Hacking knife

Hacking or side knives may be considered as either light hatchets or heavyweight knives.

They are strongly constructed with a single-sided straight edge, resembling a small cleaver. The back of the blade is exposed for hammering on. Unusually for an axe, this back edge is intended to be hit with a steel hammer, not a wooden mallet or club. The handle is a solid steel through tang, with side scales. The scales are often of thick leather, to absorb shocks.