Quality of Cold Steel Axes/ can I get a replacement? Fracture Failure

Ulf Krogstad

Ulf Krogstad

Joined
Nov 19, 2013
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Have owned this gang hatchet axe for around a month, have used it once before, "had" high hopes for it as the head cuts real deep into wood, thin grind, but the wood is weak. 2nd time took it out was today and this happend.

PuNYoeM.jpg


Any chance can get a replacement Cold Steel? I also own a trailboss, haven't used it yet. Very worried to now. As wood is identical and not that much thicker. The tree I was chopping through was 8", no knots, no nothing. Have chopped through thicker trees with .18" knives with no issues. First time an axe has ever broke on me. I saw a video on YouTube of a guy also breaking one of these and chalked it up to the size of log he was trying to split, but now seeing they are not very durable at all.

A. Can I get a replacement?
B. Are these just novelty axes and not supposed to be used outdoors much?



Anybody else have a CS axe break? Do they make any descent models?
 
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You may want to post some detailed pics of this in the ax forum
 
As cautionary tail or cause it may get more responses? Im jjst trying to see what CS can do for me and asking if this is usual? I'm getting rained on now in a tent so more pics will have to wait.

Cold steel knives I have never had an issue with, like all have had and still own a few, but this thing broke with very little ease. Defect or is this supposed to just be a novelty?
 
Ouch. I would say CS would most likely replace it, or at the very least send you a new handle.


Not that it excuses the break, but I was under the impression that the Axe Gang Hatchets were more of a martial weapon, and not so much an outdoors tool, just IMO.
 
They know a lot about the wood grain and breakage kind of stuff.
 
I've avoided that one for just this reason.

I have their hawk handles that have lasted a decade or more of use. Including throwing tens of thousands of times.

I've also ruined a handle in a single throw (where I was too lazy to take the set pin out first. A must for throwing them).

That design is a fighting design. You could bore the head out a bit more, and get a heavier handle.



I prefer the hawks, like the Norse hawk, pipe hawk, rifleman hawk etc.
 
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MountainPeek said:
Ouch. I would say CS would most likely replace it, or at the very least send you a new handle.


Not that it excuses the break, but I was under the impression that the Axe Gang Hatchets were more of a martial weapon design than a outdoors tool, just IMO.
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I also have a trench hawk that have beat the living crap out of and hasn't broke, and that is mall ninja/novelty as #%$!. It's a hatchet, I assume I can use a hatchet as a hatchet. It feels like a hatchet. Really did have high hopes for it as light camp hatchet. Did not, nor had any intentions to use it roughly but breaking the way it did with light chopping was crazy.

I don't know much about axes, what type of wood is best for them?
 
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that's about the 5th axe gang hatchet I've seen break in the exact same way at the exact same spot doing the exact same job..... I'm starting to be inclined to believe that they were not ment to use on wood but rather as martial arts weapons......weird stuff huh?
 
Bigfattyt said:
I prefer the hawks, like the Norse hawk, pipe hawk, rifleman hawk etc.
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Was looking at those before deciding on hatchet, I wouldn't hate it if they switched their wood over to the plastic stuff thats on the trench hawk. Think it's more durable.
 
On the trail boss i wouldnt worry. I have a trail boss and have chopped up trunks and limbs into logs and firepit wood from 100 year old dying fallen over live oaks, water oaks and hybrids. Over stuck many times no breakage. It was a cheap axe and i bought it to beat and its held up fine.

Maybe cold steel will send you a new handle and you can rehang it? Maybe theyll send you a new hawk? You called them already?
 
Nice D guard Busse. I'm down to a KZII and a Rattle Hawk.

I have a BG war train on order, and a camp cleaver bg.
 
jbmonkey said:
On the trail boss i wouldnt worry. I have a trail boss and have chopped up trunks and limbs into logs and firepit wood from 100 year old dying fallen over live oaks, water oaks and hybrids. Over stuck many times no breakage. It was a cheap axe and i bought it to beat and its held up fine.

Maybe cold steel will send you a new handle and you can rehang it? Maybe theyll send you a new hawk? You called them already?
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Gonna take out trail boss on next excursion, hoping your right.
 
^if yours breaks they'll replace it. you can't lose either way. just bring those busses with you to cover if it breaks.:)
 
That sort of split where the grain seems to blow apart seems to happen more often in wood that is dried fast in a kiln versus a slower process. I bet there was just a bad batch, but nobody really notices because a lot of those hatchets are "martial" or wall-hangers and don't impact wood. This will happen on tools you get from the hardware store, too, and it's not really a reason to retire the axe or distrust the model. Chalk it up basically to bad luck and rehang it.
 
I have the Trail Boss and have used it for 3 or more years as my camping axe, no troubles at all.
 
My trail boss did well. I used it to break up rotting stumps. The head didn't shift at all. It is a great light chopper.
 
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It's a natural wood handle. Yes it's going to break at some point. It's regular maintenance on an ax that's being used.
 
When you get a new one, I bet you could reinforce that area of the handle by wrapping it tightly in some leather cord. Soak the cord, wrap, and let it shrink over the wood as it dries. :thumbup:
 
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