Bear Valley Axe review
No ordinary tactical axe
Modern tactical axes are just as home breeching domestic drug dealers flats as they have rooting out bad guys in Middle Eastern hinterlands. They are both weapons and tools. Bear Valley Tactical, a family-owned company in southern Utah, has made their BV-TAC 8 tactical axe much more useful by adding a host of other functions to its repertoire. A “multi-axe” if you will.
The first thing I immediately noticed about the BV-TAC 8 was this is one beefy axe. Many tactical axes this size are cut from a quarter-inch sheet stock by waterjet or laser cutting. The Bear Valley axe is machined from much thicker stock with the poll (or butt) clocking in at a full ¾” in width — a huge difference. The bearded axe head and throat are 3/16″ thick. The BV-TAC 8’s overall length is 17.0″ of heat-treated S7 Tool Steel and it tips the scale at 3.0 lbs. A tough Cerakote finish keeps the rust bugs away.
The list of features includes the axe blade, a hydrant wrench, spanner wrench, hammer, 7/16″ wrench, 5/16″ wrench, gas turnoff, and a beefy pry bar at the base. Additional expansion options include shovel and pick attachments. Our sample had a Coyote Tan Cerakote finish — OD Green, Tactical Gray and Black versions are also available. The handle is made fuller and more comfortable by half-ovate spacers on both sides topped with paracord. A full-edge blade cover is included for safe storage.
Why You’ll Like It
The Bear Valley Tactical BV-TAC 8 manages to give the user a nice group of added functions without forgetting first and foremost it’s an axe — and a stout one at that. The best feature of the BV-TAC 8 may just be its ovate grip, which not only offers better purchase than a flat one, but is much easier on the slinging hand during extended use. The Bear Valley BV-TAC 8 is affordably priced at $199, very reasonable for an axe of this quality with so many functions.