Hatchet vs. Knife — What's the Difference?

A tool with a heavy blade and short handle.

A cutting tool with a sharp blade.

A versatile tool for outdoor tasks like kindling preparation.

A versatile utensil for food preparation.

A small axe used for chopping wood.

A compact tool for various tasks.

A compact, single-handed axe.

A knife (plural knives; from Old Norse knifr 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, often attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools.

A hatchet (from the Old French hachete, a diminutive form of hache, 'axe' of Germanic origin) is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade on one side used to cut and split wood, and a hammerhead on the other side. Hatchets may also be used for hewing when making flattened surfaces on logs; when the hatchet head is optimized for this purpose it is called a hewing hatchet.Although hand axe and hatchet are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing.

A cutting instrument consisting of a sharp blade attached to a handle.

A small, short-handled axe for use in one hand.

A cutting edge; a blade.

A tomahawk.

To use a knife on, especially to stab; wound with a knife.

A small, light axe with a short handle; a tomahawk.

(Informal) To betray or attempt to defeat by underhand means.

(transitive) To cut with a hatchet.

To cut or slash a way through something with or as if with a knife

A small ax with a short handle, to be used with one hand.

A utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge, attached to a handle. The blade may be pointed for piercing.

Specifically, a tomahawk.

A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing and/or stabbing and too short to be called a sword. A dagger.

Weapon consisting of a fighting ax; used by North American indians

Any blade-like part in a tool or a machine designed for cutting, such as that of a chipper.

Short ax used to chop wood

(transitive) To cut with a knife.

A cutting instrument for survival scenarios.

(transitive) To use a knife to injure or kill by stabbing, slashing, or otherwise using the sharp edge of the knife as a weapon.

(intransitive) To cut through as if with a knife.

(transitive) To betray, especially in the context of a political slate.

(transitive) To positively ignore, especially in order to denigrate; compare cut.

An instrument consisting of a thin blade, usually of steel and having a sharp edge for cutting, fastened to a handle, but of many different forms and names for different uses; as, table knife, drawing knife, putty knife, pallet knife, pocketknife, penknife, chopping knife, etc..

A sword or dagger.

To prune with the knife.

To cut or stab with a knife.

Fig.: To stab in the back; to try to defeat by underhand means, esp. in politics; to vote or work secretly against (a candidate of one's own party).

Edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

A weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point

Any long thin projection that is transient;

Use a knife on;

A blade with a handle for precision cutting.

An essential tool in survival kits.

A hatchet is primarily used for chopping and splitting wood.

A knife is generally more portable due to its compact size.

A knife is mainly used for cutting, slicing, and precise tasks, whereas a hatchet is for heavier chopping tasks.

Knives can have handles made from wood, plastic, metal, or composite materials.

All knives have a sharp blade for cutting.

Yes, a hatchet is useful for tasks like chopping wood for a campfire.

Hatchets often have a metal head and a wooden or composite handle.

Yes, knives are generally more versatile due to their wide range of sizes and shapes.

Both have their uses: a hatchet for heavy tasks like chopping wood and a knife for fine tasks like food prep.

While possible, a hatchet is not ideal for cooking; a knife is better suited for food preparation.

Carry a knife in a sheath or pocket with the blade covered.

Keep the blade sharp, the handle clean, and store it in a dry place to prevent rust.

Knives are excellent for tasks requiring precision, such as slicing food or carving.

Yes, hatchets are commonly used in forestry, camping, and survival scenarios.

While possible for small branches, a knife is not ideal for chopping wood compared to a hatchet.