Let’s get one thing out of the way right at the start here: Yes, the Commander tool from Pit Command is a scary-looking piece of hardware. As in straight out medieval weapon-looking. Its intended use is not to battle Norsemen or Mongols or any such folks, though — it is a tool designed to help you manage your fires. And the Commander does that quite well.

This is essentially three tools in one. First and foremost, it’s a fire poker, and one that makes it easy to maneuver even larger logs about thanks to its sharp, solid tip, and thanks to the 30-inch length of the Commander, which lets you work with larger, heavier logs that are burning hot without you getting too close.

The second tool is a serrated hook that can help pull a log into place to get your fire burning its best, and that’s also great for dismantling a fire you want to burn out more quickly.

And finally we have a hatchet-like blade that can split burning or smoldering logs, helping them to catch better and burn hotter and more cleanly. The chopping head is also quite helpful when you want to break up a fire.

You can by all means use the Commander as a home fireplace tool, but this rugged piece of metal — carbon steel with a molded grip at the bottom, FYI — is at its best when used to tend a fire pit or even a roaring bonfire.

And hey, if a bear, cougar, or 13th century warrior does happen to attack you while you’re holding the Commander, it will indeed serve as a pretty solid self-defense implement, too.