Half Knife, Half Axe: CRKT ‘Razel-Nax’ Review

Many moons ago, Jon Graham set out to fill a void in the world — so he put a knife edge on the side of a chisel. That one innovative idea would lead to a career as a renowned knife-maker and the launch of a series of knives known as “Razels.”

Graham passed away in 2022, leaving behind a legacy of tools that changed how people work, play, build, and explore.

CRKT worked with Graham for years, and as of right now, the brand has seven different Razel models to choose from. I’m going to focus on the most utilitarian of the bunch, the Razel Nax. According to CRKT, this is what you get when you “cross a knife with an axe.” 

I would say that’s pretty spot on. The combination of a knife and a hatchet would be more accurate. Either way, in the Nax, you have 11 inches of 1075 carbon steel with Micarta-style handles, so you better make room on your toolbelt (or in your backpack).

In short: If you’re looking for a utility tool to get myriad stubborn tasks done throughout all aspects of your active life, the CRKT Razel Nax is an effective handful of tools all in one. This thing is seriously addicting, and you will find tasks for it to dispatch.

CRKT Razel Nax Review

Design and Features

The Razel Nax is an 11-inch long, full tang utility tool made from stonewashed, 3/16-inch thick, 1075 carbon steel. It features both a knife edge and a chisel. The knife edge measures just over 4.5-inches long. And the face of the chisel measures 1.5-inches long. 

Compared to tool steels like 1095, A2, and D2, 1075 carbon steel presents a softer alternative. Most commonly compared to 1095, 1075 won’t hold an edge as long, but it is a lot tougher. This makes it great for knives and tools used in applications like those the Nax will tackle.

I’m not sure why CRKT refers to the handle scales as “Resin Infused Fiber,” as they closely resemble Westinghouse canvas micarta. Either way, it has a fantastic grip and looks fitting and weather-beaten, juxtaposed against the coated, stonewashed blade.

First Impressions

My first Graham knife was the CRKT Ringed Razel. The day I received it from CRKT, I used it to pry up all the decorative trim in every room of the house I had just bought.

Then I used it to scrape all the paint off that trim because my wife just had to reuse it all. So, I knew what to expect from the Razel Nax. 

Or so I thought.

The Nax has all of the aspects of a Razel that I’ve enjoyed over the years: chisel grind, knife edge, and unique tip — a result of two grind edges meeting up.

But the leverage … that sent the Nax over the moon. The tool could pry and chop easier, making it a shoo-in for all of my antics out in the woods, at work, around the house, and in the yard.

As someone who finds himself always building or renovating something, I had a feeling the Nax would find a spot in both my toolbelt and my daypack. I was right!

It’s one of those tools — if you’re not carrying it with you, you’ll inevitably run into a task where you could use it.

Though you can apply that theory to a lot of knives and tools out there, I can’t think of a better hybrid tool to have by my side.

In the Field

Still, the Nax remains unique. It can do many things many different ways, and across a diverse variety of settings. It’s a blue-collar utility tool for 9-to-5, Monday-Friday folks that moonlights as an efficient outdoor tool on nights and weekends. 

As such, I brought it with me for some spring family adventures. My daughters and I went out around our New England home in search of some spring peepers. I used the Nax to flip over rocks, so I had my other hand free to gently grab one of those little song frogs. It proved so effective that now I have to buy a bag of crickets every weekend to feed our new pet. 

On another occasion, I used the Nax to get up into the deck of my lawn mower to pry out a rock. The extra leverage from the Nax handle made all the difference and saved my neighbors from hearing a creative combination of me cursing and throwing the mower across the yard.

Like the Ringed Razel before it, I know the Nax is going to come in handy when I get up to camp in a few weeks. The spring thaw always brings challenges, like swollen doors and windows. Having something like the Nax will allow me to make precision adjustments to the wood so that I push/cut off the right amount of material without creating a large gap when the wood dries out and shrinks in a few months. 

Note on the Sheath

I wasn’t a fan of the leather belt loop on the sheath at first. It’s designed to snap around your belt, and my concern was the snap wouldn’t be substantial enough to stay in place when removing or reinserting the Nax back into the sheath.

So far, I have been wrong. Whether I have the knife position with the handle facing up or down, I haven’t run into any issues.

But given how tight the area is around the belt loop and how I take out or put back the blade, I am sure I’ll cut the loop at some point. At which point, I will need to replace it.

Overall

I had the pleasure of talking with Jon Graham a few times. Like so many other knife-makers, he was a blue-collar guy who saw the need for a particular tool to make his life easier.

Is a Razel-style knife your next EDC? Maybe not. But aside from not having a traditional knife point, it’s hard to find anything bad to say about how effective this is at slicing, cutting, prying, shaping, scraping, and chiseling. 

I spend as much time working out in the woods as I do playing. So, I need to bring along a tool that can act as many tools in one. In the case of the Razel Nax, CRKT created a hybrid of a knife, hatchet, and chisel and ultimately created something incredibly useful. 

CRKT Razel Nax: Conclusion

If you’re someone who finds yourself doing a lot of handiwork around the house or in the outback, the Razel Nax could be the best problem-solver you carry with you.

I would recommend any of the Razel-style utility tools to someone who likes to tinker or build things. With its increased leverage and ability to get into tight spaces, the Nax is the ultimate problem-solver.

The types of problems it will solve are only limited by your imagination.