Axes are great for cutting wood but useless when it comes to tightening nuts and bolts. They also weigh a lot and are ungainly, making them questionable pack accessories.
But if your backcountry adventures may require chopping, repairing equipment AND opening beer bottles, the KLAX by the small Oregon company Klecker Tools just might be for you.
Probably the most intriguing aspect of the KLAX axeheads is that you don’t have to carry a handle. Using the KLAX Clamping System that nests into the tool, the heads attach to most any stick of the right size for use in the forest.
-More Photos on page 2 of this post
-Go to this page to see Video on the axe
The Klax axe-head multi-tool is made in four models with varying capabilities (and prices). The most complex, the Lumberjack, has a bottle opener, five wrenches, a hex-bit driver, lanyard hole, axe blade, scraper, hammer, ruler and cover. Like three other models, it is made of heat treated stainless steel.
The Lumberjack weighs 12 ounces. The lumberjack will retail for $160. Two other models with less features, the Feller and Woodsman, sell for $115 and $135 respectively.
For those counting ounces and flush on cash, the Ti-KLAX is made of titanium and has the same tools as the Lumberjack but weighs in at just 7.4 ounces. It will retail for an eye-watering $550.
KLAX is currently crowd-sourcing startup funds on Kickstarter and it has already surpassed its goal of $15,000, having racked up $26,000 with 24 days to go.
Judging by demand, there are a lot of people looking for a product that, as the company notes, fits in your pocket but can take down a tree. —Sean McCoy
