Hi Jim, I’ve had a fair amount of those over the years and have heard all kinds of explanations for that size. Most are centered around them being for kids. I’ve had more Craftsman's, like yours, than any other brand. In fact got one a couple weeks ago at a garage sale, but it was missing the handle.
Anyway, to me the best explanation was that they were made to be carried in fisherman’s tackle boxes and thus were called "tackle box hatchets". Wether this is correct, or not, is probably subject to debate, but it seems reasonable.
I know when I was a kid my first hatchet was a full sized one. No boy in my generation would have settled for a little one like that.
Mike
