Awesome Axes

The V10 is a compact, 10″ long axe that’s perfect for carrying in or on your backpack. It weighs just 1.27 pounds, and its high-carbon steel blade is good for chopping branches, small logs, and kindling. Its handle is made from reinforced fiberglass with an ergonomic TPR grip. Includes two kinds of blade protectors.

With all that high-pressure water around, we imagine that a firefighter’s steel tools can rust pretty easily. Awesome Restorations found a beat-up old axe and painstakingly disassembled, cleaned, and refinished it to its original state, then engraved a cool design into its sides. Sandblasting rust off of metal always looks so satisfying.

Gerber’s versatile tool combines two useful functions in one. It looks like a regular axe, but its grippy handle conceals a saw which is held in place magnetically when not in use. It’s a great way to save space when packing for camping trips. Plus, its steel axe head and elongated, glass-filled nylon handle provide great striking force.

A few years back, maker Peter Brown attempted to build an axe with a handle made from gummy bears and resin. Unfortunately, it turned into a sticky mess after sanding. Now he’s back to try it again, but this time he molded his own faux gummies from resin so they’d hold up better to the process.

Chop and split wood like a boss with this heavy-duty tactical axe from survival outfitter Cold Steel. It has a 3.5″ carbon steel blade with a sharpened rear point and a lightweight 19″ handle in dark brown. It’s great for throwing too and comes with a sturdy and secure sheath for safe transit.

This versatile garden tool combines the benefits of a machete and an axe, easily clearing thick brush and vegetation. Its curved blade is great for getting rid of vines and skinny branches, while its hatchet head is ideal for chopping thicker ones. Its 18″ blade is fitted with an ergonomic handle and includes a nylon sheath.

Weighing just 19 ounces, SOG’s FastHawk is a great addition to any camping pack or bugout bag. The 12.5″ long hatchet has a heavy-duty 420 stainless steel blade that chops branches and small pieces of wood with ease. It’s got a spike on its back end, and its side can be used for hammering. Includes a ballistic nylon sheath.

Gear Aid’s Balta hatchet is a compact and versatile camping tool. In addition to splitting wood for kindling, it can hammer in and pull out tent stakes. It features a full-tang 420 stainless steel blade with a stonewashed finish and a textured grip. Comes with a plastic blade protector with a built-in belt clip.

Zippo is best known for its lighters, but they also make this versatile tool that combines two critical campsite features in one. Its stainless steel axe head can chop firewood, while its 15″ blade saws through branches and sticks up to 4″ in diameter. Its axe is sharp enough to shave tinder, while its back end doubles as a hammer.

A useful survival tool, UST’s black oxide-coated stainless steel ParaHatchet Pro makes quick work of chopping wood and has a built-in rope cutter, a trio of wrenches, and comes with an 8-foot length of paracord that serves as its grip. It also includes a whistle, a firestarter, and a nylon sheath.

Most axe heads are made from steel because it’s a strong and inexpensive metal. Knives Project created this shiny golden axe from a brass ingot instead. He cut a piece of steel from an old wrench to give the axe a sharp and durable edge since a fully blade would deform.

This versatile hand tool is small enough to carry on your belt and packs a variety of useful functions for outdoor living and quick repairs. It has a 3″ axe head with a hammerhead, a pry bar, a nail puller, metric wrenches, and a bottle opener. It has a full tang powder-coated steel blade and a non-slip TPR molded handle.

After getting their hands on a switchblade axe, the guys at Hacksmith Enterprises were inspired to create a larger and more powerful version. So they got to work reverse engineering its mechanism, supersized it, and gave it dual blades. The prototype wasn’t particularly strong, but they achieved their goal by upgrading to high-strength steel.

This razor-sharp axe measures just 4.5″ long, so it’s small enough to carry in your pocket. Each one is handmade by UK outfitter Silver Fox Tools from BS 4659 high-carbon steel, known for its strength and edge retention. Use it for cutting, carving, branch splitting, and even beard trimming. Includes a hand-stitched leather sheath with a brass snap.

Maker Random Hands created an impressive real-world version of the Valhalla Axe from Assassin’s Creed using a rusty old anvil. To create the weapon, he heated the metal in a furnace, shaped its head with a power hammer, cut it with an angle grinder, then ground it into its final shape. The finished piece has cast metal and wooden handle.

There are much easier ways to split a log than with a 150-ton hydraulic press, but we’re not sure there’s any more entertaining method. The guys from the Hydraulic Press Channel start out trying to cut through their wooden target with knives, then bring their A-game with a custom tool made from four axes assembled into an “X” shape.

Gerber’s compact chopping tool is small enough to toss in your pack whenever you head outdoors. It measures just 9.46″ long, while its sharp blade and ergonomic, rubberized grip make it great for prepping firewood and kindling, as well as cutting branches. Includes a nylon sheath for pack or belt mounting.

The whole point of a safe is to secure its contents from being accessed without a key or combination. But How Ridiculous reminds us that brute force is an effective safecracking method. You just need a 2-ton axe you can drop on your target. Is there any safe that can stand up to the Aussies’ mighty axe?

How Ridiculous has been having all kinds of fun chopping things in half with their 2-ton axe. This time they turned their attention to see what the giant tool might do when dropped on stacks of the same item. Among this week’s victims are a tower of concrete blocks, a pallet full of fire extinguishers, and cans of spray paint

Gerber’s military-grade 19″ tomahawk is designed for breaking down barriers. It weighs 36 oz. and has a full-tang 420HC steel blade. Its head chops through obstacles, while its back edge is a hammer. A cutout in its head serves as a handle for controlling the pry bar at its other end. Includes a MOLLE-compatible sheath.

This badass tactical tool combines a survival axe with a hiking staff. Its United Cutlery axe head is made from durable 7Cr17 stainless steel, bolted securely to a lightweight fiberglass composite handle. It measures 37″ overall, and has a snap-on, rubberized blade cover to protect its user from its razor-sharp edge.

This versatile bushcraft tool is small enough to carry inside your backpack or on a belt loop. It combines a hatchet, a hammer, an ulu knife, an axe, and a skinning tool for hunting. Its blade is made from 65MN carbon steel, and it comes with a leather sheath. A great option for cutting down on pack weight.

After attempting to chop a car in half with their 2-ton axe, the guys from How Ridiculous are back with another round of wanton destruction. This time, they used the massive tool to chop everything from a full beer keg to an enormous rubber band ball. Place your bets now on which items will get fully sliced in two.