I am no longer active in the military, but wanted a good tactical tomahawk for multiple purposes. I have researced and read many conflicting articles and posts. Some believe the tomahawk to be ineffective due to it's light weight as far as camping goes and would choose other blades for defense like a sword or kuriblades.others believe it to be a very effective tool and weapon for defense, evasion and practical use.I would tend to agree with the latter.the tomahawk has been used for years as a weapon and multi purpose tool.native Americans preferred the pipe type as it served a dual purpose.the hawk was used in Vietnam and is still used today,as many troops have one in their arsenal.I am definitely a believer in learning from the past and present and the ' if it's not broke don't fix it ' way of thinking,but also in personal preference and testing. I priced almost every tomahwak on the market and was shocked to see some selling for 500 dollars or in that neighborhood. I mean im a firm believer in ,you get what you pay for but i could buy a firearm for that money! Unwilling to pay those prices and not wanting a cheaply made piece of junk,I bought two quality hawks, an estwig because of their track record with other tools ,full tang design and being made of 1055 carbon steel.I also chose a Smith and Wesson evasion tomahawk also a full tang design made of 1075 carbon steel. I found the S.and W quite heavy but very durable. It has a decent beard on it that works well for hooking and prying and cutting into sheet metal.the 1075 is a great steel so this hawk stands you to almost anything the spike is very sharp and punctures cinder blocks with ease.the S and W also has a pretty good size edge length curved similar to a hatchet. Again, my only complaint is it's a bit heavy. I think one of the major advantages of a hawk is it's maneuver abilty vs an axe, so I ground down the handle. I took about a half inch off each side, removed the stock handle and wrapped it in 550 cord this helped quite a bit. Now to the estwig in which I am truly impressed. First the down sides it is made of 1055 vs 1075 some would argue is better for absorbing shock.next, the blade length is not so long and no beard. even without the beard the hawk is shaped in a way that allows a hook in combat. Third the handle is just plain ugly it looks just like a hammer handle and is bulky rubber. The pros far out weigh the cons. The head has a hollowed out triangle that saves weight but due to ergonomics still maintains strength. It is very easy to maneuver being about 26 ounces vs the S and W being over 2 pounds. The straight edge cuts surprisingly well I couldn't stop chopping limbs and using the incredibly strong spike on blocks. Some minor filing was needed to take out some minor nicks but that's to be expected beating on cinder blocks. I would highly recommended an estwig or Smith and Wesson hawk for practical use such as camping or escape and evasion. I also believe the tomahawk to be an excellent defense and combat weapon. it's light, maneuverable,can hook, be thrown pretty easy ,cut and puncture. I think it'd important to note any weapon can be deadly in the right hands when properly trained. It comes down to preference in the end. I'll post pics of my hawks.
Last edited:
