CS Frontier or New Frontier

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Cold_Steel_Tomahawk_New_Frontier_Ha.jpg
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CSFrontier.jpg
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The New Frontier head looks like a slightly smoother finish and is a little flatter across the top. Which model do you prefer?
 
I prefer the new one. I have one enroute! This is due the the shaping of the head on the new one, not the finish. It may well not look the same 'in person" in terms of finish.
 
The finish in the pictures only looks smooth. When the paint is removed... It is rough. I like the shape of the New Frontier better.
 
I like the straight top of the new one much better.

Be aware that the pic of the new one is a CG image, not a photo of the actual hawk. The finish isn't going to be polished like that.
 
I use the Frontiers for throwing, and I prefer the old design because of the upswept top edge, which helps generate more sticks IMO. I haven't gotten one of the new ones yet just for that reason, although I'm sure I will end up buying one eventually to try it out.

Oh, and don't pay any attention to those pictures Cold Steel has of their stuff...the finish on the new one will not be any better than the old one. Cold Steel obviously uses a lot of Photoshopping in their pictures; in most catalogs and pictures I've seen of their stuff, they've shopped the exact same handle into every single hawk model. The real product is a lot rougher than it looks in their pictures, so don't pick up a New Frontier based solely on the hope of a better finish.
 
Thanks for the info guys. There is a dealer up here in Canada that has both models in stock. I think i am going to go for the old model.
 
I love the new frontier. Mine is 2.3 ounces lighter than my trail hawk and when you have an old arm, that is a lot of difference. I don't own an old frontier so I can't advise whether the old or new frontier is better.
 
I just bought the older version to compare to my new version and it is an almost entirely different animal. I love the weight of the new one. The older one weighs 3.5 ounces more for the same length of blade cutting surface. It will take some time to evaluate if there is much difference in cutting ability on wood. Besides the blade shape being different, the metal around the eye is much thicker on the old version.
 
Glenn Jones said:
I just bought the older version to compare to my new version and it is an almost entirely different animal. I love the weight of the new one. The older one weighs 3.5 ounces more for the same length of blade cutting surface. It will take some time to evaluate if there is much difference in cutting ability on wood. Besides the blade shape being different, the metal around the eye is much thicker on the old version.
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that's good news - 'sounds like alot of the thickening on the old heads was from the tooling breakiong down and aging - the first ones were pretty nice in the first generation of heads, as i recall.

thanks for the update, brother jones - great to know before i order a bunch.

vec
 
Vec, if that means you are going to put these new Frontier heads on your handles, please add me to your wish list. I am already on it for a few other hawks but I do love the light weight of the new Frontier.
 
Glenn Jones said:
Vec, if that means you are going to put these new Frontier heads on your handles, please add me to your wish list. I am already on it for a few other hawks but I do love the light weight of the new Frontier.
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alrighty, i'll ask Saint Erica to do that, brother.


i did my first Frontier Hawk in the old style as a subdued USMC Desert MARPAT that i called The Infidel.

it should be neat to do an improved version. i think it would be very cool to have a Frontier Hawk on a 12 inch composite handle, with a 1 foot and 2 foot extension addable. maybe this new mill coming in will let me get that done.

excitement.


thanks once again for the evaluation on these.

vec
 
Vec, the thought of one of these heads on one of your 24 inch hafts scares me just by thinking about it. What a combination that would be. It would move like grease lightning.
 
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Glenn Jones said:
Vec, the thought of one of these heads on one of your 24 inch hafts scares me just by thinking about it. What a combination that would be. It would move like grease lightning.
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have you tried the Norse Hawks bit-backwards in the swing, brother?


dirty word, those things can move and change direction purposefully;


the Trailing Mass characteristic is huge on the Norse Hawks.

that probably explains a couple Viking victories. :cool:


i just got some special paint markers i want to try that celtic ropework art on a Norse with too....

these should be a lot of fun.

vec
 
sngen19 said:
I use the Frontiers for throwing, and I prefer the old design because of the upswept top edge, which helps generate more sticks IMO. I haven't gotten one of the new ones yet just for that reason, although I'm sure I will end up buying one eventually to try it out.

Oh, and don't pay any attention to those pictures Cold Steel has of their stuff...the finish on the new one will not be any better than the old one. Cold Steel obviously uses a lot of Photoshopping in their pictures; in most catalogs and pictures I've seen of their stuff, they've shopped the exact same handle into every single hawk model. The real product is a lot rougher than it looks in their pictures, so don't pick up a New Frontier based solely on the hope of a better finish.
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I totally agree with this guy!!! I like the looks more on the older one, too!!! After I saw the new one, I contacted CS about whether or not they might happen to still have any of the older ones still left. They said yes, so I bought a 2nd one!!! It is being kept in the condition I bought it, and it will be a spare in case anything bad happens to the 1st one that I throw. :thumbup:
 
After I saw the new one, I contacted CS about whether or not they might happen to still have any of the older ones still left. They said yes, so I bought a 2nd one!!! It is being kept in the condition I bought it, and it will be a spare in case anything bad happens to the 1st one
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I actually tried to do the the same when I found that the old Frontier had one serious advantage that has since changed my mind about the new Frontier being the better hawk - at least for my daily use of the hawk.

I only received the old one by accident. I was so taken by the lightness of the new one that I ordered another two (I have an old and damaged right arm that prefers lightweight tools - in the same way I like my kukries to be hollow forged for the better weight and balance). When the two Frontiers arrived I found I had been sent one new one and one old one through the mail. Like you, I then phoned the store I bought it from downunder and was unfortunately told that they didn't believe they had any of the old ones left. I use the hawks on a daily basis to cut up hardwood for kindling for the wood stove. My strokes are on timber close to the ground and are downward overhead strikes. With the upward curve on the old version I was able to split kindling off easier. At first I thought it was something to do with the extra weight - but it wasn't - I believe it was the upward curve of the blade that made the difference. I realised this when I went and used the heavier Cold Steel Pipe Hawk. Even when using the Pipe Hawk two handed (it has a 22 inch haft compared to the 19 inches on my Frontiers) it was no better than the lighter old version Frontier - in fact not quite as good. A close look at where I was cutting on the blades revealed that with the upswept blade of the old Frontier I was making a more central cut on the blade on my downward strokes compared to mainly using the upper corner of the blade when using the new Frontier and the Pipe Hawk. I think that is what made for a more efficient and effective tool for my purposes.

Maybe I should look into buying Norse Hawk and putting longer haft on it - maybe that would be the most efficient tool for the job I use the hawk for; I don't know, I still have a preference for lightweight carry.
 
Glenn Jones said:
I actually tried to do the the same when I found that the old Frontier had one serious advantage that has since changed my mind about the new Frontier being the better hawk - at least for my daily use of the hawk.

I only received the old one by accident. I was so taken by the lightness of the new one that I ordered another two (I have an old and damaged right arm that prefers lightweight tools - in the same way I like my kukries to be hollow forged for the better weight and balance). When the two Frontiers arrived I found I had been sent one new one and one old one through the mail. Like you, I then phoned the store I bought it from downunder and was unfortunately told that they didn't believe they had any of the old ones left. I use the hawks on a daily basis to cut up hardwood for kindling for the wood stove. My strokes are on timber close to the ground and are downward overhead strikes. With the upward curve on the old version I was able to split kindling off easier. At first I thought it was something to do with the extra weight - but it wasn't - I believe it was the upward curve of the blade that made the difference. I realised this when I went and used the heavier Cold Steel Pipe Hawk. Even when using the Pipe Hawk two handed (it has a 22 inch haft compared to the 19 inches on my Frontiers) it was no better than the lighter old version Frontier - in fact not quite as good. A close look at where I was cutting on the blades revealed that with the upswept blade of the old Frontier I was making a more central cut on the blade on my downward strokes compared to mainly using the upper corner of the blade when using the new Frontier and the Pipe Hawk. I think that is what made for a more efficient and effective tool for my purposes.

Maybe I should look into buying Norse Hawk and putting longer haft on it - maybe that would be the most efficient tool for the job I use the hawk for; I don't know, I still have a preference for lightweight carry.
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I agree 100%... and I like the looks of the Norse Hawk if a larger hawk was needed... but would not want to try to throw that dude!!!
 
FYI -- The New Frontier Hawk I got yesterday has a 22" handle on it. I'm not sure why, but that is how it was shipped. The finish is definitely the same as on the older ones, but the top of the head is straight. I don't plan to throw this one much, but that is a consideration.
 
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