You attach the axe head to a standard handle, or one found in the great outdoors
Outdoorsmen of the world, summer is already here and you are expected to be wading your soul waste deep in a forest of wilderness, survival and testosterone.
Or simply growing a beard and wincing as the smoke from your badly lit barbecue stings your eyes. Poor baby.
Fear not, if you wish to compensate for your lack of Ray Mears-esque bushcraft and survival knowledge you can always buy the kit to make it look like you know your beans – such as the Klax axe head.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1826434149/klax-its-more-than-an-ax/widget/video.html
The Klax nested clamping system
The Klax is a multi-tool built into the head of an axe, think Leatherman/Swiss Army. It allows you to attach the axe head to a handle quickly in the field using a nested clamping system that rotate out from the handle for use.
When it’s not being used as an extension of your masculinity and as something to reference as your ‘chopper’, it also includes a number of other helpful tools including hammer, bottle opener, wrench and scraper, which provide a lot of versatility in a lightweight and compact package.
Cut from a piece of 8mm thick steel plate (or titanium) using a water jet it is then machined to add the side bevels, the caribiner pocket and the cutting edges on axe blade.
The clamps are also cut from the same material and then drilled and tapped. After heat treating, the head and clamps are cleaned up and deburred. Adding a few more parts and a spring is all it takes to complete the Klax.
Interestingly enough for a 2D metal tool, the size and fit of all the extra tools and inlayed forms were prototyped using 3D models, printed off on designer Glen Klecker’s Makerbot.
The product is made from 8mm steel or titanium cut using a water jet
Its a great idea for versatile outdoorsman multi-tool (and can still be backed on its Kickstarter launch page) but it does pose the question – especially if you already own a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife – of how much do you need to pack into a product?
As someone that’s never had to use the ‘horse shoe stone remover’ on my old model, there has to be a point of not cramming too much into a product. Thankfully the Klax seems to have got it right.
