For everyone who likes the song at the end, thanks! I really appreciate it. I've got more original music at *ua-cam.com/users/BryanStevensMusic* I just need 25 more subscribers to break 1000. And I've got a couple of other new songs I am gonna post on the music channel soon.
I've had a trail hawk for decades, possibly 30 years (mine doesn't have the set screw). I've used and abused it, carried it in Death Valley and the mountains of British Columbia, and decades of camping here in Ontario. Still has the original handle. Lightweight and tough. My bushcraft pack is not complete without it.
I love my coldsteel tomahawks I have the trail hawk an the frontier hawk. I spent $20 on the trail and $19 on the frontier. I look at these the same way I do machetes. They come with a rough finish everything else is up to you. I prefer the rough finish it keeps cost down. I like removing the screw and sanding the shaft. Then putting a good finish an then work on the cutting edge. I also shortened mine. I don’t believe showing everything with a factory finish is really worthwhile. Many things are a deal because they need a little TLC. I’m a budget buyer mostly because I enjoy making things my own and I using them. I really liked that music an slow-mo. Outstanding video. Just realized I’ve been watching you for more then 6 years I believe. Time sure flies.
Holy sh!t , that's still the same Fatwood. I remember when I started watching this channel, back when Brian had 0 skill with a fire steel and would scrape for ever but never give up. I guess it has been a while hasn't it
I bought one after your first review of it. I put a better cutting edge on it. I also removed the set screw and welded the hole shut. I then drove a steel wedge into the top of the handle to keep the head more secure. Then I put a dark stain on the handle. And wrapped about 10 inches of paracord on the lower part of the handle for a better and more secure grip. So far it has held up and works good. I have done a lot of cutting and splitting of wood and never had any problems with it once I made the modifications on it.
Got my Trail Hawk about 2 years ago. The wood grain is at an angle, more in line with the striking direction than not. I had to doctor the edge up. Also filed some finger grooves on the handle with a rasp. Nothing too deep, just like the way it turned out on m y Norse Hawk I bought in the 90's. Thanks for your review.
I bought a American Tomahawk back when the LaGuardia family got profits from the sale. It was also made in the USA. It is a heck of a hawk, and I really like it. Hawks are really fun to throw. Cold Steel owns the rights now and since the sale of the company, I have noticed a decline in price, but also quality. Thank you for the video, as always!
Inflation is effecting quality as well. Still the trail hawk for its cost and weight is one of the best values for a tomahawk, survival woods tool, utility and self defense melay weapon thats going. You just have to expect to put work into the blade and handle - maybe even buy several handles from cold steel to get a good one (thats what I ended up doing)
Opinions are one thing. But experience is another. I carved my first axe handle about 2 years ago. The only stock i had was sideways grain . I'm not criticizing your because I was always taught straight grain is the strongest. But I've found with my axe and sideways grain actually seems to absorb more vibration. Now my handle is ash . So it could be the wood .... but im so happy with my handle. I use it very often and 2 years later still going strong.
I don't have the trails hawk ,But when the CRKT chogan I bought out of nothing more than curiosity I have had about 11 tomahawks they were all my dads and grand fathers and great grand fathers handed down .In all my 81 years now I've never consistently carried one, they were fixed to my pack . I was impressed with the chogan the handle wood was correct orientation came sharper than necessary for a hawk. it is a very good thrower. handle is hickory. In my opinion tomahawks have gone by the way of the buggy whip . I think there primary us is for cracking heads made for war just barley usable in truth in the woods. Happy trails young man. I hope we can look forward to some of your home grown music for the holidays.
Good to see another of your videos. I guess I’ve been camping more than I was or something because this is the first video of yours I’ve seen in a long while. I bought one of these hawks quite a few years ago. It came sharp, the grain on the handle was inline with the long axis of the head but I had to put a sharp 90 degree on the top; I guess quality has slipped some. After that it’s been worth taking in the woods. Between this hawk, a belt knife and a folding saw I’ve got my cutting needs taken care of. Thanks for your review.
Hahaha finally pulled the trigger on one because they're 20 bucks right now on Amazon and I figured for that price even if I keep it in my garage and never use it other than to split little fire wood it would be well worth it.
I love the Trail Hawk, it definitely has a place depending on your needs. And for $20 I can spend a few minutes with a file. Older Cold Steel knives came shaving sharp out of the box, all the Moras I've bought were also like razors. I like to polish the edge to a mirror so I expect to spend time on the edge of things. Cold Steel is still an excellent bargain.
Bryan, nice throw...I've never had much use for a hawk, however I might need one just for throwing..I have Cold Steel's Trail Boss axe.. it is very good for the price and came very sharp. Stay safe
I got a Trailhawk about a year ago or so. The handle on mine was absolutely perfect. Dead straight grain orientation. The handle was shaped really well, better than much older CS hawks I had. Same screwy edge though. Had to work on that for a bit to correct it. A lot of folks hate on hawks, but they really bang out some work for their size and weight. I've come to appreciate the tomahawk for an on foot "axe" option but staying light.
I love Cold Steel Tomahawks but I never really warmed up to the trail hawk. The edge is just too short. It also isn't angled right for the straight haft. Something like the Fiskars X7 can have an edge almost parallel with the haft because it has a pronounced grip swell so you can "snap" it at the end of a cut and properly align the edge with the work piece. With a straight haft you have to "pull" the axe through the cut with much less snap, which means the edge has to be rotated slightly as with the pipe and frontier hawks to hit the wood right. The pipe hawk is very similar to the trail hawk but much better designed and only 4 ounces heavier. It has more meat behind the edge which reduces sticking and improves splitting. It also has better splitting geometry near the eye. Much more useful with little drawback.
Those Cold Steel hawks really need a little love and care to be worthwhile. They are budget tools, but will work fine after they've been refined by the end user. I'm personally a fan of the Vietnam tomahawk and disappointed that they discontinued it years ago. It came with a leather cover that has a belt loop, and the spike on it is great for processing small pieces and kindling, or helping to dig a cat hole when nature calls on a backpacking adventure. I just wish there was a version made that has a Vietnam style head with a more traditional friction fit handle.
My trail hawks are wonderful! Mine has decent handles with the grain somewhat decent. I cut down my handle ro my specs and honed qnd sharpened mine to be hair splitter. It is now sharp as a razor! If you dont know how to modify and hone them, then yeah they suck! Now if I were you I would send that one back because that handle is unacceptable!
You've been scraping that fat wood for so long, it's not so fat anymore......😂 I have the frontier hawk. When Chuck Norris needs a Tomahawk, he just uses his hands...✌️🇺🇸
Great song Bryan! 10 years in storage? Impressive. Is it pine wood? Tomahawk was ok. What’s the difference between a hatchet and a tomahawk? Does a tomahawk have a longer handle? I bought a hatchet from Walmart for $15 I think. It’s ok I guess. Thanks for the video Bryan! I like your song at the end. Your a great musician!
I appreciate the kind words. I'm not sure about "official" designations but I think the biggest difference between a tomahawk and an axe is the handle and the way it connects to the head.
No, you did good. Batonning with an ax, such as a tomahawk, IS THE CORRECT WAY to split down wood. Also using a FROE is good, which is a tool made to split wood. Just NEVER USE YOUR BELT KNIFE for beating the blade through a piece of wood. It is your PRIMARY tool in a survival situation, and any time you are a day or more from return to civilization, you are in a potential survival situation, so you need to take care of it. That said, the vast majority of people never expect to be in a true "survival situation". They have never trained to use primitive survival skills and acquire the mind set that goes with it, so their careless use of tools is understandable. It is NOT correct, but it is understandable, given their lack of experience and wilderness education. Bushcraft is a hobby for most people, and they can usually run to a store not far away and buy another knife if theirs breaks or is otherwise lost; or if they have the time, just order another one from a dealer on the internet. In a true survival situation, that easy replacement might not be an option. One comment on edges. Many less expensive axes like Cold Steel and similar (and I have been a knife dealer off and on over the last 40 years) often have edges that simply SUCK, if they are even sharpened at all. I carry a couple of sharpening tools for that reason and in case my blade hits something a bit too hard and damages the edge. One is like a very aggressive file, and the other a long stone. Look at the ax/hawk edge when it arrives or is first purchased, and sharpen it prior to use. It will work better and be safer. I rarely need that "aggressive file" tool, but I carry a machete rather than an ax most of the time, so it's edge will be more prone to damage than mavy axes. A heavy bladed machete (meaning one with a blade 0.090 to 0.250 inches thick) like the Condor Bolo machete will do 85% of what an ax will and at a significant carried weight reduction. Just use a saw if your target cutting object is either over 4" in diameter or of hard wood. A short 8" Silky saw lives in my shoulder bag, and a longer one in my backpack, for this reason. A saw is not "as sexy" as many axes, but it is efficient and burns fewer calories for the same amount of wood processing. Be sure to add an extra blade, as well, since "Silke saw blades tend to break". NOT actually true if properly used, but Silkys cut on the pull stroke, and Americans are trained from childhood using saws that cut on the push stroke. Using that forceful push stroke can break a Silky blade.
There’s no real need to be condescending, just because you have had a UA-cam channel for a few years, as you enjoyed pointing out in the beginning of your video, doesn’t make you an expert. If you aren’t used to the comments that you receive buy now perhaps it’s time you quit UA-cam. And no! I don’t have a high and mighty UA-cam channel. 😂😂
For everyone who likes the song at the end, thanks! I really appreciate it. I've got more original music at *ua-cam.com/users/BryanStevensMusic* I just need 25 more subscribers to break 1000. And I've got a couple of other new songs I am gonna post on the music channel soon.
I've had a trail hawk for decades, possibly 30 years (mine doesn't have the set screw). I've used and abused it, carried it in Death Valley and the mountains of British Columbia, and decades of camping here in Ontario. Still has the original handle. Lightweight and tough. My bushcraft pack is not complete without it.
I am struggling with physical disabilities, but I am finding axe throwing is just the ticket for me. Gets me outside. Good video.
You can do it!
I love my coldsteel tomahawks I have the trail hawk an the frontier hawk. I spent $20 on the trail and $19 on the frontier. I look at these the same way I do machetes. They come with a rough finish everything else is up to you. I prefer the rough finish it keeps cost down. I like removing the screw and sanding the shaft. Then putting a good finish an then work on the cutting edge. I also shortened mine.
I don’t believe showing everything with a factory finish is really worthwhile. Many things are a deal because they need a little TLC.
I’m a budget buyer mostly because I enjoy making things my own and I using them.
I really liked that music an slow-mo. Outstanding video. Just realized I’ve been watching you for more then 6 years I believe. Time sure flies.
Thanks for sticking around. I'm glad you liked the song.
Holy sh!t , that's still the same Fatwood. I remember when I started watching this channel, back when Brian had 0 skill with a fire steel and would scrape for ever but never give up. I guess it has been a while hasn't it
I bought one after your first review of it. I put a better cutting edge on it. I also removed the set screw and welded the hole shut. I then drove a steel wedge into the top of the handle to keep the head more secure. Then I put a dark stain on the handle. And wrapped about 10 inches of paracord on the lower part of the handle for a better and more secure grip. So far it has held up and works good. I have done a lot of cutting and splitting of wood and never had any problems with it once I made the modifications on it.
Still love your work, Bryan. Thanks for the revisited review and the song! Good stuff as always...
Got my Trail Hawk about 2 years ago. The wood grain is at an angle, more in line with the striking direction than not. I had to doctor the edge up. Also filed some finger grooves on the handle with a rasp. Nothing too deep, just like the way it turned out on m y Norse Hawk I bought in the 90's. Thanks for your review.
Still one of my favorite hawks, bites deep during the chop, light weight, tougher than nails, and throws true. Thanks Bryan for the music and video.
You bet!
I bought a American Tomahawk back when the LaGuardia family got profits from the sale. It was also made in the USA.
It is a heck of a hawk, and I really like it. Hawks are really fun to throw.
Cold Steel owns the rights now and since the sale of the company, I have noticed a decline in price, but also quality.
Thank you for the video, as always!
I really like how you like throwing him as much as you like making the video
Inflation is effecting quality as well. Still the trail hawk for its cost and weight is one of the best values for a tomahawk, survival woods tool, utility and self defense melay weapon thats going. You just have to expect to put work into the blade and handle - maybe even buy several handles from cold steel to get a good one (thats what I ended up doing)
Opinions are one thing. But experience is another. I carved my first axe handle about 2 years ago. The only stock i had was sideways grain . I'm not criticizing your because I was always taught straight grain is the strongest. But I've found with my axe and sideways grain actually seems to absorb more vibration. Now my handle is ash . So it could be the wood .... but im so happy with my handle. I use it very often and 2 years later still going strong.
We are all very grateful to you at SOP HQ for the rigorous scientific methods you deploy when testing!
Our pleasure!
I don't have the trails hawk ,But when the CRKT chogan I bought out of nothing more than curiosity I have had about 11 tomahawks they were all my dads and grand fathers and great grand fathers handed down .In all my 81 years now I've never consistently carried one, they were fixed to my pack . I was impressed with the chogan the handle wood was correct orientation came sharper than necessary for a hawk. it is a very good thrower. handle is hickory. In my opinion tomahawks have gone by the way of the buggy whip . I think there primary us is for cracking heads made for war just barley usable in truth in the woods. Happy trails young man. I hope we can look forward to some of your home grown music for the holidays.
Good video Brian, thanks for sharing, God bless !
Looks like you did a great job and would be proud to have it great for spoon carving in my opinion ❤❤
Good to see another of your videos. I guess I’ve been camping more than I was or something because this is the first video of yours I’ve seen in a long while. I bought one of these hawks quite a few years ago. It came sharp, the grain on the handle was inline with the long axis of the head but I had to put a sharp 90 degree on the top; I guess quality has slipped some. After that it’s been worth taking in the woods. Between this hawk, a belt knife and a folding saw I’ve got my cutting needs taken care of. Thanks for your review.
Hahaha finally pulled the trigger on one because they're 20 bucks right now on Amazon and I figured for that price even if I keep it in my garage and never use it other than to split little fire wood it would be well worth it.
Hello 👋 Bryan, thank you sharing this informative and entertaining video. Keep up your great videos. 😊
Thanks for watching!
Love the song Bryan, nice job!
Thank you!
I love the Trail Hawk, it definitely has a place depending on your needs. And for $20 I can spend a few minutes with a file. Older Cold Steel knives came shaving sharp out of the box, all the Moras I've bought were also like razors. I like to polish the edge to a mirror so I expect to spend time on the edge of things. Cold Steel is still an excellent bargain.
You do have a good tool to work with.
Nice video Bryan
Bryan, nice throw...I've never had much use for a hawk, however I might need one just for throwing..I have Cold Steel's Trail Boss axe.. it is very good for the price and came very sharp.
Stay safe
Sup bro, im planning on getting one, stay safe and push the limits.
Nice tune Brian.
Thanks for listening
I got a Trailhawk about a year ago or so. The handle on mine was absolutely perfect. Dead straight grain orientation. The handle was shaped really well, better than much older CS hawks I had.
Same screwy edge though. Had to work on that for a bit to correct it.
A lot of folks hate on hawks, but they really bang out some work for their size and weight. I've come to appreciate the tomahawk for an on foot "axe" option but staying light.
I wonder about the hardness of the steel?
I have this one. Really nice tomahawk for the money!
I like it because it is lightweight. I bought it it for playing with in the back yard.
I love Cold Steel Tomahawks but I never really warmed up to the trail hawk. The edge is just too short. It also isn't angled right for the straight haft. Something like the Fiskars X7 can have an edge almost parallel with the haft because it has a pronounced grip swell so you can "snap" it at the end of a cut and properly align the edge with the work piece. With a straight haft you have to "pull" the axe through the cut with much less snap, which means the edge has to be rotated slightly as with the pipe and frontier hawks to hit the wood right. The pipe hawk is very similar to the trail hawk but much better designed and only 4 ounces heavier. It has more meat behind the edge which reduces sticking and improves splitting. It also has better splitting geometry near the eye. Much more useful with little drawback.
Those Cold Steel hawks really need a little love and care to be worthwhile. They are budget tools, but will work fine after they've been refined by the end user. I'm personally a fan of the Vietnam tomahawk and disappointed that they discontinued it years ago. It came with a leather cover that has a belt loop, and the spike on it is great for processing small pieces and kindling, or helping to dig a cat hole when nature calls on a backpacking adventure. I just wish there was a version made that has a Vietnam style head with a more traditional friction fit handle.
I like the song! I saw what you did there with the country of Taiwan. 👍
I'm glad you like the song. I appreciate it.
Any axe type tool I buy, I expect to work on the edge. No biggie. File a 90° flat on top of the blade, for scraping wood & fero rods....
love the song
Thanks! I really appreciate that.
Give it to them Brian . If they don't like the content they can watch different ones .
BTW: what I did with my extra handles that didn't meet my expectations, I ended up cuttng them down 13" 10" etc for use and or carry in a smaller pack
I've thought about getting another handle for my frontier hawk for the same reasons.
One more comment Bryan. What was the cost? Thank you. 😊
I paid$30 a couple o f weeks ago. As of 5 minutes ago it's $20.99 at the link in the description
With every cold steel tomahawk it seems like u should sharpen it yourself and maybe flatten the angle a lil bit not a problem for me tho.
Yep
Do one on the Rifleman tomahawk please thank you
Stay tuned. I have one to test.
9:39 Into to the video: you haven't bashed anything with the poll.
My trail hawks are wonderful! Mine has decent handles with the grain somewhat decent. I cut down my handle ro my specs and honed qnd sharpened mine to be hair splitter. It is now sharp as a razor! If you dont know how to modify and hone them, then yeah they suck!
Now if I were you I would send that one back because that handle is unacceptable!
I can smell it.
That grain orientation is not bad for side torque splitting of wood.
As long as there is no run out not that big of a deal on a tomahawk.
You've been scraping that fat wood for so long, it's not so fat anymore......😂 I have the frontier hawk. When Chuck Norris needs a Tomahawk, he just uses his hands...✌️🇺🇸
It's a tomahawk, you can remove the head and use it independently!😅
It's a tomahawk, you can remove the head and use it
Great song Bryan! 10 years in storage? Impressive. Is it pine wood?
Tomahawk was ok. What’s the difference between a hatchet and a tomahawk? Does a tomahawk have a longer handle? I bought a hatchet from Walmart for $15 I think. It’s ok I guess. Thanks for the video Bryan! I like your song at the end. Your a great musician!
I appreciate the kind words. I'm not sure about "official" designations but I think the biggest difference between a tomahawk and an axe is the handle and the way it connects to the head.
No, you did good.
Batonning with an ax, such as a tomahawk, IS THE CORRECT WAY to split down wood. Also using a FROE is good, which is a tool made to split wood.
Just NEVER USE YOUR BELT KNIFE for beating the blade through a piece of wood. It is your PRIMARY tool in a survival situation, and any time you are a day or more from return to civilization, you are in a potential survival situation, so you need to take care of it.
That said, the vast majority of people never expect to be in a true "survival situation". They have never trained to use primitive survival skills and acquire the mind set that goes with it, so their careless use of tools is understandable. It is NOT correct, but it is understandable, given their lack of experience and wilderness education.
Bushcraft is a hobby for most people, and they can usually run to a store not far away and buy another knife if theirs breaks or is otherwise lost; or if they have the time, just order another one from a dealer on the internet. In a true survival situation, that easy replacement might not be an option.
One comment on edges. Many less expensive axes like Cold Steel and similar (and I have been a knife dealer off and on over the last 40 years) often have edges that simply SUCK, if they are even sharpened at all. I carry a couple of sharpening tools for that reason and in case my blade hits something a bit too hard and damages the edge. One is like a very aggressive file, and the other a long stone. Look at the ax/hawk edge when it arrives or is first purchased, and sharpen it prior to use. It will work better and be safer.
I rarely need that "aggressive file" tool, but I carry a machete rather than an ax most of the time, so it's edge will be more prone to damage than mavy axes. A heavy bladed machete (meaning one with a blade 0.090 to 0.250 inches thick) like the Condor Bolo machete will do 85% of what an ax will and at a significant carried weight reduction. Just use a saw if your target cutting object is either over 4" in diameter or of hard wood. A short 8" Silky saw lives in my shoulder bag, and a longer one in my backpack, for this reason. A saw is not "as sexy" as many axes, but it is efficient and burns fewer calories for the same amount of wood processing. Be sure to add an extra blade, as well, since "Silke saw blades tend to break". NOT actually true if properly used, but Silkys cut on the pull stroke, and Americans are trained from childhood using saws that cut on the push stroke. Using that forceful push stroke can break a Silky blade.
There’s no real need to be condescending, just because you have had a UA-cam channel for a few years, as you enjoyed pointing out in the beginning of your video, doesn’t make you an expert. If you aren’t used to the comments that you receive buy now perhaps it’s time you quit UA-cam. And no! I don’t have a high and mighty UA-cam channel. 😂😂
I have never said I was an expert. I assume you are referring to my comment about armchair critics. Not sure why you sound so offended?
@@SurvivalOnPurposeArmchair critics are like that. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, criticize.