What Do You Get The Last Guy On Earth For His Birthday?
By Eric Dykstra
When you’re trying to outrun the retched remains of humanity on your way to Bartertown you just can’t pack that much gear. The ATAX multi-purpose survival axe will likely give you the most bang for your survival buck. With this little wonder you can cut down a tree, shoot an arrow at a deer, skin that deer, tell time, and estimate distance, as well as single-handedly rebuild a just and noble human civilization.*
Badass survivalist Ron Wood, whose badassedness rivals that of even Chuck Norris himself, designed the ATAX. You can either use it as a knife or lash it to a stick and use it like an axe. The high-carbon steel main blade measures 4-1/2″ with the tool’s overall length coming in at 5-1/2″.
With the various metrics laser-etched on the blade, you can tell time (like with a sundial), measure angles, and judge distances. With some slingshot tubing, you can turn the ATAX into an arrow launcher for hunting game. The micarta handle conceals a small storage area for various survival items like matches and twine and MacGyver brand paper clips.
If you can’t remember all the uses, the ATAX actually comes with an instructional DVD to show you how to use it. As Mad Max can tell you, survival doesn’t come cheap — the ATAX runs about $150 to $200.
ATAX [Survival.com]
ATAX on sale [OsoGrandeKnives.com]
ATAX on sale [Hoods Woods]
*Your results may vary.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
You had me until you said $150 to $200…
January 10th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
This looks just ridiculous.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
[...] What Do You Get The Last Guy On Earth For His Birthday? [Toolmonger] [...]
January 10th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
“…tell time…” If you are the last person on earth, this may not be its most useful function.
January 10th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I think I prefer Tom Brown’s Tracker Knife for reasons of simplicity, but I really like the markings.
January 10th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
A sundial? So the last man on Earth doesn’t miss any appointments. LOL. Cool tool, nonetheless.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Best survival tool money can buy: http://tinyurl.com/72qdy
January 10th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
You slender lily men demonstrate why the apocalypse is long-overdue. I’ll take one gross of your fine tool, sir, then I’ll be skinning Fred B. and having his liver for lunch.
January 10th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
“When you’re trying to outrun the retched remains of humanity on your way to Bartertown you just can’t pack that much gear.” Oh lawd, is that a Post-Nuke Comic reference?
Seriously though, I like the knife.
January 10th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Post-Nuke Comic reference?! You Sir need to acquaint yourself with Mel Gibson’s magnum opus!
Also, one needs to know what time it is so you can get to cover before the radioactive zombies hit the streets. It’s basic zombie apocalypse survival technique! Come on people!
Zombie Repellent: http://tinyurl.com/38qshh
Required Reading: http://tinyurl.com/28gy3
January 11th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Ah, right. I should’ve gotten that. Probably didn’t because I haven’t seen any of the Mad Max movies in years…
That and I was reading Post-Nuke earlier. Bloody love that comic…
Seriously though, I’d kill for/with that knife.
January 11th, 2008 at 4:18 am
Nice but dear…
You also have to remember to take your DVD player. TV and generator with you before getting lost…
January 11th, 2008 at 4:52 am
So… I think this is a great “survival” tool, many functions in a small package. I do however find it abit absurd to need or have any desire to know the time of day. I don’t really need to make it back to the cave or hut by any certain time do I? None the less, I wouldn’t mind having one for my 4X4, just don’t care for the “bend me over” price of it.
January 11th, 2008 at 8:38 am
The price seems pretty reasonable for a small production run custom knife with such a spiffy design. I mean, I know people who’ve paid $400 for a 3″ pocket knife. This is a bargain looked at through that lens.
Dunno what the manufacturing costs are, but I suspect the maker isn’t getting rich on this.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Looks like a pretty cool item. Knowing the time of day might not be super useful in a true “survival” situation, but honestly, if you’re spending that kind of money on a tool, odds are it’s going to see quite a bit of use before it ever gets to a survival situation.
And knowing the time of day can be useful- if the supply plane drops it’s parachute of gear to you at 3:00 on the 25th, you’ll probably want to be there to get it.
Taking sightings and measuring angles can be useful too. I used to have a Buck General that I’d modified; I drilled a hole in the hand guard to use as a rear sight (the tip of the blade became the front sight) and etched a clinometer into the side of the blade. By dropping a plumb line and sighting down the back of the blade, I could measure the heights of trees very accurately, tell distances, etc.
I’m curious what the other features on this tool are. I’m tempted to forge up one a little more tailored to my own use.
–TMIB
January 11th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
attn: Eric….
Respectfully,
please be advised that the Designer of the ATAX, proper last name spelling is….
“HOOD”.
With thanks,
M. Fuller
January 11th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
$200 (gulp)! I think I’ll wait to see if I am indeed the last man on Earth. If so, I’ll stroll into the local Cabella’s and take what I need. In fact, I’ll probably just move in there.
January 12th, 2008 at 2:10 am
¿Qué le regalarías por su cumpleaños al último hombre de la Tierra?
El experto en supervivencia Ron Wood ha desarrollado esta simple y efectiva herramienta. Una hoja de acero afilada con láser con la que puedes talar un árbol (poniéndola en un palo y convirtiéndola en un hacha), lanzar flechas, decir la hora, calcu…
January 12th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
que?
January 12th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
If he is the last guy on Earth then how would you be there to buy him a gift? Save your money and buy a Gerber EOD model multi tool and a 6″ heavy fixed blade.
January 12th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Realcatchy,
i was trying to be funny…i’ll try harder next time.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
noone will rival the norris! he is a God among men!
January 17th, 2008 at 1:37 am
[...] Toolmonger » Blog Archive » What Do You Get The Last Guy On Earth For His Birthday? (tags: tools survival cool knife) [...]
February 4th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Interesting tool. I wonder how it would stand up in the Canadian North during winter and - 40 c temperatures, especially if you were to lash it to a stick and use it as an axe. Of course the last man would be more interested in some place warmer and it wouldn’t be crowded.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
“Jason Says:
January 10th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Best survival tool money can buy: http://tinyurl.com/72qdy”
Um…. yeah, right. Described on that website, “to perform daily tasks such as pounding tent stakes, driving nails, opening ration cans and digging foxholes, not to mention defending lives.”
God help you if you don’t have something to pound nails and open cans when you’re lost in the wilderness….
February 14th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
[...] If you can’t remember all the uses, the ATAX actually comes with an instructional DVD to show you how to use it. As Mad Max can tell you, survival doesn’t come cheap — the ATAX runs about $150 to $200. Toolmonger: What Do You Get The Last Guy On Earth For His Birthday? [...]
March 30th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Badass survivalist Ron Wood, whose badassedness rivals that of even Chuck Norris himself, :CHUCK NORRIS? ARE WE SPEAKING ON THE SUBJECT OF LOW-BUDGET MARTIAL ARTS/MILITARY FILMS? NEXT:With some slingshot tubing, you can turn the ATAX into an arrow launcher for hunting game.:with some slingshot tubing TED NUGENT (who’s badassedness surpasses your hero Braddock) can also make an arrow launcher out of a stick( which happens to be free) - - - even still i can see many uses you haven’t list.it would be great for hacking into that hundred gram rock. especially since the blade is a high carbon compound and will not effected by the acidic deterioration that usually accompanies the use of metalics for this.And don’t even get me started on the secret stash area in the handle.when you’re packing this much crank around it’s worth a few hundred to come with a blade attached to the most rediculous hiding spot in the world(which also make it the last place anyone would look)
April 20th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Being the last person on earth, surrounded by total loneliness and utter destruction, sounds like one of the cruelest fates imaginable.
If I was truly the last man on earth, I wouldn’t want this knife. I would want a bottle of pills that I could gulp down, fall asleep with, and end my life painlessly and respectfully.
April 20th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Who is buying that last mans gift? Nobody said how many women left.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
“What Do You Get The Last Guy On Earth For His Birthday? ”
The last girl on earth. No wait….Anything he wants.
August 1st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Save your money, once the apocalypse hits these, as well as any other tool you want, will be laying around everywhere for free.
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:15 am
[...] if you find yourself the last human on earth, surrounded by zombies or drunk and lost in the woods. Link You can either use it as a knife or lash it to a stick and use it like an axe. The high-carbon [...]
February 19th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Hefty pricetag, but this looks like a really good tool to have in a pinch.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
This is actually a terrible tool for any outdoorsman, all the experts agree and not even Ron Hood uses this, none of his followers use it, and most of the people in the world of survival actually laugh at this “knife”.
Ron Hood is a very knowledgeable man and knows what he is doing when it comes to survival, not many people can top him, but this is NOT a useful tool, ask him what he would rather use, a coldsteel SRK, or this thing. a 5-6 inch full tang carbon steel knife will be alot more useful in the bush than this silly tool, yes, it does alot of things but it does none of them well.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:11 am
[...] ATAX Survival: You’re The Last Man Standing. “You can either use it as a knife or lash it to a stick and use it like an axe. The high-carbon steel main blade measures 4-1/2″ with the tool’s overall length coming in at 5-1/2″. With the various metrics laser-etched on the blade, you can tell time (like with a sundial), measure angles, and judge distances. With some slingshot tubing, you can turn the ATAX into an arrow launcher for hunting game. The micarta handle conceals a small storage area for various survival items like matches and twine and MacGyver brand paper clips.” (via Geekologie) You might also like… • Enjoy credit-card debt in the game of Life • Definition: Mocketing • The Death of the Hockey Goon [...]
April 13th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Does dozens of things. None correctly.