Tactical Tomahawk Guide

Although spears, battleaxes, and swords are extinct, tomahawks still remain to be quite useful and thrive in self-defense, combat, bushcraft and as survival weapons. They continue to be used in various situations as we have a natural ability to be able to swing hawk like things and accurately hit something. If you need proof, just hand a toddler a hammer and watch the destruction.

Tomahawks are great for those who don’t feel comfortable or can’t afford a handgun or for those who live in an area that isn’t gun-friendly.  It’s important to note that ‘hawks are different to survival hatchets.  When it comes to self-defense, most encounters will happen within 5 feet of you, and a tactical tomahawk is a close quarter fighting tool and when it is wielded by someone it can be a great weapon.  At a greater distance though, it’s not effective and you either need a gun or a survival bow.

The best Tactical Tomahawks for 2018

The factors you should be considering for your purchase completely depend on what your definition of “tactical” is and what you’ll be using the tomahawk for.  If you want something for survival and camping you want something very different to if you’re looking for something for urban use.  If you want mainly a throwing tomahawk with other tactical features, you’re looking for something different again.  Same goes for self defense.  Maybe you just want an all-rounder instead of a specific task/setting?

• If it’s for urban use, you don’t need the cutting edge to be razor sharp and ideally the hawk would could be used as a pry-bar as well.
• If it’s for self defense, you want something light but strong.
• If you want something for throwing, you don’t want it to be too heavy.
• If you want something for the woods, you’ll need a sharp edge.  It doesn’t have to be hair shaving sharp but it still needs to be sharp.

Price Range

1. Low – Less than $30
2. Mid – $30 to $50
3. High – Greater than $50

Why I love Tomahawks

After a hard, long day of work, there’s nothing better than getting a few ‘hawks out and taking out my frustration by “playing” with my ‘hawks by throwing them at my target board.  There’s just something primal about throwing a ‘hawk at a target, I love it.  Yes, tomahawks have survival purposes buy you know what, ‘hawks are just heaps of fun.  As a side note, buy decent tomahawks because the cheap ones just break too easy.  It’s not much fun wasting your money on a tomahawk that breaks after a few goes.

It’s really easy to learn how to throw a tomahawk: 

1. Just be about 5 paces from your target and throw! 
2. Just don’t throw into trees that are alive, either make your own target or throw into a dead standing tree.

 

What you should look for in a Tactical Tomahawk

Weight

When you are looking to buy a tactical tomahawk, most of them vary in weight. The best are normally 16 oz to 23 oz. The heavier it is, the less likely you will be to use it for self-defense.

Edge

Many tomahawks will have a utility edge, that is great for all around chores, but it isn’t great for self-defense. You should look to purchase one that has the main edge sharp enough to shave the hair off of your arm, or you could spend some time with the whetstone tuning the edge to bring it up to where it needs to be.

Handle material

Tactical tomahawks will come with handles that are made from wood, hybrids, or integral. A wood handled tomahawk is inexpensive and traditional, and they are more about the weight towards the head.  A wood handle is easy to replace if you break it. The integral tomahawk, where the head and handle are made from the same piece of metal will be more expensive as well as stronger. The last are hybrids. These are made from other materials and are not made from the same materials as the head.

Handle Length

The average handle length is 12 inches to 22 inches. When it comes to finding a handle, you need to take your stature and strength into account. A great way to find the right length is by placing the head in your palm and measuring the handle to your elbow.

When it comes to finding the right type of tactical tomahawk, you should use this guide to ensure that you are finding the right one for you.

A closer look at the best ‘hawks 2019

To most people a tomahawk is an ancient tool that Native Americans used to shave the scalps off of American settlers. For others it is just a hatchet. Hopefully this little introduction will shed some light on the truth, whilst the tomahawk has been used since the Franks conquered Roman Gaul with the Francisca it is still a great tool to use in modern times. You can use tomahawks to clear paths, create firewood, defend yourself in survival situations or just have fun throwing it. Below is a list of the best tomahawks that are available right now, from utility tomahawks, to ones used for self-defense.

1. Columbia River Knife and Tool Kangee T-Hawk

Why is this bad boy #1?  The key features are this, it’s full tang which makes it very, very strong.  Cheaper hawks have a tendency for the axe head to become slightly loose or even worse, have the handle break off. What I mean by “slightly loose” is that if you choke up the handle with one hand, you can slightly move the axe head with your other hand.  Once the axe head becomes slightly loose it becomes dangerous to use because you don’t know when the hawk head will break off.  This will not happen with the Kangee T-Hawk.  Because it’s full tang, it’s heavier.  This is bad for close range combat but good for doing tasks around camp.  It’s also better for tactical situations where you need to pry something open.

The second great feature I love about it is that the top of the hawk head is sharpened which means that if you use it as a throwing hawk you are more likely to make it stick to the target

This is a one of a kind tool. It is a tactical tomahawk that will save your life if you need it. You can use it to cut up kindle for fire or if you want to use it to throw for protection, then this is the right one for you. Although it isn’t that great when it comes to splitting logs, but it is still very sharp. It is about 14 inches long and it fits great in most people’s hands and it feels quite comfortable. The backend has a spike that you can use for splitting or puncturing whatever you need to. This is a great tang tomahawk, plus it comes with quality kydex sheath and buckles that fit. It it expensive though

Check the latest price

 

2. SOG Specialty Knives & Tools F06TN-CP Fasthawk

It’s small at only just 12.5 inches but it’s really light weight so you can throw this thing all day and not get tired and allows for very fast striking.  It’s really cheap (check the latest price) and it’s just one of those tools that is great quality and great value which is rare to find.  It’s made by a trusted brand so you can’t go wrong.  Check out my full SOG FastHawk review.

3. Gerber Downrange Hawk

It’s an axe, a hammer and a pry bar which makes it perfect for urban use.  If you want a ‘hawk for the woods, this isn’t the option for you.  There’s far better options available for the woods.  It’s made out of 420HC steel body with Cerakote®. This bad boy is pretty much virtually unbreakable and I must admit, it looks awesome.  The cutaway grip in the handle is designed to give you leverage when using the pry bar.

4. SOG F06P-N FastHawk

This Hawk look absolutely incredible.  It’s the same as the other SOG FastHawks except for the look.  I like the way a muli-colored hawk looks when it is being thrown as opposed to an all black tomahawk.

5. Schrade SCAXE5

Can be used for both an urban environment or the woods.  It’s full tang so it’s really strong and makes it an effective pry tool.  Are there better options for the woods? Yes.  Are there better options for an urban environment?  Yes.  The thing is that this tactical tomahawk is a great all-rounder and when you consider the price, it’s great value.

6. CRKT 2730 RMJ Woods Chogan T-Hawk Carbon Steel Axe

This is a bit different because it doesn’t have a spike on the back, it has a hammer which is more like a hatchet than a tomahawk but it’s definitely designed for throwing.  The issue is because it doesn’t have a spike on the back, it can’t pierce through heavy items which could be an issue tactically.  It is more expensive (check the current price) than the SOG tomahawks.  It is made the “traditional” way which is to put the tomahawk head through the bottom of the haft and not from the top.  It’s far better at chopping tasks than the other hawks on the page because it’s longer and heavier.  Read my full review here.

https://www.crkt.com/woods-chogan-t-hawk.html

7. SOG Specialty Knives F01TN-CP

You can use this tool for breaching operations as well as traditional tomahawk uses.  It’s like the SOG FastHawks but bigger and heavier so can take more punishment.  It’s about $10 more than the FastHawks (check the price) Check out my Sog F01TN-CP Tactical Tomahawk review.

http://www.sogknives.com/tactical-tomahawk-clam-pack1.html

8. Cold Steel Trench Hawk Axe

If you are like me, you are always on the lookout for the next best product for your collection, or maybe you are just looking for an upgraded tool that you can trust. The Cold Steel Trench Hawk Axe is one I finally got to try out and I really enjoyed. It now hangs in my shed, along with my other collection. Keep reading to find out why.

First impressions

The first thing that I noticed was that it provides many tactical uses, which is great for those who need options. On one end you have the sharp cutting edge, while the other side of the head offers a wedge styled spike. This bad boy was forged using 5150 carbon steel, so you know that it is made to last and be durable. To make it even more reinforced, it was differentially hardened, meaning the axe head cutting edge is harder than the rest of the axe head.  If the axe head is too hard it is more likely to break.  The ideal scenario is that the hawk edge is harder than the rest of the axe head, it allows for the edge to remain sharper longer but because the rest of the tomahawk head is slightly softer, it can take more punishment with less likely change of failure.  This is actually how the Vikings made axes and the master Japanese bladesmiths used differential heat treating as well.

Trench hawk handle

The second thing I look at is the handle, because if the handle design sucks it won’t matter how well designed the head is. The Trench Hawk handle was also designed nicely, and it is shock resistant. This allows you to make your blows without worrying about the handle breaking. However, when the handle does wear out (and all handles eventually wear down and/or break from repeated use) they can easily be replaced, and cheap too!  The only problem with the handle is it isn’t textured enough so can be a little slippery if you have sweaty palms.

Now, this is where I start paying more attention to details, such as how long I can expect to use the item before I wear down. This means, weight, balance, etc.

Trench Hawk features:

• Weighs in at 29oz, making it just under 2lbs.
• The primary cutting edge measures in at 3.5”
• Hawk length is just over 8.5”
• Overall length being 19”. This gives it a good balance for cutting, without having to over exert with force. It is light enough, I was able to use it without getting tired quickly like I have with heavier axes in the past.

Pros of the trench hawk:

• Affordable price, under $100
• Offers multiple options with cutting edge and spike
• Lightweight and decent balance.

Cons of the trench hawk:

• Handle is shock resistant, but eventually wears down
• Handle isn’t textured enough to provide a great grip

Trench hawk verdict

I find that the Cold Steel Trench Hawk Axe is a great product for less than $100. I am able to depend on it for my cutting needs, and being light weight I can use it for longer periods of time before getting worn out. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new ‘hawk.

Overall this is a really great Hawk but it’s a bit more expensive (check the Amazon price here) than the SOG models that I prefer.  It throws really well, is long but doesn’t have a textured handle so if your hands are sweaty, it could be a bit of an issue.  It’s really simple to replace the handle as well.  New handles cost about $10 so if it breaks for whatever reason, you can fix it easily.

http://www.coldsteel.com/trench-hawk.html

9. Ontario 9423BM Ranger RD Hawk II

This awesome tomahawk is made by OntarioKnife, which was founded in 1889. This is a very small tomahawk, which is great for beginners and even women. It is only 13 inches long and weighs just over a pound. It was made from 1075 carbon steel and it has been made to last. What most do not know is that the U.S. Military uses this as well. It is durable and decent for throwing, but it wasn’t made to be thrown. This model is great for light wood splitting and defense. This is a great compact tomahawk and if you want something bigger than your average bowie knife but smaller than all of the other tomahawks, then this is what you need. Don’t ever let that small size fool you, it will cause some serious damage is needed.  It is an expensive item and I don’t think the quality justifies the price.

http://ontarioknife.com/rd-hawk-pick.html

10. SOG Voodoo Hawk

Really good without being great.  It’s still a really good ‘hawk but the performance of the SOG Fast Hawk is better.  Being designed as a combination between SOG’s FastHawk and tactical Tomahawk, it has some unique features to offer, which peaked my interest enough I had to grab it! Besides the features, which I am fixing to get too, I fell in love with the appearance too!

The blade

Let’s start with the head and work our way down. The head is designed as an extended cutting head.

• The blade length itself is 3.5” wide making it big enough for most cutting jobs, without adding too much weight. This is a good thing, which I will get into later.
• The blade hardness level is RC. 51-53
• Made out of 3CR13 Steel. This means it will be sharp when needed and withstand the blows, while assisting you in the cutting process without the need of massive force behind it.

The weight

Now, let’s get to the next important thing, the overall weight of the tool. Weighting it at just 28oz, this thing is light enough to swing all day if needed without getting worn out to quickly. You will find that it’s much easier to grip the glass-reinforced nylon handle compared to other types of axes too. This is a great feature because it lets you swing with less force, but inflect a powerful blow every time.

The finish

The hole axe, head to handle has a pretty black finish and it comes with a protective sheath, which is also black. The sheath attaches to the belt loop for easy carrying, with a snap closure. The overall length of this thing is only 12.56”, making it small enough to pack on hikes, camping or any other use you may need a lightweight, but dependable axe for.  Let’s move into the pros and cons.

Pros of the Voodoo Hawk

• Lightweight and balanced
• Affordable
• Length is just over 1ft,

Cons of the Voodoo Hawk

• The handle grip may vary depending on hand size.

Verdict of the Voodoo Hawk

Overall, I am very satisfied with the SOG Voodoo Hawk. I enjoy being able to easily carry it around with me on my hiking trips or when I go camping. I can even use it at home to cut limbs and small tress. The black finish really fits my other tool collection, and it was very affordable. It’s always a plus when I am able to use my axe without taking breaks every ten minutes due to being so heavy.

http://www.sogknives.com/voodoo-hawk-mini-w-pommel-satin.html

Wrapping up

These are the best tomahawks that are on the market right now. They are great for splitting, defense tactics, and so much more.  If you’re interested in tactical products, you might be interested in a tactical machete, tactical kukri or a tactical axe.