In order to solve the problem of severe wearness and frequente tripping work in the hard plastic strata of Shaximiao Formation in Wubaochang， the research on the rock breaking performance of an axe-shape cambered PDC cutters is made. Firstly， the X-ray diffraction test and triaxial mechanical test are used to obtain the rock properties and mechanical parameters of the formation， then the finite element simulation and test are combined to study the rock breaking performance of the axe-shape cambered PDC cutters. The results show that the axe-shape cambered PDC cutters mainly break rock by the combined action of shearing， extrusion and plowing. Compared with the conventional PDC cutters， the axe-shape cambered PDC cutters have stronger rock-breaking ability and stability， which can effectively reduce the abnormal vibration of the bit， improve the bit life， and the rock breaking mechanical specific work can be reduced by 2.2%~8.2% at different wear height （0~3 mm）. According to the test results， the rock breaking performance of the axe-shape cambered PDC cutters is higher than that of the conventional cutters by 11.39%， and the average cutting force error between test and simulation is only 7.46%， which verifies the correctness of the simulation model. This study shows that the axe-shape cambered PDC cutters are of great significance in improving the rock breaking performance in hard plastic formation.