is a greatly upgraded version of the board with a couple of unique twists which we explore in this review.We cover the characteristics of the Landyachtz Battle Axe including design choices, dimensions, deck materials and included parts if buying the board complete.
| Product | Our Thoughts | More Information |
|---|---|---|
Landyachtz - Bamboo Battle Axe 40"  | This longboard is one of the best longboards for cruising, carving, or commuting at the price range. A must have for riders looking for their first board or riders who want a versatile carver. | Check Price Now! |
The Board
I’ll first leave it to Landyachtz to give a general overview of the board and then I’ve delved deeper into each of the points mentioned in the video.
Main Features
The Battle Axe is constructed in the form of a cutout pintail but looks unique among other pintails due to 2 main differences. The first difference is pretty clear to see: Landyachtz has placed wheel cutouts for the front wheels allowing for shorter and sharper turns to be made (a must for a rider looking to commute).
The second difference is that the Landyachtz Battle Axe is mounted in a drop through configuration meaning that the top of the truck is mounted to the top side of the deck and then drops through the deck to connect to the wheels.
The advantage with a drop through board is that it lowers the center of gravity making the overall longboard more stable. To aid in this stability the deck has a small amount of rocker (see how to choose a longboard deck for more information), which helps center rider’s feet in the center of the board to give them maximum control.
The Deck
Although it does not look like it, the deck is made out of 5 ply bamboo giving this longboard a small to medium amount of flex. For carving and commuting, bamboo is the best material for a longboard as the flex really allows you to feel the deck underneath your feet and feel it respond to your actions.
In terms of dimensions, the Landyachtz Battle Axe measures 9 inches wide at its widest point giving your feet plenty of room on the deck. In terms of length, it is available in two sizes: 35.25 inches and 40.25”.
What Size Should I get?
The shorter 35” length will make the board more maneuverable which you might need if you want to use the Battle Axe as a commuting longboard. This shorter length is a better fit for campus cruising, carving and commuting.
The longer length (40”) however, will make the board more stable and faster. This makes the Battle Axe 40” better suited for longer distance rides, beginners looking for a first longboard, or larger riders.
Included Components
If buying a complete version of the Landyachtz Battle Axe (recommended for beginner and intermediate riders), any rider should be excited as it comes with very high-quality components. For trucks, riders have the Bear Grizzlies 852
which come highly recommended from us (made the list of top longboard trucks) and have always been known for their durability and quality standards.
For wheels, included are the 69mm Hawgs 78A
which are acceptable in terms of quality. My main complaint with the wheels is that they are a little small for the board so I personally, and a number of other riders I’ve talked to, upgraded to the Sector 9 Nine Balls (75mm 78A)
.
The complete Landyachtz Battle Axe also comes with pre-oiled ABEC 7 bearings to keep your wheels rolling freely so that you don’t have to push as much.
Riding the Landyachtz Battle Axe
Landyachtz claims that the Battle Axe can be an excellent cruiser, commuter, and carving board. I’ve even talked to some riders who prefer this board to learn how to slide on. That’s a lot of big talk for one longboard so I decided to figure out if it was true.
My first impression of the longboard was it simply looks amazing. I tested out the version with the Eagle Design
(shown below) which filled the underside of the longboard with bright colors making it visually striking. Looking through some of the other designs for the Battle Axe, I frankly loved every single one of them.
The first test was cruising around the local college campus by my house. Filled with students, cars, and sharp corners, it seemed like the perfect harsh environment to test the board.
In terms of maneuverability, the 35” Battle Axe was amazing. It made sharp turns with ease and I was easily able to avoid groups of people by swerving around them. The wheel cutouts definitely helped as without them I would have experienced wheel bite.
For stability, I was set. The combination of rocker mold and drop through mounting made the Landyachtz Battle Axe feel like nothing could shift my feet off of this board.
This aided when I started testing the board at different speeds too. It easily glided up to 20 mph with no problems. With its carving capability, though, I would not recommend taking the 35” long Battle Axe above 25-30mph. At that speed, the carving would hurt your stability and possibly induce speed wobbles.
For the last test, I tried out sliding with this board. If you are looking for a longboard that can slide easily and well, the Battle Axe is not for you. The same stability that makes this board perfect for carving and commuting makes breaking out of traction on this board harder than it should be.
Who Should Buy the Battle Axe?
I like to compare longboards which have all of these capabilities (commuting, carving, cruising) to Swiss Army Knifes. Swiss Army Knifes are great because they can do multiple things all in one package. And they are usually pretty cheap. But have you ever tried cutting through something thick with a Swiss Army Knife? It doesn’t work nearly as well as scissors.
The Landyachtz Battle Axe is the Swiss Army Knife of longboards: it can do all of the basic functions of longboarding pretty well for very cheap. But if you want to focus on a particular discipline, such as downhill or sliding, this is not the board for you.
For riders looking for an affordable first board, or riders who simply don’t or can’t buy a lot of longboards for different purposes, the Landyachtz Battle Axe
is the board for you.
