I don’t typically gravitate toward unusual bladed tools. I’m sort of a traditionalist in that sense, I suppose. But from the moment I saw the Razel Nax from CRKT, I was dying to check it out. Honestly, it was giving me serious Mad Max vibes. It looked like something an enterprising bladesmith cobbled together from bits and pieces they had sitting around in their shop. And I mean that in the very best way possible. It’s different, it’s unique, and as it turns out, it’s actually quite useful.
The Razel Nax: A Functional Multi-Tool
The CRKT Razel Nax is billed as a combination of a knife and an axe, though hatchet is probably more accurate. There’s also more than a little bit of pry bar DNA present.
Often, a tool that is designed to handle multiple jobs isn’t great at any of them. There are inevitable compromises, due to size, weight, and/or functionality. The end result is often something that might work in a pinch, but the whole time, you’ll be wishing you had the real version of the tool you’re using.
With the Razel Nax, you’ll be able to do far more work than you might think. The tip is sharpened, but not quite to a razor’s edge. That’s just fine, as it works great to scrape tinder from a branch. This slim edge at the tip also allows it to slip behind materials that need to be pried apart. The tool is nearly 11 inches long, which gives great leverage as you pull on the handle.
The handle is also shaped such that you can choke up on it for precision work, or slide your hand back for chopping. The blade has just enough belly for slicing, while the spine has a flat spot right where your thumb rests to help with control. The spine there is also just sharp enough to scrape sparks from a ferrocerium rod, which is always a bonus.
The Razel Nax will handle chopping, prying, slicing, scraping, and more.
The Specs
The Razel Nax is crafted from 1075 carbon steel with canvas Micarta handle scales. It has an overall length of 11 inches. The blade is 4.29 inches long and 0.20 inches thick at the spine.
It weighs 11.30 ounces, so it’s no lightweight. This gives the tool plenty of heft for when you’re chopping. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like you’re adding a pile of bricks to your pack. Put another way, there’s enough weight to get the job done without weighing you down.
The Razel Nax comes with a Kydex sheath. It holds the blade securely, with no wiggle or wobble. There’s a leather snap that provides additional retention. It can also be used to hang the sheath from your belt. But I’ll be honest, that seemed really awkward, so I didn’t bother with it. For my purposes, this is a tool that lives in my pack, not on my belt.
The Razel Nax isn’t brand new to the market. It’s been around for several years at this point. But from where I’m sitting, it’s sort of flown under the radar, and that’s a shame. It’s a great tool with a lot of practical uses.
