The Trail Hawk weighs 1 pound 3 ounces, and you won't have a problem justifying all of it. In fact, you can leave the big Bowie knife at home and take something smaller for the light cutting work, because the Trail Hawk is better at just about everything else. From hammer poll to blade edge, the axe measures 6-1/2 inches with a cutting edge 2-1/4 inches wide. The high carbon steel is properly tempered with a hardened hammer face and resilient blade. Common sense uses of the hammer side would include driving nails or wooden tent stakes.

The American hickory handle is plain straight-grained wood, smooth but unfinished. That's the kind of handle I like to see, since lacquer ordinarily just hides poor materials and dissolves if you wear DEET. A little sweat and elbow grease will give the handle all the shine it needs.

The set screw which helps hold the handle in the head seems pointless, and if the handle doesn't fit properly, it makes sense to get rid of the screw and put in a new handle. Otherwise, Cold Steel's Trail Hawk is an economical choice and well-designed for today's needs.

See the SOG Fusion Tactical Tomahawk for a modern, lightweight trail axe.

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NEW Cold Steel Trail Hawk American Hickory Handle US $32.35   Auction Ends: 24d 29m

Trail Hawk High Quality Sheath Tough Black Cordura Nylon Made By Cold Steel US $11.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 4d 3h 8m

In today's world, the Spartan is well designed for field dressing game. The 4-1/2-inch blade's point is shaped for penetrating, and the deep belly of the knife aids in shallow skinning cuts or deeper butchering cuts. The recurved plain edged blade of AUS8A high carbon stainless steel draws the knife deeper into anything that passes over it, including rope and straps. If you don't like the feel of G-10, you'll appreciate the hard ribbed Grivory of the Spartan's handle. Grivory often substitutes for metal in the automotive industry with the feel of iron or steel but not the weight. By shape alone, this unusual knife stays firmly in hand. Stainless steel liners beneath the six-inch Grivory handle slabs add even more strength. The Spartan's Tri-ad blade lock is equally tough and clearly able to survive more punishment than the average user deals out.

Technically, the 7-1/2-ounce Spartan is a one-hand opener, using a thumb plate on the back of the blade as a leverage point. Action of the knife typically is stiff, especially when new. That limbers up with use, but one-hand opening may not be as reliable as the two-handed method. Cold Steel suggests hooking the thumb plate on the lip of the pants pocket and opening the blade that way. Owners are confirming that this isn't as simple as it sounds. Combine that with the extra stiffness of the stainless steel pocket clip, and there's some heavy wear and tear on pants.

You wouldn't notice the link to Greek history unless someone explained it, and there are a few quirks -- but if you like large folders you'll like the Spartan.

See the Cold Steel Espada for an even larger folding knife inspired by ancient weaponry.

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Cold Steel New Spartan Folding Blade Knife 21S US $51.89   Auction Ends: 10d 5h 52m

Cold Steel Spartan Lockback Knife AUS 8A Blade 21S US $59.99   Auction Ends: 20d 12h 30m

Weighing just 2.8 ounces, counting the small Secure-Ex sheath and dogtag style neck chain, the Point Guard can be tucked away beneath clothing or lashed in place in easy reach. Arrange it properly and it's a handy tool you'll not even think about. If you need it, the high carbon AUS8 stainless steel Point Guard provides 4 inches of plain hollow ground cutting edge. The overall length of 6-3/4 inches doesn't leave much for the grip, but the design improves on features experimented with in other knives, and turns out to be very usable.

Inspired by a Fred Perrin custom knife design, the large hole accommodates an index finger and the open pistol style grip allows a fairly comfortable and secure three-finger hold. Held solidly in the hand, there's nowhere for the blade to go except where you point it. The system should fit the hands of nearly every user. The finger hole doubles as part of the sheath's latching mechanism -- a rounded tab friction-fits into the hole and keeps the knife secure in any position, even upside-down. Grab the hilt and give the knife a firm pull, and it slips easily from the sheath. This is one neck knife you don't need to worry about bouncing loose.

See the Cold Steel Double Agent knife for a similar neck knife in a karambit style.

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Cold Steel Point Guard Plain Edge Neck Knife Sheath 49 US $44.99   Auction Ends: 18d 12h 25m

COLD STEEL 49FPS POINT GUARD FIX BLADE KNIFE NEW KNIFE US $45.89   Auction Ends: 22d 16m

The True Flight's wide spear point holds up well to the extreme stresses of poorly executed throws. The knife's 5mm thick high carbon spring steel has enough temper to flex at impact without snapping or bending. Made of 1055 steel, which Cold Steel also uses in sword blades, the 9.7-ounce True Flight is ground with a single plain cutting edge and sharpened with a tough wedge bevel. Refine that edge a bit with a whetstone, and you'll have a usable camp knife.

If you have no experience at throwing, you might prefer to start with a cheap set of knives you don't mind abusing, and when you begin to stick the target regularly, consider moving up to something real like the True Flight. This throwing knife has the weight to do serious damage by ricochets as well as intentional hits. Some fundamental skills in throwing will be a great safety measure.

Paracord wrapping on the tang is the knife's only grip, so if you use it for much campwork, there will be blisters on your hand. If all you need is a dependable occasional-use knife, this is good enough. At 12 inches in overall length, it's certainly no ultra-light, but it's a very simple, rugged design that's tough to break. The knife comes with a lightweight belt sheath of Cordura fabric.

For a competition quality throwing knife, see the Boker Ziel.

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Cold Steel New True Flight Thrower Knife Black 80TFTC US $28.49   Auction Ends: 10d 58m

cold steel true flight throwing knife Sheath ONLY US $.99   1 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 8h 24m

This fixed blade bonds a textured Kraton grip to the knife's wide tang of 3/16-inch thick high carbon AUS8 stainless steel. A drop-point blade six inches long gives the 10-3/4-inch knife plenty of plain cutting edge. The dark Teflon coating eliminates shine and decreases cutting resistance, adding to the knife's penetrating power. Drive it repeatedly through a car door, if you like, and you won't wreck this blade. The cutting edge will require some touching up after rough use.

Blade style fits hunting and camping needs very well, capable of butchering and skinning game or shaving down wooden parts for primitive construction. If you need to split some kindling or drive the edge through a tough carcass joint, select a hefty tree branch and hammer away. The Cold Steel SRK was built to take severe abuse, including hammering and prying. For a grip that stays secure even while doing the heaviest work, Cold Steel combined Kraton with a strong single-quillion forged bolster. The dropped bolster prevents fingers from slipping onto the blade even when stabbing the knife full-force into sheet metal or solid wood.

The 8.2-ounce SRK rides in a Concealex belt sheath with options for strapping the knife to any convenient harness or gear. A safety strap snaps around the grip and makes certain the knife stays in place.

Cold Steel also makes an excellent folding hunting knife, the Cold Steel Ultimate 61LPS by Lynn Thompson.

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Cold Steel New SRK Survival Knife Black W Sheath 38CK US $71.99   Auction Ends: 21d 3h 28m

Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife w Sheath 38CK US $72.59   Auction Ends: 22d 6h 26m

Designed by custom knife maker Lloyd Pendleton, the Pendleton Lite Hunter keeps the most important design features from the Pendleton Hunter line. The 8-5/8-inch knife carries 3-5/8 inches of drop point, hollow ground blade backed up with a scientifically designed grip. A dropped bolster formed from the grip prevents forward slips, and indentations near the bolster keep fingertips behind the working edge. The flared butt and dropped heel of the handle counteract slips in the opposite direction.

In appearance, the Lite Hunter so closely matches the more expensive Pendleton Hunter that at first it's hard to understand the price difference. The only major changes were the shift to 4116 Krupp stainless steel in the blade and to polypropylene in the handle. With a cutting edge that's slightly less hard than the SG-1 steel of the Pendleton Hunter, the Lite Hunter still performs exceptionally well. The lower temper of the Krupp carbon steel makes sharpening the knife easier and toughens the edge.

The polypropylene in the Lite Hunter's handle replaces the rugged Kraton of the Pendleton Hunter. For normal uses the poly won't be noticeably different, but it doesn't have the extreme functional temperature range of Kraton or the high resistance to chemical damage. Cold Steel provides a ballistic nylon sheath.

See the Cold Steel Folding Hunter for a pocket clip version of the Pendleton Hunter.

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Cold Steel New Pendleton Lite Hunter 20SPH US $15.99   Auction Ends: 27d 3h 5m

COLD STEEL PENDLETON LITE HUNTER FIXED BLADE KNIFE NEW US $16.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 2h 29m

One thing you don't want to do with most knives, whether they're fixed blades or folders, is use them for throwing practice. Anything breakable on the knife quickly breaks. That ranges from part of the blade to all of the blade to any part of the handle. Unless you're an expert and land the knife on point every time, you're just causing problems.

Throwing knives often compensate for this unavoidable abuse with light weight and cheap steel. Low temper allows throwing knives to bend rather than break, but the result feels and cuts like a toy knife. Cold Steel went the other direction with the Perfect Balance Thrower, adding weight in the form of tempered high carbon 1055 steel. The steel stock in this fixed blade is exceptional thick -- the 13-1/2-inch-long knife weighs almost a pound. The point of balance is perfectly centered for proper rotation in the throw, and the point of the knife is shaped to hold up to the stresses of impacts.

Slender handle scales of strong composite give the knife just a little more than bare steel for a grip. Scales might be damaged by bad throws, but the flathead screw mountings make them easily replaceable by owners. Since the scales stop short of the knife's heel, there's some protection from reversed impacts.

The Perfect Balance Thrower could be a good survival Bowie if you like knives that work like an axe, but the knife stock is too thick for delicate cutting jobs. Think of it as a chopper, not a skinner. Cold Steel makes a belt sheath for the Perfect Balance Thrower, but the sheath doesn't come with the knife.

See the Boker Competition Throwing Knife for a professional version of the throwing dagger.

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Cold Steel New Perfect Balance Thrower Knife 80TPB US $25.99   Auction Ends: 26d 7h 40m

Cold Steel Pro Balance Perfect Balance Throwing Knife Scales US $29.99   Auction Ends: 3d 16h 48m

In many genuine tomahawks which did survive the work of the American frontier, you'll see that this style got through intact while many of the fancier versions were retired after polls broke. Pipe axes were especially vulnerable to that sort of damage. The round eye of this type eliminated most of those breakage problems and allowed owners to easily fit new handles on the spot. A fire-hardened tree limb tapered to fit the tomahawk's eye was quick, cheap, and almost as good as seasoned split stock.

The Cold Steel Tomahawk provides today's campers with a 5-1/2-inch-long axehead and a cutting edge 3-1/2 inches across. Including the 19-inch long American hickory handle, the Frontier Hawk weighs only 20.4 ounces. Drop-forged in Taiwan from 1055 high carbon steel, the Hawk has a protective coating of black paint to prevent rust. A rubdown now and then with light oil once the paint wears away will keep the axehead in perfect condition.

Cold Steel promotes this tomahawk as appropriate for frontier reenactors, since this style was in common use on the changing American frontier from the time of the French and Indian Wars until the late 1800s.

See the Emerson Tactical Survival Tomahawk for a modern style designed both for the survivalist and the military professional.

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Cold Steel Frontier Hawk Tomahawk Throwing Axe 90FH 90F US $21.95   Auction Ends: 23d 1h 45m

Hand made Leather belt sheath for Cold Steel Frontier tomahawk hawk axe US $22.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 3h 9m

In fact, even if you're just carrying this axe along a trail, you'll be safer with the leather sheath Cold Steel offers as an accessory. There are too many sharp edges on this hawk to allow simply tucking it into your belt. With a nine-inch-wide axe head, the hawk is plenty big enough for camp chores, and a 22-inch American hickory handle provides all the power you'll need for dividing up big game or doing some creative woodscraft.

In martial applications, the tomahawk performs somewhat like the Japanese kama or sickle but was built for use in America's hardwood forests, not the grain fields. Some of the techniques of the kama cross over neatly to the tomahawk -- both faces of this particular style can trap an attack or hook an opponent's limb. In the brush, though, you'll be much more likely to trap a tree limb on the backswing if you get overzealous. Check out both ends of the arc to be sure you keep control.

Cold Steel's Spike Tomahawk is drop-forged in Taiwan from high carbon tool steel. The hawk has been painted to prevent rust, but don't expect the coating to last long in use. Rub the axe lightly with machine oil to prevent corrosion.

See the SOG Fusion Tactical Tomahawk for an advanced version of a combat tomahawk used in Vietnam.

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Cold Steel Spike Hawk Tomahawk Throwing Axe 90SH NEW US $26.95   Auction Ends: 7d 4h 8m

Cold Steel Spike Hawk Sheath Olive Drab Kydex US $16.00   Auction Ends: 11d 2h 15m

Unfolded, this 14-inch-long knife of AUS8 high carbon stainless steel feels almost like a machete but is small enough for finer work around camp. Equally good at slashing or piercing, the kukri puts the weight in the forward half of the blade for a more deadly impact. For light chores, the Raja II works like a small camp axe, but the reverse curve of the plain-edged blade is much better at slicing. Draw a rope or seat belt across the recurve and it pulls the blade deeper into the cut. The knife works quickly but with an edge you can maintain with a honing slip.

In the Rajah II, Grivory handle grips add strength and durability equal to metal without adding unnecessary weight. Developed for the high stresses and temperatures of automotive applications, the Grivory forms an efficient shape that lends itself well to many grip styles. The Rajah II even works well reversed in an underhand grip. Pressure on a thumb plate swings the blade open and locks the knife blade in working position. An improved Tri-Ad lock shifts strain from the blade to the stainless steel liners of the handle through a strong locking pin.

The Rajah II's pocket clip mounts to either side of the grip so owners can configure the knife for either right or left-hand deployment. The long handle of the Rajah II won't fit the pocket well, but the clip allows mounting the knife directly on the belt.

Try the S&W Search and Rescue Kukri if you're looking for a dependable fixed blade based on the same concept.

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Cold Steel New Rajah II Folding Knife 62KG US $86.49   Auction Ends: 24d 1h 53m

COLD STEEL RAJAH II FOLDING KNIFE 62KG NEW AUS8A US $84.99   Auction Ends: 26d 4h 13m