Can you order a
HB Forge tomahawk from the UK?
I have several, this one is from the early 1970's
My recollection is the model name back then was "
Brave", and the lighter tomahawk was "
Squaw". Identifying products with masculine and feminine characteristics must be too offensive for modern generations, as the product names have changed. But my tomahawk is the current Shawnee. This cost me $13.00 in early 1970's money, shows how inflation has changed prices. It has a four inch cutting edge. The cutting edge is a harder steel than the body. The smith forge welds a 1095 insert in the blade which is sandwiched by the softer steels. I talked with the maker, he tempered the 1095 so you can use a file to sharpen. While I would have liked to try a harder edge, this edge has hit nails and not chipped. These are hand forged with hammer marks and the scale still on the head. Each one that I have owned is slightly different from the others, that's what you get with hand forged items. The weeping heart version has been around the the 1970's, but I think the heart is smaller now. The maker told me he punched the heart out and used a file to enlarge and break the burrs. The handle is 19 inches long and tapered so the head tightens at the end. I see HB is offering a 24 inch version, never tried it.
I do have one of his tomahawks with hammer head on the back, and it is heavy and ill balanced for throwing. From the musuems I have visited, the HB forge tomahawk is Revolutionary war and frontier period consistent. There were historical examples that have spikes, or smoking pipe bowls, and and I am sure they are not good at throwing. The Shawnee pattern is the simple frontier type, where the smith wrapped wrought iron or low carbon steel around a mandral to form the eye, forge welded a hardened steel insert, and this pattern cuts wood most excellently, but is not too heavy to carry. Nor does it have spikes which will poke you when you fall!
) and many bladed object often being stopped now. I've had a look at Tomahawks and would love one but will probably go with the suggested cheap Swiss military axe (available here in the UK) and once I've had a practice looking at the Cold steel throwing axe (WATL compliant).