Customer Reviews

Cold Steel Frontier Hawk, Hickory Handle 90F

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So, I purchased this tomahawk hoping it could serve as my backcountry chopping tool. It wasn't exactly what I had expected, but it is still a fine tool. The hawk is made of 1055 carbon, a very tough wilderness steel. For comparison, a standard USMC KA-BAR is 1095 (CroVan), so in the same ballpark. I was disappointed when I first got this hawk, it came extremely dull. I've purchased from Cold Steel before, and all of their products usually come screaming sharp. Not sure why they didn't put an edge on this one...
Anyways, I was easily able to put an edge on it with simple tools (one of the pros of 1055). The other thing that I had not been aware of (can't see in the pic) is the thickness of the hawk. I only have experienced with Fiskars axes, and all of them are thick and wedge shaped. Thats not the case with this hawk, its blade is relatively thin throughout, making it not the best spittler, since you can only force in as far as the handle before it will get stuck. This does make it more lightweight though.
What is does do well though is throw. I've thrown it many times now, and I have yet to find any hawk that flys better. A pro of the thin head is that it easily buries into the target with even minimal force. Overall a good tool, if you know what to use it for.

UPDATE
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I've had this hawk for a while now, and while the original issues (see above) still exist, I consider it a great tool. I recently broke the handle (entirely my fault) and when I ordered a replacement I received the 22" variety, and I have to say this improves the hawk 100%. 19 inches (the original size it will come with) is just a little too short to get two handed leverage on, but 22 is perfect. You can really wind up and get some real force behind it, which makes this a great chopper. I find it throws better too. You can still use it one handed, it's perhaps a tad more unwieldy, but still perfectly usable. All in all, a great purchase and a great hawk.

I ordered two of these because I wanted to start throwing "The old tomahawk". They're money. I have little to no experience in the field. Three throws after opening the box I was getting them to stick. The only beef I have with them is the set screw needs to be longer. I solved that by hammering it in tight then cranking the set screw. Are they super sharp? No. You just paid $25 for a blade, and you think its going to be crazy sharp? Is it sharp enough to stick in a 60' Walnut Tree? Yes. I would recommend these to anybody I know.

I like this tomahawk. The handles are not the greatest and will be replaced soon with a stronger wood but have held up so far. The balance of this hawk is wonderful and I never miss.

I bought this for deep woods camping for wood kindling. It is very light so it will be easy to carry.Well I don't know anything about throwing tomahawks so I can't comment on how good this axe is for that. It seems well made but I don't know if I would use this for the Alaskan bush but I like what I bought and am happy and will buy from this company again, plus the delivery was quick. I am a happy customer

Cold Steel is pretty well known for making great products and this Hawk is no exception. The head is made for VERY hard carbon steel and is very light as well, making it a good choice for backpacking/hiking/surviving the inevitable robot zombie nuclear apocalypse.

Yes it throws well. Managed to stick it 10 times in a row with a little practice. Keep in mind, yes its "cool" to throw an axe, but not very practical when its your main utility tool for camping. Also, the handle, while very nice hardwood in a teardrop-esque shape, WILL break after repeated throwing. If you are planning on mainly using this for throwing practice then do yourself a favor and buy some extra handles from Cold Steel as all handles DO eventually break. They are VERY easy to replace, which is the point of the Tomahawk anyway: easy field maintenance.

2 gripes: No sheathe. Not a big deal, its an axe not a machete. Still would have been nice. Also, the screw that keeps the head on the shaft is relatively cheap and easy to strip. Go grab a good screw from the garage and replace it with that, trust me. My screw got stuck in the axe head for a week before I had to use power tools to get it out.

Those issues do not detract from how great this puppy is. I WILL recommend that if you're going for a purely utility oriented tool, consider looking at an actual hatchet, whose broader head and heavier swing will aid you better in chopping wood. But 'hawks are as much for fighting as they are for being a work-horse, so keep that in mind as you buy this amazing item.

I've thrown my hawk thousands of times, no problems if you hit blade first. Let a few Jackasses throw it and don't be surprised if your hickory handle busts. THIS IS NOT FOR SPLITTING OR EVEN CHOPPING as it's said this axe takes no bite, so its trash for chopping wood, but if you want one of the best throwing axes around, get this head. if only they sold it no handle no set screw and even duller(save me some money!!)

Oh by the way, i changed mine up a bit. Used a hickory post hole digger handle, rasped into shape. drilled out the set screw they had in there(WTF!? worst idea ever...) Then i took a normal axe wedge and split the top of the axe handle so it will never come off. First handle lasted a few dozen misses. This new one broke straight down the middle(first handle atempt, was me and the giant shim i tried using) and still lasted me 2 years!(told you i was a cheap SOB!)

Buy this and learn to throw an axe!, if you want a hatchet buy and estwing, then your kids won't need to buy one either...

Solid handle, good balance for chopping, blade holds nice edge, Very Happy with the axe.