Note on Availability

Getting your hands on the accessories for the Spika may end up being an adventure all on its own. Hults Bruk is owned by a company called Hultafors that makes a variety of tools and outdoor gizmos.

Some of the accessories are on its website, but not the Hults Bruk site. I have also found that by Googling the hatchet name and accessory name (“Spika + Overstrike + Guard”) will lead you to a few online retailers where you can purchase everything in one place.

First Impressions

Currently, I have no fewer than seven hatchets and at least two axes. It’s one of the perks of the job, but they’re all used regularly, and each has a unique feature I love about them.

With the Spika, I immediately loved the unique shape of the head. By sloping down on the bottom, you don’t just get a larger bit, you also get a place to tuck your hand. This allows you to make short chops for limbing and carving and will come in handy with planing and shaping as well.

This level of precision can really amplify your overall effectiveness working with wet and/or frozen wood. We’ve got snow in the forecast at the end of the week, and I plan on heading out with the Spika once it starts falling.

Beyond that, I really like the accessory assortment, the sling especially. To have an opportunity to throw the hatchet over your shoulder and be hands-free means I can carry more wood back to the cabin.

And the addition of a belt holster and belt really took the initial presentation over the goal line. It’s obvious Hults is trying to appeal to its users by making the Spika easier to carry and maintain, as well as prolonging its life.

In the Field

I really love it when a plan comes together. As promised, we got our first snowfall of the year last week, and it was a good, wet one, the kind of snow that makes great snowballs.

I headed out to a local forest where a family of beavers has been busy dropping random trees across the trails. When I arrived, I must have just missed them as there was a fresh yellow birch waiting for me to process.

The tree itself was no more than 4 inches in diameter, and it took only eight swings to get through it. Each chop took out a smooth-sided chunk of the fresh tree. I was surprised because the bit seemed a little dull, but there was no glancing. But I had zero issues getting through the trunk and branches.

This leads me to the third fact I have always said about hatchets and axes: The bit does not need to be razor-sharp to be effective.

The sling indeed made things way easier, keeping my hands free. Each of the brass clasps on the sling swivel, so there’s no wrong way to throw it over your shoulder. Plus, having the hatchet on my back also makes meeting someone on trail less creepy.

Overall Impressions

Having just wrapped up GearJunkie’s yearly Hatchet Guide, I was in the mindset to test out the Spika when it arrived. I can tell you the Spika will be in that guide next year.

You can tell a lot about a hatchet within the first couple of swings; after the Spika cleanly removed more than a quarter of the material I had to get through in the first two swings, I knew this axe was going to be an effective, versatile tool.

My only qualm is that the whole head hasn’t been tempered, so using the butt like a hammer may not be in the cards. I think it’ll be fine with wood, plastic, or nylon — so, pegs, pins, and wedges — but with metal, it could deform the eye and cause the head to come off the handle.

Is this a deal breaker? No. I think anyone who gets their hands on the Spika, as well as considers picking up at least the sling for it, will enjoy how well it performs and carries.

Part of the pleasure of using a hatchet is the experience you get out of it. But, the other part is the heritage and craftsmanship. There’s just something about a hickory handle and forged steel head in a compact package that fills my sails. The Spika will have a place in my hand, or slung on my back, for years to come.