Tomahawk instead of a big knife or machete

[collecter]

I've been playing around with a BK5 for a while and i just wasn't feeling satisfied with it. I even did a lot to it to make it more to my liking but it's time to move and try something else.

So now i'm wondering if should try something different like a tomahawk. Specifically the Frontier Hawk.

Who has one and how do you like it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[tek77]

Can't go wrong with a Frontier Hawk for the price.
My fav from the Cold Steel bunch. Light weight and capable. Not to mention fun to use.
Holds a decent edge, and it's easy to resharpen.

 

[Colog]

While doing a bunch of yard work clean up recently, I brought 2 tools with me, a Busse AS-1 and a cold steel pipe hawk. After an hour or so, I realized I wasn't using the knife at all. The hawk was doing all of the work. And even though it wasn't the frontier hawk that you mention, I just want to highlight the usefulness of the tomahawk as a tool. Get a hawk and see for yourself. Their great tools.

 

[Chris Pierce]

I like a tomahawk for throwing.
I like a hatchet for splitting kindling.
And
I like a Big Knife (machete) for cutting brush and soft wet wood.

The BK5 is sort of a heavy butcher knife. I liked mine for kitchen duty mostly.

 

[bearthedog]

I have been using the Frontier Tomahawk that I modified.

The Hawk is drop forged from 1055 Carbon steel and easy to sharpen. A chopping tool like this doesn’t need to be a fuzz stick maker, although some really good hatchets from GB can do that. I usually have a SAK for my much needed whittling, carving, and making fuzz sticks so I won’t need the Hawk to do that.

I cut the handle down to 16 inches in length. I am still not sure how it will affect the overall performance as I am not using this for throwing. What I will be doing with this Hawk is taking it on overnight trips and survival training courses here in the states. Overseas the machete still rules.

For chopping wrist size pieces of wood, splitting kindling, and taking down green saplings for various uses, this seems to be the most practical tool. Saying that I like lightweight gear is an understatement and this Hawk (with cut down handle) weights about the same as my machetes. However, it save energy because as we all know chopping with a machete on hard wood is more of a chop, wedge, wrestle blade out of said wood, chop, wedge…you get the picture, type of affair. The Hawk rarely gets stuck in wood and all the time is spent actually doing work. It lacks weight to split like one would do with an axe or hatchet on a stump, but sometimes it makes it through. Like I said, I will be using wrist size pieces and not much larger so it is easier to bring them down together (tomahawk head and handle lined up parallel with the wood) and splitting by pulling the two pieces away from each other.

Here are some woodcraft pictures with the Hawk.

-RB

Making long pieces into shorter ones. Believe me, if I could karate kick (stomp) these into smaller pieces, I would have.

The Hawk bit deep into the dense wood. If you ask me what kind of wood I’d say it was “desert steel.”

Chopped up to size.

Not even close to finished, this task would take me into the late evening.

 

[gregorio]

for the price give one a try, I doubt you'l be disappointed. My only comment on CS tomahawks is their grain orientation is a bit hit and miss on the handles and the edges on the two norse hawks I bought sure needed touching up.

 

[coaldigger]

Hawks are fun to use but I still like a good machete...my Condor Golok & Parang are both 1/4" thick & cut/chop like crazy !
My CS TrailHawk -

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My Condor Golok -

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My Golok & Parang -

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[upnorth]

I've been playing around with a BK5 for a while and i just wasn't feeling satisfied with it. I even did a lot to it to make it more to my liking but it's time to move and try something else.

So now i'm wondering if should try something different like a tomahawk. Specifically the Frontier Hawk.

Who has one and how do you like it?

Thanks in advance.

Had both. Well the 5 is gone from a screwed up lend out. Anyway. The Frontier is light and super packable. Remove the head, work the handle or head hole mildly for a snugger fit. Glob wads of rubber silicone on shaft and inside hawk head, slip on, bang tight, clean off silicone excess, tighten set screw, leave in warm dry place for three days to cure and set. My C.S. hawks don't loosen now, years later.

 

[Shotgun]

I've just recently found myself going the other way from hawk to knife. I'm both a little bored and need something else to play with but I also don't seem to do much chopping while out. It's mostly limbing and splitting which the hawk can do but I've found the knife faster at.

To hawks specifically: Whatever anyone says the cold steel hawks are actually pretty good. I own a trail hawk and it takes a good edge and keeps it a while. That being said the edge from the factory isn't really an edge at all. Seems they put enough effort into the edge to get it to "stick" for people who buy them just to throw. You're going to need a medium/coarse bastard file to set the final edge. I basically just sharpened along the primary bevel and gave it a scandi-vex edge which works pretty good. Don't worry if you're not good with your hands because I'm not and this was actually the first time I had ever used a file in any meaningful way. Took about 10 minutes to get an edge that would be considered sharp to non-knife people. How sharp(how high a grit) you should take it really depends on the temperament of the user IMO. If you don't like sharpening or you don't concern yourself with avoiding knots and/or over strikes into the ground, then you should leave it pretty coarse. If you're conscious of those things then take it as high as you like. There's no such thing as hawk, or any blade for that matter, that is too sharp.

 

[Shotgun]

Had both. Well the 5 is gone from a screwed up lend out. Anyway. The Frontier is light and super packable. Remove the head, work the handle or head hole mildly for a snugger fit. Glob wads of rubber silicone on shaft and inside hawk head, slip on, bang tight, clean off silicone excess, tighten set screw, leave in warm dry place for three days to cure and set. My C.S. hawks don't loosen now, years later.

Forgot to add that you need to debur the eye. I threw away my set screw though. You don't really need it.

 

[collecter]

Thanks for all the replies. I got a trail hawk and frontier hawk. I'm in the process of stripping the them and will post pics after I'm done.

Both are nice but the frontier has more cutting edge and feels a bit lighter so I prefer it. I already deburred the eyes and fit the handles. I also threw away the set screws.

I like the frontier hawk so much that might buy a 2nd one to keep in my truck.

I think it's going to make an ideal partner for a smaller knife like a mora.

 

[willseeyalater]

No hawk, you'll chop your eye out kid!! Get a machete, machetes rock!

 

[collecter]

No hawk, you'll chop your eye out kid!! Get a machete, machetes rock!

There are only a few blades that I have two of and you'll be happy to know that I have two 12" machetes. They both get used often and love them.

A very versatile combination of blades would be a 12" machete, frontier hawk, 4" scandi and a Victorinox Pioneer. When I finish my hawk mods I post a pic of all these blades together.

 

[Big Mike]

Hawks, big knives, machetes; I've used them all.


What really works for me in a tool this size is a Half-Axe,

...something with around a 20" handle.

I like a 7" knife in camp and a full size double bit axe for felling trees,

...everything in between I can do with one of these short/light axes.





Big Mike

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I prefer a machete over a big knife OR 'hawk myself. More versatile in my opinion. But use what works for you!

 

[Shotgun]

Hawks, big knives, machetes; I've used them all.


What really works for me in a tool this size is a Half-Axe,

...something with around a 20" handle.

This goes to show how different people are and how different their needs are. I find that length to be absolutely useless. Too short for two handed swinging(for me) and too long for good control one handed.

 

[collecter]

The 19"-20" axe is very portable and I think that is why it's well liked. I prefer my 24" axe when I need a proper axe which truethfully isn't too often. And then I'll probably fire up the chainsaw!

I'm a big fan of the 12" machete. I find it very versatile but there are times when it's not appropriate.

What makes the machetes and tomahawks worth a try is the low cost to get one. $30 is affordable to most people.

 

[hollowdweller]

This goes to show how different people are and how different their needs are. I find that length to be absolutely useless. Too short for two handed swinging(for me) and too long for good control one handed.

I'm sort of of the same mind as Shotgun on this one.

I do a lot of backpacking and to me anything that is over a pound and a half is out.

I have a GB Wildlife and a GB Hunters and to me the Wildlife with the shorter handle is so much better.

Then I have one of the Wetterlings full size chopping axes that is great.

I've never tried any of the 24 26" ones.

 

[collecter]

Here she is along side my 12" machete, alox Pioneer and Beretta Loveless Hunter. I think either would make a very good companion to my Pioneer and fixed blade.

Side x side chopping the tomahawk feels slighty better than the machete but it needs a bit more aim. Splitting the safe way is much easier with the tomahawk but I could baton the machete just as well to accomplish the same result. My opinion is that are almost equal for this use.

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[Big Mike]

This goes to show how different people are and how different their needs are.

I find that length to be absolutely useless.

Too short for two handed swinging(for me) and too long for good control one handed.

See, for me, it's sweet to use one handed, choking up on the haft,

...the counter balance of the longer handle giving me additional control.


And, for me, a twenty incher gives me just enough handle to lean on it with a two handed grip.




Best off both worlds for me,

...slips between the cracks for you.






Big Mike