A Havertown inventor has wandered for two years through six product redesigns, all the while carrying the expectations of 1,302 crowdfunders on his shoulders, and finally his Survival Axe Elite has found its way to its first customers.

Shipments began going out last week for the Survival Axe Elite, a unique combination of an ax, a hammer, “a box cutter, a can opener, a gas-valve shutoff wrench, a seatbelt cutter, a glass breaker, a wire twister, a nail puller, a pry bar, a range of hex sockets, and a saw,” according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Diane Mastrull.

Marvin Weinberger of Havertown started the undertaking on Kickstarter, and while the crowd excitement overwhelmed — crowdfunders nearly quintupled his $25,000 goal with $123,310 in support from 1,302 people — the manufacturer cooperation significantly underwhelmed.

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“This has been a perennial problem for most startups in America,” Weinberger said. “Most of the manufacturers who survived have tended to hunker down and become very specialized, and aren’t looking to participate in projects where the upside is speculative.”

Some Survival Axe Elite investors didn’t survive that prolonged journey, as $6,235 in refunds were issued to 73 people.

“Everyone else stuck with me, and I’m hoping they are now going to be really pleased,” Weinberger said.

Read more about the Survival Axe Elite in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.