Stanley 54-023 FatMax AntiVibe Carpenters Hatchet

by Stanley

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Patented tuning fork design reduces harmful vibration that can cause wrist and arm injuries. Forged, one-piece steel construction for increased strength and durability. Rim temper reduces incidences of chipping or spalling. Ergonomically designed handle with rubber grip for increased comfort and performance.

Product Description

Fatmax, 28 OZ, Anti-Vibe, Carpenters Hatchet, Designed For Cutting Wood & Or Driving Stakes Or Unhardened Nails, Patented Tuning Fork Handle For Reduced Vibrations, One Piece Ergonomically Designed Grip For Added Comfort & Control.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000F527XI
• Item model number: 54-023
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,729 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #50 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Hand Tools > Hammers > Claw Hammers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars solid performer, but with limitations, April 4, 2010

By 

M. Swaim (NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stanley 54-023 FatMax AntiVibe Carpenters Hatchet (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is a good solid, perhaps relatively indestructible tool. The question is whether it's the right tool for the job. If you're looking for a half hatchet that is a combination framer's hammer and camp hatchet then it may well be the right tool. I particularly like this tool for fence mending and posting No Trespassing signs since I can quickly limb trees, cut vines and pound fence staples or roofing nails with the same tool. I also like being able to pound steel tent stakes with the same tool that I use for splitting kindling. However, it's not as efficient at splitting kindling as a Hudson's Bay axe and not as light and easy to use as an Estwing Sportsman's hatchet, and it's certainly not as easy to use as a hammer as an Estwing framer's hammer. In fact, at 28 ounces, it's actually heavier than many framing hammers, yet it has a shorter handle meaning one gets less leverage.

That said, that's not why I didn't give it five stars. I knew all that prior to ordering it. It is meant to be a multi tool and it is. Rather, I didn't give it five stars because the "anti-vibe" handle does nothing at all as near as I can tell. Due to a wrist injury and decades of using striking and impact tools, I'm perhaps a bit more attuned to jarring wrist vibrations than most, and this tool is certainly no better in that regard than a standard Estwing rubber handle. Moreover, the hammer face is only rated for unhardened nails. That's probably not a concern for most folks, since not many would use this for pounding concrete nails. That doesn't bother me one bit for the uses that I'll put this to such as pounding fence staples. But, it does bother me that the hatchet seems to dull surprisingly fast when limbing sweetgums. And, it would've been nice if this came with a decent sheath or robust blade protector rather than the wimpy bit of rubber blade protector that I'd imagine will get lost in short order. Given that I'd imagine many of these tools will wind up in tool boxes, trunks or camping kits, it seems like a good blade protector is not too much to ask for, even if it upped the price a bit.

Make no mistake. This seems to be a good solid tool.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Tool., November 26, 2008

By 

Gary Peterson (San Diego, California USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stanley 54-023 FatMax AntiVibe Carpenters Hatchet (Tools & Home Improvement)

Every home has need of a few basic tools and one of those is a hatchet, in my opinion. Thus, after breaking the handle on my ageing hatchet, I purchased a Vaughan SH2 carpenters hatchet as a replacement. It had a nice feel and balance and wasn't terribly expensive. Well, the blade wouldn't maintain a good cutting edge, the wood handle kept coming loose and, finally, the handle broke off at the head while chopping a soft-wood yucca stump. The tool was 1 1/2 years old, had minimal use and was now a piece of junk.

What's with all these wood handles breaking? I've had a number of fairly new wood-handled tools and they've all broken. Recently, my fairly new hammer broke off at the head while I was attempting to pull a nail out of one of the studs in the garage. What is a claw hammer for anyway? I have an old J. C. Penny Pencraft wood-handled hammer and it's now 35 years old and still with the same handle. Everything new seems to break in short order. Is wood getting weaker or are manufacturers using wood of lower quality? In any case, I've now replaced my hammer with a fiberglass-handled new model and my new hatchet is a an all-steel Stanley 54-023 FatMax Carpenters hatchet.

The new Stanley Hatchet is a very pleasing instrument. It has a nice heft (28 ounces) and feel and using it is a pleasure. It's all steel with a nifty non-slip rubber grip. Supposedly it is designed with an AntiVibe device of some type or other. What's with the vibes? I've never had a problem here. In any case, this hatchet is antivibe and, hopefully, it will also maintain a good cutting edge. I've had no difficulty as yet but the new tool has had only limited use thus far. I'm optimistic.

This is a nice tool for my modest collection. I'm looking forward to long-term use, both around the home and for camping.

Gary Peterson

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just What I Wanted, June 5, 2010

By 

David (Lakeland, FL, 33803, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stanley 54-023 FatMax AntiVibe Carpenters Hatchet (Tools & Home Improvement)

I use my hatchet primarily for cutting roots when I'm installing pipes underground.
This Stanley hatchet works better than I expected.
I haven't sharpened it yet but I've used it on approximately 5 hours worth of root chopping with pleasing results.
I didn't want a wooden handle because I wanted a VERY LOW MAINTENANCE tool.
After all, I bought the stinkin' thing to work with in very hot, humid, nasty, dirty, on-your-knees-covered-in-mud conditions and I don't want to mess around trying to make the stupid tool work.
I wanted the anti-vibe handle because I saw how they're made on a documentary on TV.
Anti-vibe means the head & the handle are a single piece of metal that terminates as a tuning fork within the very comfortable, very slip resistent handle.
The tuning fork dampens the vibration and thus prevents wrist damage that you'll notice when you get older if you buy non-anti-vibe tools.
With the near indestructibility and hammer head, this would be a good camping hatchet, unless you need one that floats.
If mine ever disappeared I would definitely buy another one.