One of the best and most versatile items in any camper’s arsenal is a good hatchet. It’s a tool that lets you fashion other tools, should you ever find yourself in the wilderness alone. Or, after using it to chop and split some kindling and firewood, you can pair it with a firesteel to start a fire.

The Wildlife Hatchet from Swedish company Gränsfors Bruk is the one we’d recommend. At $170 as of this writing (we’ve previously seen it priced over $250) it’s on the pricey side — especially for one so compact — but its old-world craftsmanship is worth every penny.

The high-carbon steel head of every GB hatchet is individually forged, ground, and polished by hand. Once the smith has completed the job, if they decide it’s good enough to release into the world (and their standards are high), they stamp their initials into the head right beside the company’s crown logo. Talk about standing by your work. The wood handle is made from solid, fine-grain hickory, and is finished with linseed oil and a coating of beeswax. The hatchet comes with a handsome leather sheath that covers the top of the head, which helps protect the generous amount of wood protruding from the eye area.

Each hatchet is backed by a 20-year warranty against manufacturer’s defects. If you’re still not comfortable dropping so much money on a hatchet, Best Made Co. makes a decent one for about half the cost.

Get the Wildlife Hatchet for $170 on Amazon.

[If you liked this post, stay tuned for our guide to awesome camping gear, coming tomorrow. —Ed.]