What a time we live in, when the EDC market has driven utilitarian outdoor tools to be viewed as objets d'esign, manufactured with space-age technology and photographed with professional attention. This Hyzer hatchet by EDC brand Exceed Design is milled out of titanium on a 5-axis CNC.
It features interchangeable heads, featuring "our infinitely modular nested head system which holds the head portion with greater redundancy and peace of mind," writes Exceed Design founder Josh Boram, who designed the hatchet. The skeletal handle is to reduce weight, and the flavor of titanium—6AL-4V, known for being both strong and lightweight—was specifically chosen for "its ability to dampen vibrations as seen in the premium hammer market."
Boram is a serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing, not design. But his description of the project does make him sound like an obsessed industrial design entrepreneur:
"Over 3 years ago I tried designing my first fully titanium-handle hatchet, and from there on I iterated many times, spending way more money that I'd like to admit, making samples from 3 different CNC shops."
"I finally was able to refine my design and find someone who could truly live up to the quality and precise tolerances required for the HYZER hatchet. This hatchet took me years to finally find an affordable way to get this CNC'd at scale at a reasonable price."
"Using real 6AL-4V Titanium with the complexity of our handle design was very difficult and took me over a year to drive down machine time and processing cost. This is NOT a cheap hatchet to make, but we love designing things that truly are both unique and exceed without the absurd price point!"
The Hyzer rings in at $180, so I guess price points are relative. And I'm sure the EDC market will eat it up.
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Comments
Looks pretty. Why aren't there any pics of it chopping wood? Even on the website. Having only 2-3 threads of those screws engaged is concerning. Even more concerning is the fact that they sell replacement screws. I'd bet those threads shear after a few dozen strikes. Like, 2-3 camping trips and the head goes flying.
Designed more for a zombie apocalypse. Give me a Silky saw or even an Esee knife for cutting/batoning wood, respectively.
Why would anyone want a hatchet that is 9.75" (assuming you got the large version) end to end and has a screwd on head? I think the designer just wanted to say 6AL-4V, Titanium and created a project around it.
No clue about the hatchet itself or the use case. However i will attest to the unmatched function of Exceed Designs (side note: horrible name) folding pocket knife box cutter thing . Over the top nice, use it all day every day.
Glock meets Olivetti.