Hey, everyone.
David C. Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter, and today we’re taking
a look at some of the best tomahawks on the market.
From cheap and cheerful to high-end customs, there’s options out there for any budget.
Let’s check ‘em out.
Although they were commonly associated with the weaponry carried by the Native Americans,
today tomahawks are so much more, and they’ve found a place in a wide range of applications.
They still see action on the modern battlefield, but there are styles today that are focused
on throwing and even as general-purpose camping tools.
Where a tomahawk differs from a hatchet is it typically has a smaller head, and certain
models can even save a bit of weight, making them capable multi-purpose tools in the wilderness.
In front of me I’ve got a spread of models that are in different styles with different
types of construction, and different intended usages, all at different prices.
The first one is something with a traditional style, and that’s the Cold Steel Pipe Hawk,
sometimes labeled as American Tomahawk Company.
Whereas actual pipe hawks would have a hollowed out handle and a bowl on the end for tobacco,
this model merely mimics that style with a solid end cap.
With a straight 22 inch handle, this is a great option for throwing as well, because
there’s no beak that’s going to catch your hand at the end of the hawk when you
go to release.
This is also a design that transitions well to outdoor uses as well.
It has a drop-forged head of 1055 carbon steel to provide plenty of toughness, and the solid
bowl on the back works great as a hammer for tent stakes.
A higher-end option that’s great for the outdoors and general utility is the Spyderco
Genzow HatchetHawk based on the middle-ages Francisca design, a classic bearded axe.
This model features 5160 steel, which is even tougher than that Cold Steel model, and it’s
hand-finished to be exactly right.
The angled edge on the head of this works well for chopping and detailed cutting, and
it’s easy to get your hand behind the edge for fine work.
The area behind the edge is beveled, but not sharp for scraping purposes, and it also has
a flat poll for hammering.
Rather than wood, this model features a handle with a solid aluminum core with injection
molded polypropylene over top.
It has a nice smooth texture for no hot spots, but the flared butt end is gonna enhance your
grip security.
It also comes with a nice thick leather sheath for belt or pack carry.
Due to the stable construction of this hawk, this is a model that can transition well to
tactical uses as well.
But for something that’s more expressly designed for combat, we have the SOG Tactical
Tomahawk.
Like their famous Bowies, this was based on a Vietnam-era design, and as you can see,
this one has been used a lot.
This one’s been been kicking around the KnifeCenter and going with us on a lot of
camping trips, and we have NOT babied this thing, and it’s put up with everything we’ve
put it through.
It features a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle with ridges at the back for grip, but
because it’s straight, it still works well as a throwing hawk.
It has a 420 stainless steel head, which is available in satin or a black finish, and
it’s secured to the haft with heavy duty bolts and a steel ferrule for stability.
In addition to the cutting edge, we also get a spike poll on the back, and it even has
a checkered side hammer so you don’t get up that bit of utility by replacing the hammer
with the spike.
This is a rugged and affordable option and it even comes with an included nylon sheath.
Stepping up the tactical tomahawk ladder, we’ve got this CRKT Kangee T-Hawk, and this
is actually a design by RMJ Tactical, one of the best tomahawk designers out there,
and we’ll have more on them later.
This features SK5 carbon steel and it’s a full-tang construction, unlike what we’ve
seen before, and more like a full-tang survival knife.
With this type of construction, being all one piece, there’s no chance of that head
working loose.
It features textured GRN scales to provide grip, but it’s not quite as ideal for throwing,
designed instead to stay locked in your hand as you chop with it.
The sheath is well thought out, too.
Because this is tactically oriented, it’s made of Boltaron, and it’s even Molle compatible.
The standout feature of this hawk, really, though, is the multiple sharp edges.
It makes it more formidable tactically, and contrary to the styling, I think it makes
it better for the outdoors as well.
We get a small sharpened section that’s behind the main edge.
This is great for drawing back on a branch to strip bark or smaller twigs.
The back end is also sharp for better penetration.
Now, that’s useful for a number of reasons, but at camp we like to use it to drive into
a log to pick it up for the fire.
Unique among these tomahawks in front of me, the CRKT also has a sharpened top edge.
This gives it some action in the thrust, and because of the nice sweep, for those of you
that like to take a knife or a hatchet on a hunting trip, it can be useful for skinning
as well.
Now, one thing that a tactical tomahawk needs to do is breaching, but that can also be useful
in other areas, and that’s where we can see some rescue tomahawks come in.
This is where the Condor TRT Tactical Rescue Tomahawk makes an entrance.
Forged from a single piece of 1075 carbon steel, it doesn’t even have any handle scales.
Instead, it’s a solid pipe wrapped in paracord.
This thing is gonna be nearly indestructible, and it feels like you can open a car with
one of these things.
You can of course cut with the leading edge.
The bevel behind the edge gives you a very acute point right here, which is going to
be easier for penetrating, and the stepped spike on the back isn’t sharpened, but it
is fantastic for driving in and prying things open.
And like nearly all Condors, it comes with a high quality leather sheath as well, with
a swiveling belt loop on the back.
The Condor TRT is great to keep in the back of your Jeep or pickup truck for when you
need a tool that won’t ever quit.
Getting back in to higher end tactical tomahawks, next up is the Hogue EX-T01, designed by famed
knife maker and recon marine, Allen Elishewitz.
This features crazy-tough S7 steel with textured G10 scales that wrap around the full tang.
This one has a bit lighter weight and it’s quite balanced.
I really feel like I could carry this on long treks without complaint.
It has a trick sheath system that comes with it, which is just one thing that sets this
model apart.
A belt paddle is included, and the cutout in the blade slips over this toggle.
Magnets then catch it, and the toggle clicks into place and holds the hawk down.
Then, when you need to access it, it’s just as easy to remove.
The other thing that sets this apart are the available attachments.
You can see there’s two holes on the back here, and that’s where the attachments bolt
in, and you can get either a hammer, a spike, or a pry bar so that you can tailor the EX-T01
to your exact needs.
Now, getting back to RMJ Tactical, which I mentioned earlier as the designer behind that
CRKT model.
RMJ produces some of the best tactical tomahawk designs on the market, and they’ve got a
ton of different models, but if we had to pick just one to be the RMJ of choice, it
would be the Shrike.
The Shrike brings together all the greatest elements we’ve seen so far on these other
models and wraps them into one extremely versatile and tough design.
It’s certainly no slouch at combat, with a thick 80CrV2 head, a spike, and multiple
sharp edges.
The handle is also straight, so it’ll work for throwing if you need it to, and it’s
also light enough to be a great camping or hiking companion.
We even get a screw-in Skull Crusher pommel on the end that screws out to reveal a hollow
handle that you can use to stash survival items, or even a small file for keeping your
edges sharp.
This model isn’t cheap, but it’s good enough to be the last tomahawk you’ll ever
need to buy.
So what do you think of our list of the best tomahawks out there?
Do you think we left anything out?
Be sure to let us know down in the comments.
And in the meantime, to get your hands on any of these great models, click the link
in the description below to head over to KnifeCenter.com