Hatchet, Rig Builders

This axe was a great buy for my needs. I used this to roof a house and frame a small shed, worked great! Handle still fits perfect and the waffle face on the hammer is still in good shape. Bit of a heavier hammer so be warned it's not for detail work. For rough in jobs it works great!Two gripes, which I've seen on every other one I've bought, is the handle had some nasty feeling varnish on it and the axe was really dull. Bit of time in the garage with it and both those problems were solved easy-peasy.

I've owned several of these throughout the years.I read several reviews complaining about nail removal notch was missing. I've made my notch with a hand held grinder and it's worked like a charm.

The only downfalls were the factory edge and a mild bend to the hatchet. Upon arriving, the edge or lack thereof was immediately noticed. The bevel seemed to be about 45° and very dull. It took some work on a 45 grit belt grinder followed by progressively finer grits to get to an acceptable edge. After the edge was established, I noticed a slight bend to the hatchet portion. These were my complaints. After the corrections were made, this tool seems exceptional for its tasks. So far it made short work chopping pinion wood and the hammer seems more than adequate. If you willing to address the issues, this is a great tool.

Rig axes are wonders at driving nails for framing. They are the parent of the California Framing hammer designs. That was a creation of Larry Haun, well known framer and author. Don't over estimate the need to pull nails with it. Carry a Cat's Paw and its not an issue. BTW, they are NOT supposed to be "Sharp". Sharp enough to cut lumber bands is all you need. Yes, you will break a handle or two if you abuse it. Highly recommended. by a retired Carpenter. Old school is the best one.

Looks like a well-built tool.It did not come with the sheath it was advertised with, very disapointing.

the blade arrives extremely blunt and thick, needs about an hour of filing to get it in serviceable shape. i am ultimately happy with mine, it chops/cuts nicely now, has a large waffle face, and it's so heavy it buries nails quickly. a good tool if you are willing to put in the effort to fine-tune it. for the money though, i don't think it's unreasonable to expect Vaughan to run the blade over the grinding wheel before its dispatched.... i have otherwise loved my Vaughan tools.

I mean, it’s a Vaughn product, it’s a good solid product, but the nail pulling notch is missing. That’s infuriating to me.

i got it on sale for $20 and it was a deal. it took 2 hours to get a decent edge on it with a file and the bit is not quite uniform, thicker on the bottom than top. the price was right for the work i put into it to make a serviceable tool. i would NOT pay full price for this hatchet. too much work is needed for that.