Cold Steel90TH Trail Hawk American Hickory Handle, One Size (Package May Vary)

Hear me out, I've been using Amazon for years and I've bought hundreds of items. In all that time I have only left reviews on maybe 5-10 items. I only leave reviews when I am truly truly disappointed (to warn others) or truly truly impressed. I love this thing. This is a very cool throwing axe, and in addition to that an utility axe. I know it's not advertised as an utility axe, and I'm guessing the company would advise against using it as a utility axe just so that they don't have to deal with it when you break it using it for something it wasn't designed for. That being said, it is an axe and it works as an axe.First of all, I've thrown axes before. I am not very good, and if I were to ever enter a competition I would wind up dead last. That being said, I have thrown them before, know the basic concept and technique, and have had some successes. From what I know as an amateur axe thrower, this thing feels good in the hand, has a pretty good construction for the size and cost, and holds up to abuse well. I know that because again I am an amateur. I've had it hit my target (a hardwood tree) from some pretty hard throws at nearly every angle (top, bottom, side, halfway through a turn, hammer side, etc.). I've only had a few hits with the axe blade directly on target, but when I do it almost always sticks in and sticks in deep. I've also found that the thing is pretty accurate. You could say that that is because of my own accuracy, but again I am an amateur. Rather I think the balance of this axe is so good that an amateur can hit their target 100% of the time (I drew a faint silhoutte of a human of the same height as me on the tree. Even when I miss with the axe blade, and hit the tree with a different part of the weapon's body it almost always hits the spot I was aiming for, whether that be a small target like the head or dead center of the chest).In addition to being a throwing axe, I have been using this as an utility axe, both blade side and hammer side. The thing is shorter than a full-size axe but longer then a camp axe/hatchet. While my hatchet has more weight, this item has more leverage. Once again it also sticks in very deep because it appears to be very sharp. A quick note on that sharpness, in the three weeks I've had it I have not noticed it dulling at all... in fact it even seems sharper than when it began. Anyway, this ability to stick deep has allowed me to use the axe as a handle. Slam it deep into a log and then drag or even lift if the log is not too heavy. I've used the hammer side for nailing things, and also in combination with a splitting wedge (though a sledgehammer no doubt works better with the wedge, this item works to a degree as well). It is also good for chopping and splitting small things (I have chopped quite a few long and thick branches, maybe as thick as an upper arm, into firewood length pieces), stripping bark from living or dead trees or even from firewood, and doing small chopping jobs like creating kindling. Finally, in a use I know the manufacturer would definitely not condone, the thing works great as a fire poker. The wood I was chopping was of course for a fire pit I have and frequently use. I was of course afraid the first few times to use it as a fire poker, but I found out that it holds up very well in these extremely hot conditions. The wooden handle in fact has not burned once yet, despite being a wooden object continually poked near extremely hot embers. The fact that it can stick into and be used to drag or move wood also makes it great for moving large logs in the fire. The only thing I've noticed is that the black finish (remember, this axe is made out of silvery shiney steel, and the head is black not because of the metal but because of the finish put on the metal) is beginning to be stripped away by the heat, and a lot of the axe is beginning to be covered with charcoal and ash (from the fire, once again it itself is not burning for whatever reason). The axhead is becoming slightly loose, but this might be from the fire or from the throwing. Again this is a relatively cheap item, and I've been doing both the action this item is designed for (throwing) and chopping/fire poking pretty evenly. Either way, when this thing does start to break and fall apart, I am definitely going to buy another. I love this thing. Highly recommended.

I’m 63 and I’ve been a knife and tomahawk guy for a VERY long time ….I worked as a machinist for many years and pictured are a few of the other throwing axes that I made for myself MANY years ago….My point is I am NOT a backyard operator or pretend ninja that takes their weapons out and fondles them on special occasions in front of the television….anyways,,onward…This is an excellent lightweight hawk that would serve well as both a backpacking tool or a very fast,,agile,, and effective weapon…These hawks are drop forged out of 1055 steel,,which is pretty close to ideal for a tool like this….(compared to 98% of the rest of the stuff out there,,it’s MUCH better)…DON’T listen to the armchair “panty-boys” that whine about a dull edge or a loose fitting handle. If you are going to use a tomahawk,,you MUST learn to sharpen the head and fit handles YOURSELF!!!! If you are not willing to put in the time and energy,,buy yourself a good hatchet OR a modern tactical piece of crap made out of GARBAGE 2cr or 3cr CHINESE-IUM steel!!!!Anyway,,I’ve never owned a Cold Steel tomahawk that wasn’t an excellent piece,,as long as it’s been given the basic care and work that a tomahawk deserves…. (and,,I have and do still own quite a few Cold Steel hawks)….(Oh,,and Taiwan has a long history of making excellent tools. And these hawks are fine examples of that. DO NOT associate Taiwan with the “Peoples Republic of China”. You are making a fundamental error that is GROSSLY inaccurate and only serves to play into the hands of the Communist Chinese)…..If you can’t buy American for whatever reasons,,and you buy Taiwanese,,you can rest assured you made a very good decision….

I have had one of these hawks for a good while now. If you get one of Cold Steel's hawks, plan on doing a bit of work, but you'll be happy once you do. Before I review it though, this was my first tomahawk and it isn't easy to find good info on what you need to do, so I'm putting what I found in this review so other buyers don't have to dig around.The first thing you want to do get the set screw out and throw it away. Hawks are usually supposed to be friction-fitted - a bang or two of the handle on a hard surface will pop the head off and allow it to be used alone, and a good swing will remount it. This allows much better control for whittling and other fine work than any hatchet or axe can provide.To help with that functionality, strip out the paint in the eye of the head, and if you can also round off the top edge of the eye a bit - a rotary tool like a Dremel can do the eye work quickly - then sand the finish off the handle and sand the top (thick end) to fit your head well. When you're finishing that up, take your time and check the fit often, as a few strokes on the sandpaper will do more than you realize. This will all allow the hawk a positive fit on the end of the handle.If you want to shorten the handle, now is the time. Use a miter saw if you have one, be sure to take material off the thin end, and round off the end with sandpaper when you're done. 18-19" is typical. Longer handles mean more reach and more momentum behind a swing (i.e. better chopping); shorter ones mean more agility and easier carry.Lastly, get some boiled linseed oil for the handle (my local Walmart had the stuff for cheap). If you want to use your hawk, you need to use penetrating oil: if you don't finish it at all, the wood will get brittle and crack, but water-repellent finishes like polyurethane also repel sweat and lead to unintentional throwing. You may also want mineral oil or something else to prevent rust to the edge.Optionally, you can stain the handle before applying oil, as well as do nice little aesthetic things like carve it or burn it. You can also strip the paint off the head and blue it with blueing agent or actual smoke, but be aware that only very aggressive paint strippers will get all the paint off. You can even use a rasp to detail the head, file the top of the blade to 90deg for striking firesteel, or polish it if you have good tools (the steel is tough). Finishing touches like those will make it look very nice, but even just a coat of stain on the handle will work wonders.Now for the actual review. Right out of the box these aren't very good. The handle appears to have a coat of lacquer, which is bad. The head has paint on the inside of the eye and the machining is quick and dirty, so between that and the lacquer the fit is just terrible. Instead of removing that problem, someone who clearly doesn't use tomahawks thought a set screw was a good solution. The edge isn't perfect either, and the annoying little sticker has some really tough adhesive.However, underneath all the stupidity on the surface is a solid tool. The alloy and heat-temper are great for the application, and hickory is probably the best wood for a handle. For the price, I think it is worth the work to get that.The greatest weakness of this hawk is the light weight. It can chop, but it doesn't go through as quickly as a heavy tool. For the same reason it isn't the best splitter when swung. It won't replace a hatchet or camp axe; if you want a comparable hawk that can, look into the CS Rifleman's Hawk.That light weight is also its greatest strength, as it is easy to carry and it isn't too fatiguing to use. The Trail Hawk's small size also gives it a big advantage over larger ones or hatchets for detail work: making shavings and feathersticks is easy with practice, and it also whittles very well. To make up for the difficulty chopping and splitting, it can be used as a wedge with a baton instead.The hammer poll is small, but it's big enough for stakes if you're careful and it can be used to finish off pieces of wood that are almost chopped through, which helps keep your blade out of the dirt. It can also be used as a pestle, or it can go through things like glass and building materials like a champ if that's your thing.I use my hawk as a tool, not a weapon, but I'm trained in hand-to-hand and this is a review so I'll mention it anyway. I usually find axes and the like too sluggish for my taste, but I can use the Trail Hawk. It's light enough that you actually have some control mid-swing, and the small blade and hammer focus the force of impact on either end. You can also choke way up and grip by the head comfortably. I don't throw, but based on its size and the steel I imagine it is very well-suited for throwing as well (keep in mind that throwing will severely reduce the handle's lifespan).I would recommend the Trail Hawk if you want a good light tomahawk. As the name implies, this is a great tool for the trail, and I trust it and have used it enough that I often take it and leave my knife. In fact, if I were only to bring one tool into the woods, this tomahawk would probably be it.