Designed for Adventure

Rivenwright axes are designed with adventure in mind. From the lightweight hatchets to the sturdy camp axes, each tool is built for peak performance. The bearded profiles of our axes provide maximum cutting edge while cutting down on unnecessary weight and size, and the American Hickory handles are carefully sculpted and oiled to allow countless hours of comfortable use. Each axe also includes a custom leather sheath, hand made from heavy-duty veg-tanned leather.

Each axe handle is individually fitted to its axe head, and wedged in place with either Osage Orange or Black Walnut wood. After having the axe heads wedged firmly in place, each handle is soaked in a 50/50 blend of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits for a minimum of 24 hours to ensure long-lasting weather resistance. Many cheaper axes utilize a coating of varnish on their axe handles for weather resistance, but a varnish coats the surface of the wood and fills the grain, leaving a wood handle feeling slick. This makes a proper grip difficult to maintain with wet or sweaty hands, resulting in blisters on the hands or even losing control of the axe. A proper oil finish soaks deeply into the wood fibers and provides superior weather protection without filling the grain of the handle, allowing for a more secure, comfortable grip, regardless of conditions.

We use a variety of steel alloys and axe profiles to provide each axe model with peak edge retention and toughness to match its intended use. Each steel alloy we use has its own niche where it performs best, and that niche is primarily dependent on axe profile. Our smallest axe, the Redtail Tomahawk (currently in production), is crafted from 5160 spring steel, commonly used in large knives, as the thin blade needs to be able to flex more than most axes. The larger, heavier axes utilize 1050 carbon steel as they are designed for heavy impact tasks such as splitting larger logs or felling trees. Our smaller, lighter axes make use of 1060 carbon steel, and are a pleasant middle ground between the two previous alloys, making them perfect for precision impact tasks such as bushcrafting or carving. While each alloy we use is more than capable of handling the demanding existence of any of our axes, we take advantage of the many available steel alloys to provide our customers with the best possible product at an affordable price.