CRKT Freyr Axe

Product Description

Norse design with a soul that’s all American. Why meddle with an axe shape that has been tried and true for over a thousand years? That’s the logic designer and veteran Elmer Roush brings to the Freyr tactical axe. The deep beard echoes Viking style. But its balance and pure burliness boosts it into a contemporary league all its own. Shield and Viking battle cry not included.

Elmer Roush of Brasstown, North Carolina has one foot definitively in the past. When it comes to designing axes, that is. Though the Freyr’s deep beard might not be put to use drawing back an enemy’s shield as it would have in Viking-patrolled seas of lore, the balance it adds elevates this axe to a modern workhorse. Named after the Norse god of prosperity, its Viking soul stands up to its classic appearance.

The blade itself is hot forged of carbon steel and receives a passivation treatment for ultimate corrosion resistance. It’s met with a handle carved of Tennessee hickory and is precisely crafted for durability and ease of use. An aftermarket leather sheath is available for purchase.

If it’s true that history repeats itself, then this utilitarian axe is definitive proof.

About the Forged By War program

In 2013, Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, designer of elite, military, tactical tomahawks, approached CRKT with the news that he had been working with a few combat veterans that had returned from war with varying degrees of post-traumatic stress (PTS).

To help work through their challenges, they have been designing and forging steel into custom tools. Drawing from their experience earned in combat situations, they have been creating tools they wished they had available to them in the battlefield.

CRKT cares deeply about our returning veterans and we saw a way to give back to the community that created them. In 2016, we launched the Forged By War program.

These are mission ready tools, designed by veterans, with 10% of the CRKT net profits of the program donated to the veterans' charity of choice.

Mission ready tools that are Forged By War. Learn more here.

Elmer Roush's charity of choice for this tool is the Green Beret Foundation.

*Although we know the temptation is great, we do not advise throwing this specific tool for safety and potential void of warranty reasons.

Specifications:

Blade Length: 4.528" (115.01 mm)
Edge: Axe
Steel: 1055 Carbon Steel
Blade Finish: Magnesium Phosphate Coating
Blade Thickness: 1.185" (30.1 mm)
Grind: Hot Forged
Open Length: 16.125" (409.58 mm)
Weight: 1.79 lb (0.81 kg)
Handle: Tennessee Hickory
Style: Axe

Features

• Forged Tough: 1055 Carbon steel provides durability and edge retention
• More than chop: Beard on axe head tackles many useful cutting tasks
• Durable: Tennessee hickory is a dense material that withstands hard use
• Designed by Elmer Roush in Brasstown, North Carolina
• Versatile Use: Make sure you have one for camping, hiking or other outdoor activities

Top Reviews

Yeah, not that good
by Ron (1 out of 5 stars)
January 21, 2019

This axe is like a trophy wife with no domestic skills. It's nice to look at but can't do anything meaningful. First off it's a beautiful axe. It has a solid head and a solid handle and both have beautiful finishes on them. But that's about it on the positives. Here are the problems. It comes to you so dull it's unusable, so you need to sharpen it. But also, the head geometry is bad. It gets too fat too fast making it a strong head but a bad cutting head. Also, the fit of the handle into the head is REALLY bad. On mine, there is a gap at the back of the head on the bottom and the front of the head on the top and I can wiggle the axe head back and forth with my bare hands. This means that the head WILL fall off, it's not even a question, it's already been predetermined because of the crappy factory fit. So I have an absolutely beautuful axe that can't be used to chop wood and costs a pretty good chunk of change. Call it what it is, a decorative wall axe.
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I really wanted to love this axe
by Luke W Anderson (1 out of 5 stars)
April 7, 2018

I really wanted to love this axe. The shape of the blade is perfect. The handle is a beautiful color and great size but never have I ever seen a axe head mounted to a handle so crooked in life. All i can say is boo CRKT. Quality control ruined this axe for me.
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Fix the edge and it's GREAT
by bigcountryKY (5 out of 5 stars)
July 6, 2018

First impression was a little less than impressed with the factory edge... that being said, it isn't a big deal because I never leave a factory edge on anything. A little work with a file then a diamond sharpener had a perfect edge on this beauty. (Just under shaving sharp is where I like to keep hatchet blades). All my knifes I strop to a razor. Anyway...

I got this hatchet to take on my pretty regular minimalist camping trips. I always take an axe and a couple of knifes but I was lacking a good strong hatchet. I'm a man that likes things that last so I liked the hickory handle on this one and the blade shape with the dark finished handle really caught my eye. So far I've just taken it out back and split some medium to small oak I had laying around but it had no problem at all, and if I planned on splitting anything bigger I would use an axe anyway. I banged the handle a time or two while trying to get the feel of this hatchet but you can't really tell at all. That's one thing I should mention, the blade angle and length take a little getting used to but I love it now. The quality control is something I have always respected from CRKT so I wasn't surprised to find that all the measures I would have taken (both to make and secure the handle) were taken.

I'll be sure to leave an update after a night out with this one but for now I definitely recommend this hatchet or "tactical axe".
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its a beautiful hatchet, i love the axe head design
by UtahMatt (4 out of 5 stars)
March 6, 2018

I just received my axe yesterday and today i put it to use. i did not feel that the edge was sharp enough so i did spend some time sharpening it up for my needs. that wasnt that big a deal because i did expect that. However after only an Hour of use the head has become so loose going up and down that it has now wallowed out the handle and created a wood shelf where its pressed down on the handle.

im not sure if this is a quality control issue or not, its a beautiful hatchet, i love the axe head design, but now im stuck with trying to figure out if i can save the handle or if i have to replace it and properly fit it to a new handle.

after looking at the CRKT website, i have to legitimately wonder if this is an illegal counterfeit of their product and not a true CRKT original...

if you want something thats pretty, this will work, i dont know that i would recommend it for regular use though.

Update edit: ive had this axe a bit over a month now and i have thrown it many..many more times. The first time i threw it, the axe had just arrived to me from wherever it had been manufactured and i live in a dry arid climate. I believe the wood had shrunk due to this during shipping which attributed to the axe head shifting down the handle when thrown.

since my first throw and the head shifting down, i have cleaned up where it pressed into and shaved off the burrs. i then filled the cavity left by the head shifting down the handle with a clear epoxy which seems to help stabilize the head considerably. it did break some of the epoxy off but largely stays in place.

i sharpen the axe after each week of league throwing and after sharpening it i also clean it with blisteringly hot water to scrub off the paint scrubs from the targets that i am hitting so that it again looks just black instead of black blue and red. in that process the wood also absorbs some of that hot water and secures the head in place. i have no concerns about the head shifting down the handle or even flying off the handle when being thrown.

ive increased the stars to 4 because it really does nicely and gets a lot of curiosity from the other league throwers. everyone wants to throw it themselves and it has held up well the last 4 weeks of league play. I would recommend that if you want to buy this to throw it, that you soak the handle in warm-hot water to ensure the head is firmly in place before doing so and then let it air dry of course. it only needs to be in water for a few minutes to really get its moisture level up to keep the head in place. dont overdo it.
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Poor quality control
by T-Brown (4 out of 5 stars)
October 18, 2018

The build quality and finish is pretty bad on this axe. I was really disappointed in the product. The edge was dull and uneven. The handle was already dry and splintering and the handle stain came off all over my hands and clothes. The finish on the axe head is really bad, with uneven painting and weird stains on it from the box. CRKT really needs to work on quality control on this product. $35 to $45 would be a better price point for this level of quality, not $65.
**UPDATE OCTOBER 27, 2018

After camping with this axe in Oregon for 10 days in the Fall, I would say the durability and use is very good. I sharpened the edge before heading out with a grinder and I relied on it for cutting brush and making kindling for camp fire. I added a 3rd picture to my review which shows how it held up after 10 days of constant camp duty use and a full day of chopping trees at my house. Increased the stars to 4 (from my original 2 stars), but would be 5 if the quality control and finish work wasn't so terrible.
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to make it worse CRKT tried passing it off and saying it was ...
by Meepsterx (2 out of 5 stars)
August 1, 2018

It came with a warped head, to make it worse CRKT tried passing it off and saying it was just part of the process to make it look hand forged. I had to go back and forth with customer service and ask multiple times to speak with a manager before I finally talked to someone who made any sense.

While I finally got my crooked CRKT head replaced, it was a complete pain. Check the head when you get yours, and if it is warped, send it back to Amazon right away like I should have!!!!!
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Poor quality.
by Chris B. (1 out of 5 stars)
December 25, 2018

The look of this hatchet is great. Unfortunately, that's where it stops. The head was hung so poorly that it moved just in holding the handle. The forging of the head was also questionable but the grind was extremely disappointing. I expect to have to sharpen a new axe head, however, I don't expect to have to take it to a grinder to even get it to the point where it could be sharpened. There was over a 1/16" flat surface across the entire edge and the grinds were uneven from side to side. There was just so much that needed to be done to this I couldn't justify keeping it, even just to use for splitting kindling. Returning it. I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't.
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I wish it was better.
by glenn e maloney (3 out of 5 stars)
August 3, 2018

Like others have said, this axe comes duller than a butter knife and it's super hard to sharpen. I've had it a while now and I've been consistently working on the edge with a whetstone and a small grinder and I still haven't gotten it right yet. I ordered this to replace my old Eastwing camp axe because it's got so much style but this has been just hanging out in my workshop all summer while the Eastwing continues to accompany me on adventures. It's overall a high quality piece but doesn't come ready to use and it's difficult to get it there.
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If you buy it hang it up and stare nothing I would trust on the trail
by Orry James jock (1 out of 5 stars)
August 9, 2018

I was not impressed with this item at all. It looked great out of the box but then I used it lightly to get a feel for it and the first swing into some wood the head loosened right away I used it for about 30 minuets before the handle broke off right at the axe head. Not hard wood at all very fragile.
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all show and no go
by blairzpooh (3 out of 5 stars)
January 25, 2019

First off, the axe looks great. If this is something you want just as a cool mantle piece then it's perfect for that. The wood handle is very pretty and feels good to grip. The axe head looks and feels solid and definitely has a cool viking/Iron look to it. It even comes with a decent edge.

However, for practical purposes the axe is terrible. I took it camping right after it came in the mail and immediately upon using it i was disappointed.

I was goofing around and tried throwing it into a tree. After 2 failed attempts, it finally stuck in the tree just how i wanted. However, the blade head had already become loosed to the point i didnt feel safe swinging it. Its held in place by a wedge with 2 metal rings, so there's no way of tightening it back up without some kind of expertise.

So overall: It looks really cool but dont plan on using it for anything.

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