Tomahawks!

R

Radrunner

Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
234
Fist, i'm no a nostalgia craze.

First it was knives, then canvas rucksacks, lever-action rifles, and now onto tomahawks. That said, not sure its so much nostalgia as it is appreciation for products that just don't wear out or brake.

So with that in mind, what are people experiences with tomahawks? Not the "tactical" hawks, but the traditional, woods-man style hawks?

I've narrowed down my choice to two:
The cold-steel pipe hawk
CRKT's new Wood Chogan T-Hawk

Anyone have exerience with either (or preferibly both)

Not going to replace thr khukri in my pack (my BAS is getting well travelled), but toys are nice :)

Much thanks!
 
I have both and while the chogan is a nice piece it is very large for a tomahawk. I prefer my pipe hawk for carry.

Now the chogan does have better fit and finish from the factory. The head was firmly fastened and the wood is better finished. Head is quite heavy and it feels more like a small, short handled axe than a hawk.

The cold steel needs the set screw removed, paint stripped, handle fitted to head, and the handle stained. After that the pipe hawk is an excellent lightweight tool.
 
With few exceptions, a good hawk cuts well and splits poorly. If it has a pole, like your two, it is more versitile - can pound wedges for splitting.
 
I would Highly recommend a Sayoc Winkler, I know you said non-tactical, which I would put this in that class... However, its designed for and incredibly traditional look, feel and use. Its a great complement to an HI blade :D

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Sayoccarrier.jpg
 
Not a "hawk" but how about a Gransfors Outdoor Axe? Small handy and quite packable if needed, only 14.5" long or so and light weight.
 
There is a forum dedicated to them here.

That said, I really like the CS Trail Hawk the best out of the CS line. They need a little work to be the way I like them (sticky about mods on the forum here) but are really easy to make the way you like them.

The CRKT stuff looked good but I would buy 2-3 CS for that price and think I would rather go that route. As said, the CRKT is a bit heavy for my wants.
 
Spaceghost said:
I would Highly recommend a Sayoc Winkler, I know you said non-tactical, which I would put this in that class... However, its designed for and incredibly traditional look, feel and use. Its a great complement to an HI blade :D
Click to expand...

Other than good looks, why?

What is the function of the forked blade on this one and how does it work as a hawk? View attachment 454367
 
Looks like a headhunter pattern to me. Good for cracking skulls, probably not normal camp chores though :D:thumbup:
 
Why doen's HI make hawks? 5160 is a suitable steel. They make impact tools. The market seems to me there.
 
tomahawks are the coolest, I really like the pipe hawks but they always vanish from antiques dealers in seconds of going up and usually for very high prices
 
Thomas Linton said:
Other than good looks, why?

What is the function of the forked blade on this one and how does it work as a hawk? View attachment 454367
Click to expand...
Well he asked for traditional which originally they functioned as weapons and tools. Yeah the one with the spike is for penetrating steel and bone. But the other I linked is more of a flat front blade.

The Hawks I referred to are balance for throwing, chopping
 
As well as high grip holding next to the blade for fine detail work / close quarters combat.
 
I've always had a thing for CS hawks. I've got like 4 or 6 of them. I usually prefer the frontier pattern for general yard work. For the price, I can smash and cut roots out of the landscaping without feeling too bad for buggering it up.

I keep a CS pipe hawk in my truck. I trimmed the handle to about 18", sanded it down for proper fit (as you have to do with CS hawks. They really are more of a "kit" than a finished product), Stained the wood, and affixed the head with some good epoxy. It's a handy little bruiser.

I've got a trail hawk and a rifleman's hawk kicking around here at the office somewhere. I've had them both well over 10 years. Not bad for $20.
 
Don't have any true tomahawks. I have a cs bad axe which is incredible for throwing. Cs handles are usually crap and shatter pretty quickly, so I use a piece of beech I carved out of a branch. but I really enjoy my estwing hatchet for throwing and camping, damn things indestructible. I've also got a husqvarna notching axe which is a lot of fun when I build log cabins and carve totem poles. I have a truper splitting maul that deserves mentioning because it's probably the best $40 I've ever spent.
 
I never had a tomahawk but for some reason been wanting one for quite awhile.

I'm enamored with JW Bensingers Head Hunter. My day will come.

Might have to settle for one of the cheaper knock offs mentioned earlier to ease my pain.
 
Again for the money, if you are willing to tune them a bit, the CS line of traditional hawks is pretty much unbeatable.
 
How many hawks you want to forge? Maybe a Danish bearded belt ax? Either only take about an hour to make.
DanAx2.jpeg
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How sweet is that. I remember now you learned to make those and pounded out some. Couldn't remember what they was called.
 
spaceghost-- gotta ask you say the sayoc winkler is a great buy, checking on them they are extremely expensive for a single ax, could you express to me why its worth the expense? do you think this guy is truly making one of a kind objects by hand? have you ever put the sayoc to a practical use beyond just looking really awesome?
 
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