Operation Red Wings – June 28, 2005 – Never Forget

My first impressions of the Matt Axelson Tribute Knives when I unwrapped them was, “Holy crap! These are no joke; they’re heavy and strong, bad-ass weapons.” The combat version is clearly not meant to be kept in its sheath; it’s meant to be abused. Pictures just don’t do these things justice. You have to actually hold one in your hand to really get a sense of what these knives are all about.

Matt Axelson was killed in action on the 28th of June, 2005, fighting to keep his teammates—SEAL Team 10—alive. He gave every ounce of his heart and soul to win the fight he was in. From all the interviews I’ve watched and listened to in preparation for this review, one thing kept coming up: Matt was described as a loving and humble guy outside of work, but when it was time to go to work, he wasn’t a person to be messed with.

I believe that very statement describes these tribute knives. These knives are beautiful pieces of work to the average outsider, but when it comes time for these knives to go to work they will never quit, just as Matt never quit.

First off, let’s go over the history behind this collaboration with Busse Combat Knives.

We decided to do two knives. A limited edition one that would proudly reflect the life of Matt and his brothers lost, and one that would be subtle, yet tenaciously strong and meant to be used hard. We decided to name that blade the “AXE Hammer,” a name that reflected Matt’s nickname, given to him by his teammates, and the manner in which the men fought that fateful day, dropping the hammer on our enemy with vengeance.

Let’s take a closer look at the tribute knife.

The Combat Grade Knife

This is the knife I will be beating on in the video portion of the review.

These knives can be purchased directly from Axelson Tactical.

All proceeds from the knives go to the following three foundations:

• Matthew Axelson Foundation
• Lone Survivor Foundation
• Navy SEAL Foundation

The  Axe Hammer specs:

.170″ Thick
1 1/2″ Width
12 1/8″ Overall Legth
6 1/2 ” Blade Length
Handle – Desert Storm
INFI Steel with Satin coating

I am going to end this review with a question for you to ask yourself and think about:

What are you willing to do to save the life of a loved one or those around you?

-Scott

*Images of Matt Axelson are used with permission from Axelson Tactical.

This article was originally published on the Loadout Room and written by Scott Witner