Cold Steel Viking Battle Axe - Durable Black Finish

Amazon Customer: As with most Cold Steel it is functional right out of the box, sturdy, and economical. Easy to sharpen for use or dull for reenactment. Great for customizing.

United States on Nov 13, 2023

Amazon Customer: Read a few reviews after I bought it and started getting a little worried. Lot of people said the head doesn’t stay on the handle properly, hard to sharpen, didn't hold and edge, so on. They put the head on the thin end so you can remove it to sharpen the blade prior too using. Sharpened up easily. Perfect little axe and works great. Chopped up some wood with it right after I sharpened it and held edge. Definitely would buy another one.

Canada on Oct 02, 2023

C: The axe head is good. It is not sharp but that's OK. American Tomahawk Company is a product name owned by Cold Steel, so it is a Cold Steel product although it is made in Taiwan.

The handle is the issue.
The handle is tapered so it is wider at the top and the head is slid on from the bottom - meaning the head will never slide off the top of the handle, but there will always be a gap between the bottom part of the axe head and the handle. Only the top part of the axe head is in full contact with the wood.
The handle should be tapered the opposite way, so the head is slid on from the top and cannot go down too far, then a wedge should be added to the top of the handle, to create a tight fit.

Canada on Jun 16, 2023

alejandro ortega: Cómo muchos hawk de Cold stél.hay que hacer un gran trabajo antes de usar por qué llega sin filo, sin estar bien ajustado al cabo y demás pero aparte de eso nunca decepcionan en campo.

Mexico on Dec 29, 2022

Jeffy: Okay as a finished piece it’s fine. It will work, the set screw to keep the head from sliding down the handle is cheesy, just hammer the head down good and hard, that’s how your average Dane did it and it still works a thousand years later. Haft is superb, but if you aren’t going to work on it you will need a lanyard or similar to ensure it doesn’t go flying, there is no ‘pommel’ or goats foot to keep it from sliding out of sweaty hands

However I bought it as the basis of a project. A kit. And as that it’s excellent!
Forging slightly lopsided and has an ugly finish, but no worse than other much more expensive axes. Most fighting axes sold today have a completely stupid geometry for combat, but this one is actually correctly designed. The head has a good overall shape, it’s got the correct profile, which is VERY different from most of the just slightly massaged woodsman’s axes. Woodsman axes or woodcraft hatchets are too heavy, blade is a wedge which wont really penetrate, edges are too short and curved the wrong way. This axe head has a much thinner edge, swelling to enough meat at the haft end, it will sink itself to the haft during test cuts into pork...

Canada on Aug 19, 2022

Jerry Mondelli: Compro spesso da Cold Steel. Propongono prodotti medievali di buona qualità ed economici, seppur dozzinali, ma li consiglio per il rapporto qualità prezzo. Certo a volte capita che arrivi un prodotto difettoso, ma nella mia esperienza di cliente abituale ho sempre ricevuto articoli in ottime condizioni e pari alle aspettative. Quest'ascia vichinga vale i soldi che costa, è facile da modificare se lo si vuole e la consiglio a discapito di tutte le recensioni negative che ha ricevuto. Anch'io ero scettico ma quando il prodotto è arrivato sono stato soddisfatto. Una volta rimaneggiata magari oliando l'impugnatura per darle un colore più "antico" diventa perfetta per una rievocazione storica. Non sarà prodotta con un acciaio europeo, ma è molto robusta, resistente e ben bilanciata. Che siate collezionisti, rievocatori o semplicemente volete un'ascia dall'aspetto nordico/altomedioevale, questo prodotto è per voi.

Italy on Sep 15, 2021

Craig Holt: First, shipping was crazy fast. I purchased this axe on a Saturday and it was on my doorstep Tuesday morning. Everything was well packaged and protected so I have no issues there. My one word to anyone wanting to order this and assemble it ( yes assembly is required but I knew this already) and get there inner Ragnar on, The handle pole is so thickly protected with a thick lacquer that the axe head will not even go a good six inches up the handle upon initial assembly attempt just to see how this thing is going to look. I have already prepared to sand the pole so this is no great issue with me. About the handle, they did send my a wonderfully beautiful piece of hickory that has a beautiful grain pattern and is straight and solid. I am very pleased with it and cannot wait to get it sanded to see the wood without the varnish. This handle is SOLID! You could use this thing for a short defensive staff all on it's own if you so wished. I must find out if cold steel sells extra handles. I have not found them for sale online anywhere. The head is nice and seems to be well polished. The grain pattern of the steel is uniform. My complaints with the head are few. It is dull to the point...

United States on Jul 04, 2018

Amazon Customer: First is that this is a battle axe and not a tomahawk or wood chopping axe, it's blade geometry is meant for slashing (not chopping)and stabbing against flesh, bone and thin wood(a shield) and not chopping thick branches or logs, it bites in deeply on every hit and gets stuck on almost every hit which is also why it shouldn't chop against an opponent( please don't be stupid and use this against ANYTHING alive).
After reading so many reviews about the head being loose, the haft being garbage and needing to be sanded or whatever I got supplies to deal with these along with the axe. They were a waste of money as the head was secured tightly with or without the screw( which in my opinion is there only for shipping purposes), the shaft was perfectly straight and had the grain going the right way( in line with the axe blade) and had no coating on the head or shaft at all. The only modification I made was purely aesthetic, a simple darker stain and the axe looked and preformed great. The blade came with a usable edge but I still sharpened it until it was shaving sharp, which is honestly too sharp for a wood axe( it risks damaging the edge if it's too fine due to the tremendous force...

United States on Nov 28, 2016