Clamp On: Multi-Tool Axe

[leadin]An intricately milled hunk of titanium serves as the base for the Ti-KLAX Multi-Tool Ax. It mounts to a handle or almost any solid piece of wood.[/leadin]

We covered this “axe on a stick” last year. (See “Axehead Multi-Tool.”) A clamp system lets you mount the head onto any found wood, requiring a hiker to only bring along the head.

At 8 ounces total, the company, Klecker Knives, markets it as having the “most tools with the least amount of weight.”

This summer the company makes a big consumer push with new products and by exhibiting at the Outdoor Retailer trade show, this week in Utah.

Beyond the chopping axe, the Ti-KLAX has a knife blade, hammer, gut hook, wrenches, driver socket, bottle opener, clip, and more. There are 10 multi-tool features in total.

Attach Axe Head

You ratchet down on the patent-pending clamping system to fit the head to a commercial axe handle or a usable piece of wood found anywhere.

Made by Klecker Knives of Silverton, Ore., the wonder axe does not come cheap. The wild tool goes for $550 on Klecker Knives’ online store.

There are less expensive (non titanium) versions, including the Feller ($115) and the Lumberjack ($160).

Axe Test

We got a chance to test it out this week. We clamped the unit on a stick and also tested it on a commercial handle. It felt solid on the found wood, and the head did not slip. Basic chopping was easy either way.

That said, this axe can cut branches fine but it is not heavy-duty enough for chores or hard chopping. This product is made for taking along on backpacking trips where you need a lightweight axe for firewood or possibly emergency and survival use.

The other tools, including the wrenches and knife blade, worked well enough. One of our guys cut his finger on the blade — be careful with the shape and form factor of the axe head when working with these tools!

Overall, the Klax was impressive. However, it is small and light, and much of the chopping performed could have been done with a large fixed-blade knife.

Klecker History

The company also sells knives. The back story is interesting. Glenn and Nathan Klecker, a father and son, co-founded the brand.

The father, Glenn, is a Marine veteran who learned knife and tool design after returning home from the Middle East.

Glenn is cited as having designed products for Leatherman, CRKT, Ford Motor Company, and more.

See the company’s site for more info on the innovative axe head and the full line of Klecker knives.