In today’s article, Randall Chaney reviews the SOG Camp Axe based on his time in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Using a survival tool in the wake of a disaster is possibly the best test anyone could devise. How did the axe perform? SOG Specialty Knives & Tools provided the axe used in this review.
When you are in the forecast cone of a Category 5 hurricane, you get very nervous. Preparation can alleviate a bit of the stress. Gathering supplies to either “bug out or ride it out” can give you solace before a decision has to be made. For Hurricane Milton, a SOG Camp Axe made it into my emergency kit. The Camp Axe arrived the week before the hurricane. I told my boss I hoped I would not have to use it, but I did.
SOG Knives
SOG Specialty Knives and Tools was founded in 1986 by former aerospace tool and die maker Spenser Frazer. The fledgling company’s initial focus was to construct a reproduction of the storied MACV-SOG fighting knife from the Vietnam era. This led to a nearly 40-year journey to build knives and tools aimed toward the military, first responders, outdoorsmen, and everyday carry enthusiasts.
In addition to knives, SOG makes multi-tools, machetes, flashlights and axes. Over the years, I have purchased at least a half dozen of their products, including fixed and folding knives, a tomahawk, and a multi-tool. I have been pleased with each of their offerings and use them to this day. I unpackaged the Camp Axe and nodded approval of its qualities.
Camp Axe Details
While called an axe, the Camp Axe is a hatchet by function and is made to be wielded with one hand. True axes are by nature two-handed chopping implements. And tomahawks are fighting axes or hatchets. On handling the Camp Axe, I liked its potential defensive capabilities as well as its utility. It maneuvers quickly in the hand for strikes and slashes. The highly curved beard or underside of the head lends well to hooking motions.
The SOG Camp Axe head is forged from 2Cr13 stainless steel, which has good corrosion resistance and is known as a tough steel. Its low carbon content means it does not hold the finest edge, but it is easy to resharpen. Hatchets are more objects of brute force rather than laser precision, so the 2½” edge or bit has a slightly convex, or Appleseed, grind for strength.
The head of the Camp Axe is bolted to the oval glass-reinforced nylon (GRN) haft. A steel ferrule or collar sits below the bolts for additional stability. The handle is straight with aggressive grooves near the butt. It gave me a good grip while hacking or hammering. The GRN is rigid with no tendency to bend whatsoever. The oval shape helps to keep the axe indexed while using either end of the head.
At the poll or opposite end of the head, SOG gave us a small hammer, which is smooth-faced. I tried it out as I shored up my old wooden pergola on the deck before the hurricane’s arrival. The pergola is almost 20 years old, so it had loosened in places and some of the sixteen-penny nails had backed out. I used the hatchet head to effectively whack them back in place. The small size of the Camp Axe made it maneuverable around the boards.
In a tip of the helmet to safety, I rigged up a paracord lanyard for the haft of the axe. Being on a ladder with a sharp tool means being careful. The lanyard kept the Camp Axe from straying from my hand and allowed the axe to dangle if I needed both hands to set the boards or nails in place. I made sure to leave the sheath on when hammering!
SOG Camp Axe Specifications
- Overall Length: 11.5″
- Weight: 16.1 oz
- Blade Length: 3.1″
- Finish: Satin stainless
- Hardness: Rc. 51-52
- Blade Steel Type: 2Cr13 Stainless Steel
- Handle Material: Glass-Reinforced Nylon
- MSRP: $59.95
Just In Case
The GRN sheath, really a blade guard, protects the user from the edge and wraps around the handle with a rubber keeper. It is not made for carrying the axe, but it does leave the hammer end exposed.
Since I generally wear 5.11 shorts (I’m another Florida man), I strutted around the yard with the Camp Axe threaded through the canvas strap built in over the right rear slash pocket. The curve in the head kept the axe in place.
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Because I will likely take this little guy on a hike out west in a few weeks, I think I will make a homemade thermoformed sheath that will fix to the MOLLE loops on one of my backpacks. The Camp Axe would be an easy addition to my loadout at just 16 ounces. I like the idea of having a hatchet and hammer with me. Sometimes things need a good pummeling.
I have a SOG FastHawk tomahawk that I bought years back. Its handle is longer than the Camp Axe by 1/2”, the head is 1½” broader, its bit is ½” shorter, and it weighs 2.9 ounces more. The Camp Axe has a smaller overall footprint. The spike on the FastHawk’s poll has limited uses for me and the crosshatched flats on the head are not good for hammering. The Camp Axe is a better product for my forays.
I carried the SOG FastHawk on my SWAT armor years ago. No dig on the excellent FastHawk, but I would now sooner be equipped with the Camp Axe, which is also available with black stonewashed finish with a flat dark earth colored haft. The Camp Axe is slightly smaller, and the hammer could see use in light breaching. One of our team members carried an actual claw hammer on the front of her ballistic vest, and I witnessed her quickly smash the lock and hasp off an out-opening fence during an operation. The guys who doubted a small hammer had a place on the team were convinced.
Where It Counts
As Hurricane Milton bore down on us, we decided to ride it out. When it neared the Tampa Bay Area, the storm wobbled to the south. We were spared the full force of the cyclone. Despite that, our coastal county suffered a second devastating hit in less than two weeks.
The damage was massive and widespread. I began clearing debris in my and my neighbors’ yards. I cut through many oak limbs to get them to a manageable size for disposal. I used the hammer end of the axe to free my friend’s trampoline which was wrapped around a tree. The Camp Axe was welcome to tote around during the days of challenging work.
SOG Knives began developing axes decades ago with the Tactical Tomahawk, an homage to the Vietnam War-era US tomahawk. The Camp Axe is part of the company’s continued refinements aimed at outdoor, LE, and military users.
For an MSRP of $59.95, it is hard not to justify having one or more of these useful SOG Camp Axes around the home or vehicle in case of exigency, especially if that emergency is high on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
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