Description
Shop Cold Steel 30 Viking Hand Axe Hickory Wood. The Viking Hand Axe is a design collaboration between Lynn C Thompson, Dave Baker and Rich McDonald. It features a stout 30″ straight grain American Hickory, an extra broad, sharp cutting edge, a hooking “beard”, and up-swept thrusting “horn” to make a formidable fighting axe that would be the pride of any Viking’s collection!
Summary of Cold Steel 30″ Viking Hand Axe Hickory Wood (Gray Stonewash) CS 90WVBA
Construction: 1055 Carbon Steel; Color: Gray; Overall: 30″; Blade: 6.25″ l Carbon Steel l Standard Edge l Satin Finish; Handle: Wood; Other Info: 6.25″ cutting edge. Axe head features a hooking “beard” and upswept thrusting “horn”. Long, straight grain American Hickory handle. Bulk Packed.
Timothy Klanderud (verified owner) –
Testing out an axe similar to our forefather Ragnar’s axe.
Tried the Cold Steel Viking Hand Axe and compared it to the Kobalt Truper Steel Michigan Axe Hickory Handle 4LB. In many ways, I found the Viking axe far superior in many aspects.
It is far lighter- about 1/4 the weight. The Viking axe only weighs about 1 pound, Even lighter than a hand axe.
Being lightweight it is very fast and maneuverable. Faster than most swords. Light enough to work for hours without wearing yourself out.
It is very versatile- Unlike the Michigan Axe, the head of the Beared Viking Axe can be removed as a cutting tool. Hand chopper, slicer, skinner, etc. Also if one wanted to you can quickly change the handle to a smaller or larger handle for various purposes.
Campfire tool- The Bearded Viking Axe was an excellent tool to manipulate the fireplace. It is so lightweight it did not hinder the fine manipulation and is strong enough for large log maneuvering needed in fire building and maintenance. I also found the fire and soot improved the looks of the Axe. With the Michigan Axe, I found it impossible other than brute force pushing the logs around.
The Bearded Viking Axe is easy to carry- It fits in most belt loops or rings. It does not hinder you on your 100-mile hike or 1000-mile trek. You can even use it as a walking stick. With the 4 lbs Michigan Axe was nearly impossible to walk around with more than a few blocks.
The Bearded Viking Axe is easier and quicker to sharpen-
Cutting I found The Bearded Viking Axe was capable of keeping up with much heavier Michigan Axe in most situations. I think it was due to the speed of the axe and the sharpness of the blade.
It is cheaper- I purchased my Viking axe for about $35.90 which is a few dollars cheaper than the Michigan Axe.
Cons- I only found two cons on the particular Bearded Viking Axe I was using. The axe was held by a single tightening bolt in the back of the axe. If one was to use the axe with incredible force it starts to loosen and will need adjustment. This is fine if you want it to be a versatile tool, but for more permanent situations I would put a wedge on the top. The other con I think due to the lightness of the axe it might not perform as well with larger logs or trees, but still, I have to test it out more.