1.7 lbs. Wood-Craft Camp Carver, 16 in. Curved Handle, Mask

SKU: WC17CCA16C

MSRP $190.32

(11 customer reviews)

1.7 lbs.  Wood-Craft Camp Carver, 16 in. Curved Handle, Mask

Where to Buy

1.7 lbs. Wood-Craft Camp Carver, 16 in. Curved Handle, with a high quality Leather Mask:  The Council Tool Co.’s WOOD-CRAFT  Camp Carver is designed to be a multi-use bushcraft/camping axe, and a carving axe for fine woodworking. The design has its heritage in the larger riggers axes of North America, the bearded axes of Northern Europe.  It’s a carver (bushcraft axe) that you don’t have to worry about bringing into the woods with you, or letting it get dirty while doing camp-chores.  With a swept toe, flat-grind, large bit length, bearded blade, and a radius under the hammer poll for the web of the user’s hand, it was made to choke up, shave, and do detailed work.  The poll is hardened and can be used like a hammer. It helps with balance of the head overall, and gives leverage when choking up.  It has a 90 deg. spine for scraping tinder and for using a ferro-rod to start fires in a pinch, or just for fun.  The handle was patterned after a vintage design. It has a generous palm swell for added sense of security, a large hatchet eye to provide strength/durability, and a comfortable grip when choking up. The axe will be a good tool for carvers, bushcrafters, green-woodworkers, trappers, hunters, backpackers, day-hikers, off-road bikers, campers, paddlers, tradesmen, ranchers, homesteaders, hobbyists and collectors.  It can be worn on a belt, in a hammer/hatchet holster, in or on a pack, with a sling, in a go-bag, or in a tool box.

Detailed specs on the axe are:

5160 Steel

16” Curved Premium Hickory handle

26 oz. Head weight (737 grams)

25-28 deg. Flat-grind bit bevels

4” Bit length

15.75” +/- Overall length (nominal)

Hardened poll

90 deg. Spine

Large hatchet eye

Bearded blade

Welted Leather mask

 Prop 65 Warning: This product contains Nickel (Metallic), a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov.

  1. TinCup –

    I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Camp Carver with all the youtube experts hype and hoopla, but what I got in the mail was one damn good axe. This is the perfect head weight and handle length for my camping needs. About the only carving I ever do with an axe is tent pegs and tooth picks, and this little axe handles both with ease. Another thing I’ve found is that the area at the poll is best for shaving fatwood and ferro rod use, not the other end of the blade as some youtubers have tried to use.

  2. TinCup –

    Just a quick P.S. to my review. Always take the mask off when you drive in a tent peg with the poll, you’ll cut through the welt and stitching of the mask if you don’t…ask me how I know.

  3. Bill Badenoch –

    My Wood-Craft Camp Carver arrived a couple of weeks ago from an on-line company. It’s darn near perfect! Handle grain orientation, tight fit to axe head, etc all outstanding…not to mention very sharp. ( “Bushcrafting” paper slices out of the box!.)
    Have done a little carving; what a fine tool! And a flat grind!!! for all of us rookie sharpeners!
    It fits on my tool rack right between a Wetterlings hatchet and a GB Small Forest Axe. I think this Council Tool axe might take over for both of them: axe head shaped for choking up on the handle for carving, blade curved for carving, yet still a 16″ handle for chopping, etc. and slightly thicker cheeks for splitting than the GB Small Forest Axe.
    The sheath/mask is a very good design too: single snap and into your pocket while using the axe. (I have made some knife sheaths and axe masks over the years and appreciate your design.)
    PS: Hey Tin Cup,,,, duct tape solves a lot of problems. You have my sympathy/empathy….whatever..been there, etc.

  4. BlueNoser –

    Best quality tools money can buy anywhere, just wish you guys were in Canada!

  5. BlueNoser –

    God Bless CouncilTool, and Best Wishes from Nova Scotia.

  6. Steve Baez –

    Wow!!! Just got my Camp Carver from an online retailer and I am blown away! Fit and Finish is perfect and this thing bites wood like nothing I have ever swung. Just incredible! Thank you for making such wonderful tool right here in the U.S.A.. You got yourself a customer for life!

  7. Jason Storm –

    Let’s just say I’m writing this review based on what this axe is, and not necessarily what I’d like it to be. You see, I own a handcrafted, hand forged, Hoffman Mini Camper axe that has similar attributes, though still a different item. It is extremely nice. As far as the Council Tool Camp Carver goes, it is a PRODUCTION axe that attempts to give you everything that you get with a custom axe. Council Tool has done a fine job in this respect. The axe head is very good and the handle on mine has the grain running just about perfect. I initially would not have given this product 5 stars because the mask that came with mine had a rivet set way off center on the retaining strap. It looked horrible and the strap would not lay flat when it was installed on the axe. Also the welt was not flush with the edge of the mask (not what I expected with a “premium” item). In my frustration, I contacted Council Tool. After supplying them with a dated receipt and pictures of the defect, they promptly sent me a replacement mask. Is the replacement perfect? No, but this is a high quality production axe with a production mask, not an individually handcrafted item. The replacement is fine for something produced in a standard production environment. I would have rated this at only 4 stars even if I’d gotten a properly made sheath the first time, but Council Tool’s commitment to make certain their customers of this product line get a quality product has bumped this review to 5 stars. Thank you Council Tool for your prompt response.

    Final verdict of the axe: BUY IT! It’s a really good axe.

    Is it as nice as my Hoffman. Nope, but it is definitely a way better value. The Camp Carver weighs a half pound more and has a four inch longer handle than my Hoffman. I’ll be able to do more with the Camp Carver because of this, and the Camp Carver is easier to attain and cost me $100 less. So if you want a high quality American made axe that won’t make you cry the first time you blemish it, you should by from Coucil Tool’s Woodcraft line. For the price, you’d be hard pressed to find a better axe of this type.

  8. Prairie Farmer –

    This is one mean hatchet, I am glad Council Tool is in the game.

  9. MARK BAUER –

    Bee in Missouri-12-04-2021
    Impressed with everything about this axe except the eye. It’s off center and a few degrees of tilt. Since it is not a big heavy axe I suspect the eye will not crack with use. Tried it out on some small dried hardwood and it felt fine and safe cut with no rolling of the edge. Cut a small trail and I believe the edge caught a rock with no damage. The edge still cut paper when done. Not perfect but good.

  10. Bill Latham –

    I love my Camp Carver Hatchet.
    I use it for all my hunting chores, from pounding in my blind pegs to skinning my deer and bears.
    Excellent and high quality steel used in blade.
    I keep it razor sharp and clean, always ready.
    It keeps and holds a keen edge once sharpened.
    Easy to keep edge with minimum blade touch up after skinning.
    I’m also very proud it is made in The United States of America.
    I hope to pass on to my grand children in the future.
    God Bless Council Tool.

  11. Farmer –

    Overall first impressions of this hatchet are ok.

    The edge isn’t what I would call carving sharp, but I can fix that pretty quick.
    The head shape ia very, very good and swings well. The edges of the head at the haft are sharp. Not a good thing if you’re going to choke up on it to do any actual, heavy carving use, unless you plan on hot spots or tearing up gloves.

    The head is well hung on the haft, but the haft is dry as a bone, grain orientation is 45 degrees, instead of inline with the head. The tiny metal cross wedge is also pretty much inline with the main wood wedge. The haft overall is a good useable shape, except for the taper into the fawn’s foot, which seems to start tapering way early and compromises the grip when chopping from the very end of the haft.

    The mask seems to be good quality, but fits loosely, so my guess is after it’s first oiling, it’ll be worthless.

    Overall, I expect it will work great after some finishing, but at this pricepoint, I don’t think that should really be necessary and with all the “online experts” talking it up so highly, expected to only have to touch up the edge.

    I was wrong. This would be an exceptional value at 125 bucks, but at this price point, I expected a finished product. Not a product in need of finishing.

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