While a short, maneuverable hatchet is great for intricate tasks such as making kindling, carving, or clearing trails, nothing beats a long-handled axe for chopping logs into firewood. With its two-part handle, the ADK26 is made to serve both purposes.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the ADK26 is manufactured by Canadian outdoor equipment company Agawa Gear.
At the heart of the device is its drop forged and hardened 5160 carbon steel head, which has a black oxide finish to help protect against rust. Its Scandinavian-style bit (the sharp part) is designed for precision carving, while its cheeks (the sides that flare back from the bit) are wide for optimum log-splitting performance. The head's flat poll (the back end) can be used as a hammer.
Attached to the head is a 14-inch (356-mm) handle made of impact-modified glass-fiber-reinforced nylon. When the ADK26 is being used as a hatchet, that handle is all that's needed. When it's being used as an axe, however, an extension is added to the end of the handle – lengthening the whole thing to 26 inches (660 mm) – for a greater swing and increased leverage.
The two sections of the handle are joined together via a couple of stainless steel spring wire clips which can withstand a pulling force of over 1,500 lb (680 kg). According to the ADK26's designers, Graham Beck and Brad Rothwell, the full handle only deflects by three quarters of an inch (19 mm) when a 500-lb (227-kg) load is applied directly to the side of the joint.
When the ADK26 isn't in use, it's carried in an included cordura case with a full grain leather sheath over the head's bit. The head weighs 1.6 lb (726 g), with the whole long-handled axe reportedly tipping the scales at 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) – that's definitely lighter than packing both a full hatchet and a full axe.
Assuming the ADK26 reaches production, a pledge of CA$229 (about US$169) will get you one – that's 15% off the planned retail price. The device is demonstrated in the video below.
Source: Kickstarter