NEW Browning Black Label Shock N' Awe Tomahawk

L

lukeeson111

Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
187
Does anyone own one of these? If so post up some pics and what you think...It seems like an affordable option to the RJM Jenny Wren.

BR320110BL.jpg


[video=youtube;cQ-VrTGaxmA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ-VrTGaxmA&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Description:

"When the going gets tough, the tough reach for the ultimate Black Label Tactical Blade - the Shock N’ Awe Tomahawk. Capable of anything from splitting kindling at your base camp to hacking your way out of a crashed helicopter, this tactical tool will make you one tough customer when serious trouble comes calling.

This intimidating combat tomahawk offers a black powder coated sword-grade blade forged from 1055 stainless steel. The curved penetration spike puts a serious hole in hardened targets. The unique Black Label Tactical Blades logo adorns the side of the blade. Its one-piece handle with spiked pommel is hand-wrapped with black nylon paracord and has a generously-sized lanyard hole. The Blade-Tech™ molded polymer sheath with Tek-Lok™ belt clip easily adjusts for carry angle and belt loop width."
 
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1055 is stainless? Sword grade? I have no idea about the tomahawk, however, their copy needs work.
TC
 
I'll second that clearytja, "sword grade"? Tomahawks and swords don't work the same, hawks don't need to flex, hawks are short and thick compared to swords, apples and oranges.
I imagine the wrapped portion of the handle would be the only comfortable part to grip, and I wonder how well it's wrapped. Will that come loose, hawks get swung hard, that cord better be glued or extremly tight.
 
I think they are going in the wrong direction when it comes to SWAT. The tomahawk is a valid breaching tool for Law Enforcement and should be encouraged, but I can't imagine any SWAT in the US that would be considering it as a weapon. I know that some SOP's allow for any tool that is carried (flashlight, radio etc) to be used a weapon but this plays it up the wrong way. Also those are some pretty broad swings for tomahawk combatives - not what you usually see with folks that take the tomahawk seriously as a weapon.
 
RMJ Tactical said:
I think they are going in the wrong direction when it comes to SWAT. The tomahawk is a valid breaching tool for Law Enforcement and should be encouraged, but I can't imagine any SWAT in the US that would be considering it as a weapon. I know that some SOP's allow for any tool that is carried (flashlight, radio etc) to be used a weapon but this plays it up the wrong way. Also those are some pretty broad swings for tomahawk combatives - not what you usually see with folks that take the tomahawk seriously as a weapon.
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I don't know enough about LE regs to comment on that, but it sounds legit. The combatives, though, I agree, appear to be a (somewhat flashy) knife fighter with a tomahawk in his hand. It would probably look cool in a Steven Seagal movie though...


I like the profile of the 'hawk, but the video and description have me dismissing it as poorly executed.
 
leebrewer said:
There is something different going on here.
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well put RMJ....as a SWAT officer (18 years and current team leader) I like carrying my hawk (RMJ kestral with prybar)...people get silly and start showing videos looking like mall ninjas and departments will start restricting them. They are tools used for breaching...in an emergency they could be used for self defense (just like a flashlight, large rock, brick, steak knife, etc.)...if they start marketing them like an offensive weapons and we wont get to carry them......
 
It's marketing. Unfortunately, more people will buy it because this guy is making it look cool in their eyes. I've spent most my career (22 years) in SWAT/Special Operations. Like bobcatsniper said, the primary reason a tool like a fixed blade or tomahawk is carried is for emergency breaching.

Sure it will work as a weapon but the situation has seriously gone bad if I'm down to edged weapons.
 
I'm a civilian and I happen to like hawks. The video only shows a hawk for about 3 seconds, did I miss something? Seems more focused on their new knife line.
It didn't show any breaching or other utility use. Just saying I would like to see a more rounded video about the various uses. Looks interesting though.
Marketing showing it's colors.
 
forged from 1055 stainless steel.
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1055 is a simple carbon steel .55% carbon..
stainless has 4-18% chromium in it so it is an alloy steel with a maximum of .03% carbon ...that is why it is non-magnetic
in other words, 1055 cannot be stainless..
these guys need to rethink their add...
 
Dago Red said:
Why don't we ever see a tactical brick offered! that would be something. :D
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Well I got a can of krylon black, and a pocket clip, now coming soon to the gadgets and gear forum!

But seriously, lets see how well it chops into a door frame. (wood, steel and a car door/hood) Or splitting open a floor.
 
I realize that this was posted several months ago yet it was the only thread I could find on the Browning Black Label Shock N' Awe Tomahawk. I already have a handmade Justin Gingrich Tactical Renegade Tomahawk and LOVE it yet now I'm looking for another one that is more compact to carry and the Browning caught my attention in the latest A.G. Russell catalog.

I'm wondering if at 10.50" long if its going to be too short (5.5" shorter than Renegade) to chop wood for camping or if its primarily meant to be used as a tactical weapon? I'm not looking for weapons, just useful tools and I must admit that I like tomahawks and this one intrigued me.

Another hawk I'm interested in is the Benchmade 172 Tomahawk, with its all steel construction it looks like a beast and is the same length as the Renegade but it's 3.5 times the price of the Smith & Wesson Extraction & Evasion Tomahawk and I'm not sure (other than the nice G10 handle slabs on the BM 172) if the Benchmade is THAT much better than the all steel S&W.

Anyone here actually try out the Browning Shock N' Awe? any thoughts?

I can see that the F&F on the Benchmade 172 is nicer than the S&W Extraction & Evasion hawk but is there any reason to believe that its worth the price diffidence as a tool? I mean no disrespect to Benchmade, I have a couple of their nicer folders and I love them. I don't think that the steel used in either the BM or the S&W is expensive so I'm trying to justify the cost difference. Maybe the BM is a far superior tool and the higher cost is primarily due to the BM being U.S made...I don't know.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Take care.
 
The Browning hawk is pretty short, but the edge is sharp. You'll just have to take way more swings when compared to a longer hawk/hatchet. Also, the cord wrap is epoxied, so those knots are going to require gloves. I've held one, in a store, and I though it was a fighting hawk. It may do some light breaching as well.

The Benchmade hawk is a breacher, that edge is thick and will not chop wood. If you need to break some wood, well it can do that. It's going to be heavy, long metal handle adds weight where you don't need it. Most full tang hawks will have strength over a wooden hafted hawk, but you have to ask yourself if you want that extra weight. The weight in the handle doesn't add to the power of the head in regards to chopping.
Same for the Smith and Wesson E&E, it's a breacher, thick edge that will not chop wood. It's got no prybar end, kraton for handle scales, and it's 1070 steel, with no RC info listed. The BM has G-10 scales, right?, that's more expensive.

Unfortunatly, these hawks are often mis-marketed. They don't just come out and say what they are made to do. They sell the S&W hawk and the Browning at camping stores, why? Because people will buy them, just as they will buy a SOG Fasthawk, they are affordable and on the shelf. Doesn't mean they are for chopping wood, they are there to be sold. Then, the consumer has to find out the hard way, then go buy another wood processing tool, spend even more money, and hope they get it right this time. Make sure to know what kind of edge a hawk has before you buy, and which type of edge you need.

There are a few exceptions, the full tang hawks from Daniel Winkler are tapered and/or skeletonized. Those are very nice, the weight is towards the head. He has a Camp Axe that is 14" OAL that is worth looking at, go to Winkler Knives 2.
Even my RMJ Jenny Wren could fit your description, except it's made from 4140, so the hardness is only 55. I would expect it would loose it's bite faster than a harder steel, and when camping I don't want to keep loosing my edge. The Jenny Wren is short, 11.5", and light. It could do some light camp chores, but not lots of serious chopping. Maybe look at Omnivore/Self Reliance tools, those are full tang, but more for wood processing. Some have longer handles, great for getting speed out of the head. Oh, and he has some great looking sheaths for his hawks.
A dedicated wood processing tool can't be beat. There's lots of hawk makers that understand what steel to use, how to heat treat them, and how to make a good wood chopping edge. Wolf Creek Forge, Coal Creek Forge, and others make great traditional hawks, for campers and wood chopping. There's also the hatchets and axes from GB, Wetterlings, Council Tools, and then all the vintage ones that can be found at flea markets, yard sales, web auction sites, etc..
 
Thank you for all the info. Frankly I bought the Justin Gingrich Tactical Renegade Tomahawk (mine has the sharpened rear spike) because I'm fond of a few fixed blades that I have of his and wondered how useful the hawk would be AND I really liked the look of it. Now that my son's and I have taken it on several camping trips we've found it to be extremely useful at chopping wood and you can choke up on it and use it to cut most anything. Now that I've found the hawk to be so useful it has me looking at all the different styles (because God knows I don't spend enough on knives alone) and I've been wanting to check out one of the all steel models...one that I wouldn't mind using or concerned if it was used really hard.

I see that Boker has an offering as well with the Boker Plus Vox T-Hawk Tactical Tomahawk. I'd rather not spend too much if all I'm going to do is find out that one of the all steel models isn't really meant for much more than breaching purposes (nothing wrong with that IF that is what you need). I thought the Browning Black Label Shock N' Awe or S&W may be a good choice to use to play around with to see if I liked that style but its a easy to see that the BM 172 is the better made tomahawk. I like how compact the Browning is and the sheath it comes with...I may give it a try and see if it has any camp uses...I'm NOT looking for a hawk for throwing purposes.

Thanks again!
 
The Vox Hawk looks pretty decent. Won't waste my money on the Browning or the S&W. Besides, I have 4 hwaks already, one Fort Turner Ranger Hawk in the works, and I'm saving for the Winkler Combat Axe. Not to mention, as a student trying to further myself, I'm just this side of flat broke.
 
foxx said:
Street Samurai, a forum member, thinned down the edge on his Benchmade. So, with some modification any hawk could chop wood. Here's an example of how the Benchmade chops...http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/859849-Benchmade-Tomahawk-VS-Couch
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Lol yeah, I saw that. Had someone keen up my BM hawk. It is my most favoritest hawk right now. And I hadnt even commented when you posted. Have I really become that predictable in my short time on this forum that you knew I'd poke my head in here sooner or later?
 
Just liked the couch destruction, and your link was the faster way to it, I'm lazy like that.:D
 
foxx said:
Just liked the couch destruction, and your link was the faster way to it, I'm lazy like that.:D
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Question is, did that guy keen up the edge on his BM? While that looked like a lot of fun, I prefer explosives when dealing with old furniture. The Law aint too keen on that...unless you let them in on the fun.
When I had the BM taken up, I got it sharp. That is to say, if you run your finger down the edge, it will cut you. Having said that, it's not "knife" sharp. Not the edge you'd want on it. It'll still make a great breaching tool, just now I get my more of my moneys worth out of her by being able to bring her along on the trails. Sure, you get a few odd looks from the sheep, but I couldn't care less. As a weapon, she'll do fine. Agaain, you don't need it knife sharp. It's heavy, for sure, but once you get used to the weight, you'll learn to recover after a missed swing. The spike on the back can bust through a ballistic trauma plate. Didn't use mine, but I saw somebody else do it with their BM. I imagine it could do just as much damage to a kevlar helmet. All in all, I love it. Still, once I get the cash, I'm putting down for a Winkler Combat Axe. The Hawk bug is a bitch to get bit by.
 
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