Review on 🪓 Cold Steel All-Purpose Axe: Ideal for Camping, Survival, Outdoor Activities, Wood Cutting, and Splitting by George Miller

I bought my first Trail Boss in 2015. I removed the paint from the head and the varnish from the handle. After a little filing and stone work I got what I wanted. Fast forward to this week and my buddy used it to cut branches off a fallen tree during a storm. He wouldn't shut up as it's the perfect height and weight. He's a big guy and can easily turn it with one hand. I saw the price on it and thought I might buy him one too. Trail Boss is a diamond in the rough. The materials are good and the workmanship is very nice. With a little effort, you can turn it into an axe. The head is quite tough, but doesn't break when hitting a pine knot or rock. The head will rust without the black paint and clear coat so be sure to oil it. The grip on this thing surprised me. The grain was dense and deviated from the peak by about 15 degrees. Very good for a $20 ax. The color was pure; I would give him top grade hickory. The back of the handle is straighter than on my copy, but swings confidently. The only thing I don't like about the ax is the shoulder on the handle. It only begins to thicken 2 inches below the head. You don't see that often with American ax handles, but you do see that with German ax handles like Bahco or Stihl. All in all, this is a good ax that will serve you well. B. on a truck, backpack or quad. We recommend. Update: After about a dozen swings, the cedar trunk developed a crack in the grip that extends about 1/2 down from the head. Let's see if my replacement fits to be at above. Updating my update: I decided to quit and see how it worked. After removing about 1/8 inch from each side to thin out the handle, the crack was gone. However, I cut it from the same cedar log. No more cracking or head movements. Even with a few grazing blows nothing. A good ax after all. I've also ordered another one.