Hatchet

This article refers to all hatchets, if you wish to view Hatchets from Stealing Creation see Hatchet (Stealing Creation)

The Hatchet is the tool used in Woodcutting to chop trees. (Prior to 1 April 2009, a hatchet was called an 'Axe.' All woodcutting axes were then renamed as hatchets to clear up ambiguity between the woodcutting tool and more powerful 'Battleaxe" weapons.)

A hatchet is a melee weapon, available in all varieties of metal except white, although its power and speed are less favourable than many other weapons. Hatchets can be used to slash webs. A bronze hatchet spawns on the wood stump at the chicken farm in the north east section of Lumbridge. All hatchets except for the Dragon hatchet, the Black hatchet, the Inferno Adze, and the Sacred clay hatchet, can be smithed using the Smithing skill.

The level required to wield a hatchet is different than the level required to use a hatchet to chop trees. Wielding is governed by attack level while chopping trees is governed by woodcutting level. Therefore a level 3 combat player with level 61 woodcutting can use a Dragon hatchet to chop trees, but not wield it if their attack level is not high enough.

Trivia

 * When the woodcutting animation was changed, only the Sacred clay hatchet retained the old woodcutting animation.
 * Axes were renamed as 'Hatchets' on 1 April 2009 to avoid confusion, but this temporarily caused some scams as people said that a hatchet was a rare item.
 * Some players were confused when Jagex changed the name of axes, because they were no longer listed on the Grand Exchange as an axe, so players couldn't find the 'hatchet' they wanted to buy.
 * Before the introduction of Hatchets, the Broken axe random event was removed and all remaining broken pieces were removed from the game.
 * Interestingly, although hatchets can be made using the Smithing skill with only the metal bar and a Hammer, there is no wood involved in the production and thus the origin of the hatchet's handle remains a mystery.
 * All hatchets with the exception of Sacred Clay and Blessed hatchets appear to have a red part along the edge of them, even visible on the Dragon Hatchet. This is thought to be blood, as hatchets can be used a weapon, but traditional hatchets in real life have a red part along the edge, so this may be the case.