Customer Reviews

Gerber 45905 Camp Axe With Sheath

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having great success with my Gerber knive (steadfast) over the years, I purchased the camp axe and continue to be amazed! At first I thought it might be a bit long and heavy to pack but now I never camp/hunt without it. The high carbon content holds an excellent edge and in a pinch I've struck flint rock against it to spark a fire (used w/ magnesium in wet conditions). I used it to field dress elk and older deer to split a tough pelvis when my gigli saw was missing (just make sure the bladder is clear)! The tang is great for hammering in tent stakes since no one seems to remember to bring a hammer. I was concerned about the composite handle but it have held up well in the temperate climate of Kentucky though I haven't have enough extreme cold conditions like the high country to know if it would become brittle and crack. However I have camped/hunted all my life and now consider this part of my "essential" gear and that's not an easy feat!

I'm a fan of Gerber in the first place but this ax really went beyond my expectations. It ties on easily and conveniently to a pack, is light, seems virtually unbreakable and chews through trees like a hot knife through a cold stick of butter. Working wood for shelters, fire circles, benches and a plethora of other needs is very important in the forest. So you need a solid, reliable tool to get the job done. Now that I own it, I won't go on the trail without this Gerber ax. It's become one of my favorite pieces of gear.

I have numerous trees on my property and I bought this for tree trimming and to make wood chips for my grill. It works great for both. It is very well balanced. The 17" length extends your reach and makes for a powerful impact without swinging it hard. The blade is holding a good edge. I'm thinking of getting one for my son who does a lot of camping.

An oversized hatchet comes in handy when tending to the few acres around my house. The Gerber 45905 Camp Axe does a great job on anything under 6 inches diameter and can tackle bigger jobs, if needed. For example, the Gerber had no problem in dispatching a 9" diameter avocado tree last Friday. (It was fun! However, if there had been a half-dozen large trees, I definitely would have gone for a full-sized axe.) Love the well-designed sheath, a real necessity for such a sharp tool. I put some baseball grip tape on the axe handle, for comfort and grippiness. Overall, the Gerber 45905 Camp Axe is easy to carry, so I carry it. It's easy to use, so I use it. And the quality of the materials and the workmanship is first rate.

Pros: Quality, price, sheath, convenient size, sharp, durable handle.
Cons: Not suited for heavy woodcutting, smooth handle (potentially slippery), balance point better suited for a one-handed (hatchet) stroke than a two-handed (axe) stroke.

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Additional comments:

My Gerber axe was delivered fully sharpened. If it was not razor sharp, it certainly was near-razor-sharp. (I tested it by lightly touching it with my thumb. I would advise against anyone casually running their finger over the blade!)

My Gerber axe sheath didn't seem to fit when I first got it. That was until I tried turning the sheath upside down (or rightside up as the case may be). The sheath doesn't slip onto the axe head. Instead, the axe slips into the sheath, handle end first. It's an ingenious design that prevents the axe from "axe"identally slipping from the case when carried. However, some may find the design disingenious (unintuitive). Personally, I like the design of the sheath.

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EDIT 6-3-2010: The original purchase price back in February was $39.29. Today's price is $35.34. That's quite a bargain!

Meanwhile, my Gerber Camp Axe has held its edge remarkably well. No problems to report other than a small nick at the top of the blade caused when I hit a rock - my fault for trying to trim a trunk too close to the ground. (I'll remove the nick the next time I sharpen my lawnmower blade.)

This is one piece of gear I won't enter the wilderness without. My essential backpacking gear list now reads: Tent, bag, water filter, food, firesteel, Gerber axe.

Prior to buying this axe, I was using a cheapie Wal-Mart camp axe that never held an edge no matter how well you treated it and rusted within hours if it came in contact with any moisture. The cheapie also made a better hammer than an axe because it would painfully beat trees down rather than cutting them down, and it turned my arm into a useless appendage for a couple days while I recovered from overexertion. Eventually, I just stopped bringing it altogether and stuck to hunting around the forest for perfect-sized campfire wood, as it required less time and effort than bludgeoning wood with a chunk of cheap, heavy, blunt, rusty metal.

The Gerber camp axe (actually made by Fiskars, the king of quality scissors) is definitely a "more bang for the buck" item. Cutting firewood to size at camp is effortless, as the axe feels light to the arm, but still makes the woodchips fly. This model that I am reviewing is the one I settled on at the store because (for me) it offered the best balance of portability and function. I am sure the larger models are even better at felling dead trees and splitting logs, but the weight difference between models is significant. This one is small enough to strap to a pack, but still gets the job done with considerable ease while setting up camp. Speaking of balance, this thing is nicely-balanced to instill confidence in your swings and you would think that the handle is made of some exotic wood rather than hollow plastic. I was uneasy about the handle being plastic in the first place, and hollow to boot, but after using this on several trips now I am certain that Gerber wasn't exaggerating about the handle being "unbreakable".

The sheath is a real bonus, and I can't believe it is included with the axe. Nowadays, I would expect accessories like this to be sold as a separate item at a ridiculous price. I really like the sheath, as it makes solo woodgathering less of a pain. When used on a belt, it keeps the axe nicely at your side, freeing up both hands up to pull the log you just cut back to your campsite. It is also necessary equipment since you can put a very nice edge on this axe that would slice through the gear in your backpack while you hiked without a sheath.

I could go on and on about this thing, but I really think what I should do to get my point across is to make a video of this axe in action.

This Gerber camp axe with sheath (clam) is a beaut. It exudes quality. The 45905 is light and short, perfect for one hand use, but not to worry, this axe is balanced prefectly for splitting medium to large diameter (18-20") logs and for cutting logs, limbs, or trunks with ease. The blade is shaped well for splitting and the steel is first rate; it holds an edge well and sharpens easily. This is the hand axe all others should be compared to in the camp axe market. Moreover, the price is very good.

I purchased this ax for a backpacking trip. I also have a gerber knife that I love. My nephew who was 15 yrs old at the time, broke the ax cutting softwood on the second day of the trip. The ax was not very sharp out of the box and I agree with the other reviewer who said the balance was off. It always felt like it was slipping out of your hands. Anyway, no more ax backpacking for me, not a very useful item and the gerber version even less useful.

This axe came just how I expected. It is a simple, but solid design with the head and the handle feeling like they are one piece, very sturdy. The sheath is nice too--also simple yet very rugged and seems durable. I've been chopping around the house for a couple weeks now and the blade is still very sharp and none of the finish has been damaged on the head. I like how light the whole thing is and despite the hollow (and fairly thin-walled) handle it feels as described, unbreakable, and it has good control and response. After purchasing I nearly regretted not choosing the one with the saw blade inside the handle, but I have come to be very happy with the one I chose.

This ax is LITERALLY amazing! I've used quite a few axes in my days but this one really does great the job. We've had a recent storm here that knocked down allot of trees and normally I would clear the small limbs with the chainsaw or loppers. I received this ax yesterday and went out to try it and I'll tell you it can cut 3-4 times the small branches then a lopper would do in the same amount of time. Very fast, light weight, well balanced - it goes through small limbs like a knife through butter. Normally I don't do reviews, but for this product I was compelled to do it. Also comes with a very nice functional protective sheath. I would caution users that the ease this goes through limbs with... great care needs to be considered when using this tool.

The axe is almost perfect. The only thing that needs improvement is the thickness/slickness of the handle. It is hard to hold and grip while chopping. I bought and applied some gripping used on tennis rackets and that appears to do the trick.