Cold Steel Trail Boss Review, Part 1

An axe is a very simple tool, but a good one is surprisingly hard to find. In the search for a good axe, many of us have either chosen to pay a high price for a high quality axe, or have managed to find an old example of the tool and have restored it to working order.

The Cold Steel Train Boss is an attempt to provide a good quality axe at a reasonable price, so we don’t have to struggle with the above options. Time will tell whether or not the attempt was successful.



Specifications:
Manufacturer: The Tomahawk subdivision of Cold Steel-made in China.
Axe Head Weight: 2.5 lb
Axe Length: 23 inches
Axe Head Material: 1055 forged steel.
Handle Material: American Hickory.
Cost: Suggested retail is about $45.00, but it can be purchased virtually everywhere online, including Amazon for under $30.00.



Clearly the most attractive characteristic of the axe is its price. At $30.00 it is a quarter of the price of a comparable Gransfors Bruks Axe ($120.00) and a third the price of a Wetterling Axe ($90.00). Of course, when purchasing an axe which is that much cheaper than its competitors, quality becomes a big concern. To that end, I decided to test one and see if it is worth the purchase.

With respect to specifications, it is very similar to the Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Axe. In this review however, I will compare it to the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe for two reasons. The first is that I do not own a Scandinavian Forest Axe. The second is that a person looking at the Trail Boss as a cheap alternative, will mostly likely be looking for an alternative to the Small Forest Axe, which has become the standard amongst many bushcrafters. Obviously, we have to keep in mind that there is a size difference between the two axes and judge performance accordingly.

Here you can see the Cold Steel Trail Boss and the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe side by side.




The head of the axe is attached to the handle using a method very similar to that used by Wetterling. It consists of inserting a wooden wedge in the handle, and then inserting a metal cylinder. The top of the handle comes painted black to match the head, but for this picture I sanded off the paint so the attachment method is easier to see. In the picture the cutting edge does not look aligned with the rest of the head, but that is only because the camera is a bit off center. The edge of the axe is perfectly aligned.



The grind of the head is very similar to that of the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe. The very edge of the Trail Boss however, has a thicker convex than that of the Small Forest Axe, which significantly decreases the chopping performance. Again, both axes have perfect edge alignment. The curve seen in the picture is a result of the camera, not the axes. The part of the axe head below the cutting edge is less concave on the Trail Boss than it is on the Small Forest Axe, making it slightely better at splitting (weight considerations aside).



The eye is larger and deeper on the Gransfors Bruks, which would most likely make for a more secure attachment of the head than in the Trail Boss.



The balance of the Trail Boss is not great. When held by the handle right near the head, the head and the handle are perfectly balanced. The head however is heavy toward the bit, meaning that when holding it in the same manner, the cutting edge will point almost completely down because it is heavier than the rest of the head. This makes the axe harder to control during a swing. The longer the axe, the more difference this will make. For true axe purists, this will be an issue. (In this picture you see the Trail Boss with the paint removed from the head)

Here you can see the comparison to the Small Forest Axe. Notice how with the Small Forest Axe the bit points down only slightely.

The grain of the handle is good. Ideally you want straight grain running through the whole handle. Here you can see that while not perfect, it is comparable to the Gransfors Bruks.



The steel seems to be of good quality. It retains an edge well and can be easily sharpened in the field. It is not prone to chipping. The Gransfors Bruks seems to be a bit harder, but I can not tell for certain. That being said, from my use, the hardness and toughness of the head is more than adequate for the task.

On a more subjective note, I personally prefer this size axe to the Small Forest Axe. I find that it works better with my height, and I am much better able to control the axe during a swing. Of course the added weight makes chopping and splitting tasks much easier. This is not specific to any particular brand of axe, only to its size.

The thicker edge however, did decrease the chopping ability of the Trail Boss. If you plan on using it as a serious chopper, I would spend about half an hour with a file, and thin out the edge. The cheeks are nice and thin, the only part that you should thin out is the last quarter of an inch from the cutting edge.

Carving is more cumbersome as this is a heavier and longer axe, but because of the balance, it is perfectly doable. There are many carving axes on the market with heads of similar weight. It would not however be my first choice for the task.

The axe arrived to me completely dull. I would strongly recommend sharpening it before any use. If you fail to sharpen it well, it will not be of much use to you. You do not have to reprofile the edge, although I would recomend it, but you should at least sharpen it with a good set of stones.

The sheath is of very low quality. It is just a rubber cover for the edge, and it will almost certainly fall off in your pack. Make sure to secure it before taking the axe out in the woods.

All of the above being considered, I would certainly recommend the Cold Steel Trail Boss. This axe significantly out performs its price tag. If funds are tight, and this is your first bushcraft axe, unless you develop the urge to collect tools which has afflicted many of us, this axe will serve you well.

To be fair, it is certainly not as good as a Gransfors Bruks, but it is a good tool none the less. There are so many small things that come together to make a great axe that some manufacturers like Gransfors Bruks get right, that it is hard to know if an axe is right for you unless you use it. My main worry with the Trail Boss would be if the edge turns out to be too soft, but so far, I have not been able to notice any deficiency.

As far as I know, this is the only bushcraft appropriate axe produced by the manufacturer under this product name. Cold Steel makes a like of tomahawks which may be of use.

Lumberjacks in Australia c. 1900

This is an image of lumberjacks felling a eucalyptus tree. The technique seems to be similar to that of lumberjacks of that time in the US, although I can not see a saw in the picture.

The image is attributed to Charles Kerry & Co. and is stored in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia.

Tail Blazer Take Down Buck Saw Modifications

A few weeks ago I got a Trail Blazer Buck Saw to use as my main bushcraft and backpacking saw. You can see the overview here.

After some work with the saw, I started to get a bit annoyed with the fact that once assembled, one of the handles stuck out on the top and bottom of the saw. This extra material makes it harder to work in tight spaces, and for me personally, made it harder to handle the saw.

So after some though, I decided to put the saw on a diet and remove some weight.

I took the long handle of the saw (the one that sticks out), and made a mark right where the saw blade attaches to the handle. I took a file (it was the only tool I had available for cutting metal) and started cutting at that line.

After cutting off the bottom piece, the place where the saw blade attaches to the long handle should look exactly like it does on the short handle.

Here you can see the saw assembled again after removing the bottom piece.

Next, I took apart the saw and put it back in its folded position. I measured so that when folded, there was a two inch overlap between the long handle and the short handle. I then cut off the top piece from the long handle. It is important that you leave enough material when cutting the top part so that the two handles will overlap when the saw is folded.

Here you can see the saw assembled after both the bottom part and top part are removed from the long handle.

You will notice that now when the saw is folded together, there is nothing to hold the two sections together, since they only overlap by two inches.

What I did to remedy the problem was to wind up some duct tape on the short handle, so that when it slides into the long one, it creates a tight, friction fit. This way the saw can stay in your pack without the parts moving around.

It is also important to remove the cap (it was not easy) from the top part of the long handle, which you cut away, and place it back on to the remaining piece of the handle. If you do not, the contents of the saw will fall out.

Selecting the Right Axe Size

The axe is one of the most beloved tools in bushcraft, and until the arrival of the saw, did the majority of heavy wood working. Here I will consider the uses of some of the different sizes of axe available. There are consideration other than size, which I will discuss at a later time.

The most important thing to realize when selecting an axe, is that each axe is designed to perform a specific range of functions. When used within that range, the axe will work very efficiently, and perform the tasks quickly and without unnecessary energy expenditure. On the other hand, if an axe is used outside of that ideal range of functions, while the task will still get accomplished, the energy required will increase exponentially. For example, an axe with a handle of about 20 inches, and a head weight of about 1.5 lb will work very effectively to chop down a tree of up to 4 inches in diameter. Try to use the same axe to chop down an 8 inch diameter tree however, and you will see that the effort required maxes the task a nightmare.

The opinion I am presenting here is just that, an opinion. This has been my experience when it comes to axe use, and I know several others who share this view. It is by no way conclusive and should not be taken as the final word on the issue.

So let’s look at some ranges of axe size:

The Hatchet

This is an axe intended to be used mostly with one hand. The handle is about 12 inches in length and the head weighs anywhere from 1-1.5 lb. While small, these hatchets can perform a wide range of tasks. They are ideal for carving and splitting small fire wood. I would not attempt to chop down anything thicker than 2 inches in diameter (think wrist size wood when it comes to chopping and splitting). While it is possible to fell larger trees, the energy required would make this tool inefficient for the task. Good choices in this category would be the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet, the Hultafors Trekking Axe/Hatchet H-006-SV, the Wetterling Wildlife Axe, the Snow and Nealley Camper’s Belt Axe, the Fiskars Hatchet, the Graintex Hatchet, and the Husqvarna Hatchet.

The Small Axe

An axe in this range can be used with one or two hands. The handle is about 20 inches in length, and the head weighs anywhere from 1.5-2 lb. These are considered to be the most versatile bushraft axes by some people. They are a compromise, a jack of all trades, but expert at none. They can still be used with one hand for carving, but can also be used with two hands when splitting or chopping. This axe is ideal for trees of about 4 inches in diameter. Again, the axe can be pressed to bring down larger trees, but its use will become inefficient. Good choices in this category would be the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe, the Hultafors Classic Forest Axe H-009-SV, the Wetterling Large Hunting Axe, The Council Tool Hudson Bay Axe, and the Snow and Nealley Penobscot Bay Kindling Axe.

The Boy's/Limbing Axe

This is a larger version of the small axe. The handle is about 25 to 28 inches in length, and the weight of the head is anywhere from 2-3 lb. These axes fall within my favorite axe size. I have found that I like working the most with axes that are about 26 inches in length. I have never paid much attention to the size tree I am chopping down with this size axe, so I can not give you a good estimation of the size of tree which I would consider optimal for chopping. I would guess somewhere in the 6 inch range. Good choices in this category would be the Gransfors Bruks Scandinavial Forest Axe, the Hultafors Felling Axe HY-0.9-SV, the Wetterling Swedish Forest Axe, the Snow and Nealley Hudson Bay Company Axe, the Husqvarna Traditional Axe, and the Cold Steel Trail Boss.

The Felling Axe

These are the axes you picture over the shoulder of a lumber jack. The handle is over 30 inches in length, usually 36 inches. The head can weight anywhere from 3-5 lb, or more. These axes are designed for bringing down large trees. Good choices in this category would be the Gransfors Bruks American Felling Axe, the Hultafors Felling Axe HY-1.5-SV, the Wetterling Felling Axe, the Barco Kelly Perfect Axe, the Council Tool Jersey and Dayton Full Size Axes and the Snow and Nealley “Our Best” Single Bit Axe.

Specialty Axes

Here I would include all other axes. Some examples are the Splitting Maul, designed with a very wide head angle to split wood efficiently, and the Carpenter’s Axe designed with a straight cutting edge for even cuts. Most of these axes are too specialized to be used as general bushcraft tools.

The main obstacle for the person interested in bushcraft will be balancing the ideal intended use of the axe with the weight that can be carried in a pack. For example, let’s say that you do not intend to cut anything over 4 or 5 inches in diameter, so you select one of the small axes to carry. You have now added 2 lb to your pack. Is that weight worth the ability to chop down a 4 inch diameter tree? Can you do the same thing with a folding saw which weighs 1/10th of the axe? How about a saw and a 5 inch knife? The answer will always require a balancing act.