Axe suggestion - Cold Steel Trail Boss for, wait for it: £35

[Xunil]

There has been a lot of discussion this last few days about axes, and I'd like to throw this one out there to anyone interested in the heavier end of axes without the price tag you might normally expect if you are used to looking at Granfors Bruks.

Take a look at the Cold Steel Trail Boss: http://www.coldsteel-uk.com/store/Trail-Boss.html

It's bigger and heavier than I would like to carry in a pack for days on the trail, but in the right circumstances it would make a great camp axe for extended trips.

It's tough to find anything to really fault with this axe - a friend of mine brought one round for me to look at yesterday and I spent about 10 minutes faffing with the edge on my belt grinder after which we got to work with it. About the only criticism I have is the minimalist rubber edge cover, but you lot out there are a handy bunch so this shouldn't be an issue...

It's right at the top end of weight and size that I would expect to see folks out and about with but it does offer loads of power and a lot of potential for heavy clearance and felling. It takes and holds a really good edge and it's pretty good and splitting out firewood to boot.

If you were looking for something above average in performance without breaking the bank and if you either don't mind the size and weight or (better yet) if you would pack it in on horseback or in a vehicle then this is a serious tool at almost half the price of a comparable Gransfors Bruks.

Perhaps that is an unfair comparison, but it is a great workhorse axe. The edge and bevels work quite well as it ships from the factory, but they do benefit from a nip and tuck here and there and a little time spent slimming the factory edge down will really increase its bite

Has anyone already bought one of these or is anyone 'in the market' ?

I was very pleasantly surprised and that price is hard to overlook...

 

[_scorpio_]

i have seen one before and it just looked too plain, tacky and mass produced and for what it is i thought the price was actually a little bit high. i have an axe the same sort of size as a GB SFA and that is a drop forged thing and it cost me £9. the cold steel axe is obviously a bit better than this but still i wouldnt have it for more than £25.

 

[Xunil]

I think what warrants the cost is the steel/heat treating and overall manufacture.

I only used it for a relatively brief period but on very frozen, well seasoned and, in some cases, quite knotty hardwood it never missed a beat. On other axes I have played with at the lower end of the price scale I have had the edge ding out in similar use.

I could easily live with the mass produced look (or opt to do something about it) given the performance. I guess I am saying it's high end performance at the lower end of the price scale.

It's all a trade off though - there is no one size fits all and what works well for one might not for someone else.

 

[_scorpio_]

without the price tag you might normally expect if you are used to looking at Granfors Bruks.

a friend of mine brought one round for me to look at yesterday and I spent about 10 minutes faffing with the edge on my belt grinder after which we got to work with it. About the only criticism I have is the minimalist rubber edge cover,

you had to re-profile the edge out of the box, and it doesnt really have a sheath (i have had those sheaths and they are rubbish). it is covered in black paint and is mass produced and made by a machine. i would say thats why it doesnt have a GB price tag...
however, i have 2 of there tomahawks so have experience of how good some of their stuff can be. maybe they should consider making a lighter one about the SFA size, it could turn out to be a really good cheap axe.

 

[Xunil]

On balance, and to be entirely fair, I have had to reprofile the edges of several GB axes and most of the Wetterlings and Roselli axes that I have bought over the years. The Wetterlings and Roselli axes require quite a bit of work but I consider it worth the time and effort, while the Grafors axes either arrive right on the money or they also need a little work.

Keep in mind that monkeying with the edge is more than half the battle in getting your chosen axe to do what you want it to. My Wetterling Carpenters Axe is a stunningly good tool but out of the box it was a waste of space and totally unworkable, with far too thick and steep an edge. It didn't take me long to fettle it and it has been a joy to use ever since. It was also twenty-odd pounds more than the cold steel axe...

My own preference is for a thinner edge for all but my heaviest axes and so I tend to work the edge down to my preference regardless of brand and no matter how much it cost. This doesn't sit well with some folks, but I have yet to buy an axe of any brand that I was wholly satisfied with on delivery.

If we consider knives for the sake of an example then I am a great fan of the Fallkniven F1 and, although I can use one as-is, I prefer it much thinner, so when I buy one I regrind it to a much slimmer convex grind that suits my purpose. That doesn't make an out-of-the-box F1 a bad knife - I just prefer it a little different to how it left the factory.

Don't take this as a recommendation or endorsement of this axe - I am merely suggesting that people could take a look and make their own mind up based on what they are looking for and whether it is worth their time and effort to turn a good tool into a great tool.

If nothing else the quality of the blade in terms of performance at the edge seems comparable to the best GB, Wetterlings et al that I have owned and used, so I view this as an interesting choice at a budget with a lot of potential to the right owner. No, it won't suit everyone, but neither does any other axe on the market, regardless of price.

 

[Everything Mac]

what weight is the head? = looks a lot like my argos axe.

Andy

 

[Xunil]

1.18kg overall

I couldn't help liking that combination of weight with the longer edge than you normally see on an axe in that bracket

 

[Everything Mac]

1.18kg overall

I couldn't help liking that combination of weight with the longer edge than you normally see on an axe in that bracket

yes I saw that but I was curious about the head weight. - not the overall weight.

Andy

 

[Xunil]

My mistake - that IS the head weight, and not its overall weight.

A comparative review with the GB SFA is here which also confirms the head weight of the Cold Steel Trail Boss: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2010/10/cold-steel-trail-boss-review.html

 

[Everything Mac]

Ah I see.

cheers