I've got two Estwing hatchets myself; and just like you Tom, I love them. I haven't been gentle with them by any means, and they've held up very well. The little Estwing hatchet with the leather wrapped handle (I love their hammers with this wrapping as well!), is less than a year in my possession, and I can say the quality hasn't been degraded in that model. I've used it for hacking and slashing in the woods, and it's done the job nicely. It needs a touch up on the edge here and then, but nothing serious.

My camper axe by Estwing (with the nice long handle), is about roughly 15 years old (Guessing here), and I've pretty much been a rough, mean old bugger on it, and it's taken the abuse easily. Sure, Estwings are not as strong as Busse steel, but do they really need to be? I'm not taking them to WWIII, just normal, everyday, good clean labour. They do it fine, and they'll keeep doing it fine for a good while yet.