Hello,

So I searched the forums and came up with mention of a couple types and manufactures of tomahawks. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a or point me in the right direction. Preferably from personal experience.

I am looking for a tomahawk for hiking / camping. It would be handy if in addition to the ax edge that it had a digging tool on the opposite end of the blade. I would prefer something with a wood handle so if the handle is damaged I could improvise another while on the trail.

Thanks you in advance

Cameron

I think the best Tomahawks are currently the TLAM's, made by Raytheon. Originally they were made by General Dynamics. They are very effective in an outdoor environment, in fact, they can turn an indoor environment into an outdoor one! Unfortunately, none of them come with wooden handles

Ok, seriously, are you talking about a packable small hatchet/axe, or a "tomahawk"? I know we have throwing tomahawks at camp in the summer, I think they were made a long time ago. For a small portable axe that you can pack, I have an old wooden handled Plumb Hatchet, that still takes a nice edge, and I've used since I was a boy. Lately, I find I carry a small Gerber Back Paxe. It's relatively light, and compact. It has a glass filled nylon handle, I'm not sure how I'd break it if I wanted to. It was about $30.

Check some web sites for local black smiths and about mountain man rendezvous’. They can at least lead you to the right places. That is if you want a real “hawk” or one of those knock offs most companies want to pass off.

I have never owned one of their 'hawks, but Cold Steel makes pretty good knives, so I suspect that their 'hawks might be OK as well...

Cold Steel Trail Hawk Would be my first choice in a reasonably priced 'hawk for packing. If you prefer a bigger head, go to the Rifleman's Hawk. Personally I went with a GB mini hatchet which is smaller but has great ergo's.

After checking with a friend who's a blade fanatic, I think you should take a look at: http://www.2hawks.net/index.html

They make custom knives and tomahawks. The person running the business now is an apprentice of the gentleman that had built the reputation of the "Two Hawks" brand. The owner passed away, but, the apprentice continues to make the traditional models along with some more "modern" (if tomahawks can be modern) models.

He makes a model called "The Woodsman" which is a lightweight model for backpacking.

I agree with the CS Trail Hawk. I think I read Chris Kavanaugh praising Ragnar's work, but I have no personal experience with it. Here's the website though.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/Welcome.html

'Tomahawks' have a period history as a combination weapon and tool. Many outdoorsmen pair a hatchet and knife combination vs the really big knife school. It is an old choice, as Oetsi proved. It is also a choice for the experienced. A short handled axe/hatchet is inherently dangerous. Buy Mors Kochanski's bushcraft, take his lessons to heart and you won't take axe to leg. Both Granfors and Wetterling have introduced very light hatchets recently.

Over at Bladeforums the general consensus is that Cold Steel Tommys are not the greatest.

Ragnar's has a fairly good rep.

American Tomahawk makes some great tactical stuff. Here's there link:

http://www.americantomahawk.com/index.htm

H and B have a great rep for conventional tommys and pipe axes. Here's there link:

http://www.hbforge.com/products/tomahawks.php

As far as a digger/axe head, I haven't ever seen a hatchet or tomahawk so configured. I've seen some axe/mattock heads at Home Depot, something akin to a firefighter's pulaski, but they look a little big for personal carry.

This is a pulaski: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulaski_(tool)

Actually I would recommend against anything in the classic tomahawk design.

What you really need is a good hatchet or a machete.

Tomahawks were designed as a trade item for the Indians and used mostly as a weapon or for butchering game. Their lightness makes them little good for much anything else. A machete is a more versatile tool.

If you use them as a hammer, the softness of most hand forged tomahawks will cause the eye to distort and the handle to fall out. They are too light to be very useful in cutting wood, and for digging, a sharp stick would almost suit you better.

A machete will cut wood better and faster than a tomahawk, and its wide blade would made a better digging tool as well. Also the wide eye on most tomahawks make them wretched tools for splitting wood.

A small hatchet or a machete would be a better choice.

Regards,

Tom A.

If you want light check out the Gransfors Bruks Mini Hatchet The Mini has a thin 2 1/2" edge and mine weighs in at all of 11.5 oz w/o sheath. I'll take the GB mini over a 'hwak any day for use as a lightweight chopping tool.

I have the Cold Steel "Trail Hawk". The shape of the head prevents it from being a good wood splitter. Get a hatchet that has a good wedge shape.

When you try to split wood with a Tomahawk the thin part of the blade goes in OK but when it get to the flared out part close to the handle the head just rolls out of the split. It does not have a wedge shape to keep the split going.

Better yet, just carry a good fixed blade knife. Works great for most things!

You said it. I'm pretty hand with a full-sized axe, if I do say so myself, but I've came within millimeters of losing a toe or a finger to a hatchet more times than I like to admit. I think I'd go with something like the "Hudson Bay" axe - a light head, but a 17" to 20" handle for control.

I don't see a short handled axe or hatchet being inherently dangerous. Where does this idea come from? Mors Kochanski? If they were inherently dangerous I'd have damaged myself years ago. Maybe it's the user of the hatchet that is inherently dangerous and not the inanimate object.

Yeah, I have used small, packable hatchets for a few decades, and thank the Lord, somehow I have retained all of my fingers and toes (Maybe just better to be lucky than good, I don't know)

I think sometimes they are considered more dangerous because people try to use them to do things that they really need a full size axe, or saw, or maul, or whatever to accomplish. They use more force than they should, and something bad happens. That can happen with a lot of tools. People try to use knives to do things that really require a more substantial tool, and they get hurt doing that too.

Well, for sure it depends on what you want it for!

As others have written, a 'hawk is not a hatchet. Tomahawks are first a hand-to-hand weapon and second have some some limited chopping capabilities (best on small diameter stuff that you can chop with one or two blows against a log). I've never used one for butchering so cannot comment other than to say that chopping bone is hard on thin edges (I don't butcher that way any more). I suppose that some designs could be slipped off the handle and used as a skinner (think ulu), but am just guessing. I've used both CS 'hawks and hand-forged ones but choose not to own any. They can be fun to play around with.

If wood is on the menu and the trip is not too arduous, I like a hatchet. Gerber/Fiskars is cheap and works well. GF and Wetterling are better quality but cost more. A "boys axe" is even better than a hatchet and weighs little more (I prefer double bitted). Don't discount brands like Plumb - they're good hatchets/axes with better steel than Fiskar/Gerber. A point for any of these is to carry good edge protection on the blade and keep them sharp - dull hatchets are miserable. I currently carry a Gerber hatchet if it is appropriate. The steel is a little soft IMHO, but otherwise I like it OK. Maybe Santa will bring me a GF or Wetterling.

For tougher/longer trips, a decent fixed blade knife is what I carry. I have also found a machette very very useful many times, but am less likely to routinely build fires anymore on backpacking trips (LNT is making more and more sense to me).

A really good kuhkri can cover about everything but throwing ('hawk) and splitting difficult wood (hatchet/axe). The really good ones are at least as heavy as a hatchet, though. The CS LTC, while not a true kuhkri, has proven extremely versatile in our trips and I now prefer it over a machete or corn knife.

As for digging, I have many times in the past carried a US military tri-fold entrenching tool. The knock-offs are not as good as the real item. It remains the best capable light-weight digging tool available. Handles light duty chopping OK but not great. The CS "Spetznatz" shovel might be more appropriate for your tastes, though. Wooden handle, better choppers than 'hawks (sharpen one edge specifically for that), and boy, are they easy to learn to throw! We have two and they are useful for some things. Not great at splitting wood, though, because of the curve or belly. Digs well; not as easily as tri-fold only because of handle (D handle superior on shorties). Much scarier weapon than a 'hawk after fooling around with both - your opinion may vary, but this is the one to bring to a shovel fight. Get an extra handle if you are going to practice a lot of throwing (or carry a meter of duct tape).

I usually carry a U-dig-it all the time these days - sort of a folding handle stainless steel gardening trowel. Besides field sanitation, it handles a few other odd chores - none of which involve cutting, chopping or combat.

Is the Woodsman's Pal sort of what you are looking for? They are being made again. I have very limited experience with them a long time ago and don't trust my recollections.

HTH,

regards,

Tom