Gents, I have a well documented affinity for Gransfors Bruks tools, with their small forest axe living in my pack 3 seasons and the Scandinavian Forest axe for winter or longer or deeper trips. I also have a few Estwing hatchets and their axe around, not as good steel or workmanship as GB, but bomb proof. You have to work at it to break them.

I was taught: tomahawk-weapon first/tool second. Hatchet-tool first/weapon second. BTW, spikes on hawks, can be used like the spike on an ice axe in winter and as a probe in summer to break things up while protecting your primary edge. I agree, the hammer poll is more useful, but the spike IMHO is not without utility.

Regards, Jim