What RMJ hawk fits YOU best?

[VolundoftheForge]

Hey guys, just looking at the RMJ hawks the last few days and was curious, for those of you who own them, which is your favorite and why.

I think I'll end up going for a Jenny Wren or Kestrel, seeing as I want a light and compact tomahawk but still effective in the defensive/breaching roles.

[Over Kill]

I am not telling because I don't want them to sell out when they are released before I can get my hands on one.

All ill say is that it is two words. First word starts with a S and the second word start with a C.

[foxx]

I chose the Jenny Wren, it's very light, small enough to carry, yet very sharp. It's easy to carry and deploy. It's not the best breaching tool, but in a pinch it could do it. I would not hesitate to use it in an emergency, to cut out someone's windshield, or whatever. Yet, I choose not to go around bashing and trashing it either. I want to keep it sharp and ready, and not have a deformed or dull edge. But, I have other "fun" hawks for playing with.
It came to me very sharp, main edge can shave hair, the rear spike is very sharp and could very easily puncture soft materials, skin, clothing, etc.. The beard is not as sharp as the main edge, but it doesn't have to be on this style of hawk, IMO. If I cut through sheet metal, it would still cut as I pulled it up and out.
I carry this one around the property, in my car, because it's so small, and it's less expensive than my Sayoc.
Ryan says it throws very well, it's a bird ain't it! I want to throw it just to feel what it's like, but I have not, I also have other hawks for that.

[VolundoftheForge]

I chose the Jenny Wren, it's very light, small enough to carry, yet very sharp. It's easy to carry and deploy. It's not the best breaching tool, but in a pinch it could do it. I would not hesitate to use it in an emergency, to cut out someone's windshield, or whatever. Yet, I choose not to go around bashing and trashing it either. I want to keep it sharp and ready, and not have a deformed or dull edge. But, I have other "fun" hawks for playing with.
It came to me very sharp, main edge can shave hair, the rear spike is very sharp and could very easily puncture soft materials, skin, clothing, etc.. The beard is not as sharp as the main edge, but it doesn't have to be on this style of hawk, IMO. If I cut through sheet metal, it would still cut as I pulled it up and out.
I carry this one around the property, in my car, because it's so small, and it's less expensive than my Sayoc.
Ryan says it throws very well, it's a bird ain't it! I want to throw it just to feel what it's like, but I have not, I also have other hawks for that.

Nice post! Personally, I wouldn't worry about dulling the edge, if it's as tough as their other hawks it'll handle almost anything. also, they replace any hawks that break for life, so if it DOES break, you can get another. Out of curiosity, how does it match up against the Winkler? To me it looked like a less intimidating hawk than the Kestrel and others.

[Szilard]

I'm going to get a small Demko hawk personally. It's similiar in pricepoint to the RMJs but less than the Sayoc. I overall have handled and prefer the Sayoc hawks enormously, although RMJ are quality. We'll see how it handles.

[foxx]

I see the edge of a weapon the same as the cleanliness and operation of a gun. I can use a gun, clean it, and it's good to go, in a state of readiness. Since I have other hawks to use, abuse, and have fun with, I prefer to keep the nice ones just that way, nice. I do understand your point, so if I ever need to resue, breach, or fight, I won't worry about damage.

In comparison to the Sayoc, the JW is lighter, shorter, faster in hand. The spike of the JW is very sharp, it comes to a point, a precise point. The Sayoc's rear spike is more like a flat head screwdriver, it could punture, but it seems like more for breaching, breaking glass, etc...
The JW is the sharpest hawk I own, or have ever held in hand. I see it as very fast and it would cut deep in a fight. The longer reach of the Sayoc, plus it's weight, and front spike make it a powerful weapon. The weight is great, but maybe a little bit slower in hand, and the curved handle is awesome for swinging it in a forward direction. Yet, the handle curve does take away from using the rear spike with the same grip/comfort/reach. Then again, it's all business in the front, the spike is there for breaching, not fighting so much.
The handle of the JW allows for using both the front edge and the rear spike. The beard is sharp, as is under the spike, so cutting through sheet metal will be eaiser than the Sayoc.
I like them both, but they are quite different. Another similar sized hawk of interest is from Omnivore Bladeworks/Self REliance tools, the Jackal. It's also very different though, in a good way!

[tiburon]

My favorite RMJ hawks are the Kestrel and Jenny Wren. Reason: I like fast and light!

I am on the list for the new Kestrel Feather, maybe that will become my new favorite.

[jwaj]

Given the application:
Defensive with breaching as a secondary/emergency use: Jenny Wren hands down.
Breaching with defensive as a secondary/emergency use: Kestrel.

[VolundoftheForge]

I see the edge of a weapon the same as the cleanliness and operation of a gun. I can use a gun, clean it, and it's good to go, in a state of readiness. Since I have other hawks to use, abuse, and have fun with, I prefer to keep the nice ones just that way, nice. I do understand your point, so if I ever need to resue, breach, or fight, I won't worry about damage.

In comparison to the Sayoc, the JW is lighter, shorter, faster in hand. The spike of the JW is very sharp, it comes to a point, a precise point. The Sayoc's rear spike is more like a flat head screwdriver, it could punture, but it seems like more for breaching, breaking glass, etc...
The JW is the sharpest hawk I own, or have ever held in hand. I see it as very fast and it would cut deep in a fight. The longer reach of the Sayoc, plus it's weight, and front spike make it a powerful weapon. The weight is great, but maybe a little bit slower in hand, and the curved handle is awesome for swinging it in a forward direction. Yet, the handle curve does take away from using the rear spike with the same grip/comfort/reach. Then again, it's all business in the front, the spike is there for breaching, not fighting so much.
The handle of the JW allows for using both the front edge and the rear spike. The beard is sharp, as is under the spike, so cutting through sheet metal will be eaiser than the Sayoc.
I like them both, but they are quite different. Another similar sized hawk of interest is from Omnivore Bladeworks/Self REliance tools, the Jackal. It's also very different though, in a good way!

Thanks for all the knowledge. Would you say the "concealable" size makes you feel under-armed if concealment wasn't an issue?

[JayGoliath]

Given the application:
Defensive with breaching as a secondary/emergency use: Jenny Wren hands down.
Breaching with defensive as a secondary/emergency use: Kestrel.

Word. Couldn't agree more.

The Kestrel has a longer spike and larger cutting surface across the head compared to Jenny and it chops better in this case.
I couldn't say for Jenny since i don't have one but it looks light and fast.

[MSGBN]

Some photos of The Berserker and a Jenny Wren Trainer-

[VolundoftheForge]

Some photos of The Berserker and a Jenny Wren Trainer-

Beautiful! Did you get an older Wren? I saw the newer ones have the grooves.

[Over Kill]

Nice hawks MSGBN. I iz jealous.

[foxx]

Thanks for all the knowledge. Would you say the "concealable" size makes you feel under-armed if concealment wasn't an issue?

If concealment wasn't an issue, and I needed a fighting hawk, I'd want something a bit larger. In my case, I'd want the Sayoc, if the fight was real close up, I could choke up on that handle. Sometimes you want reach, other times a long hawk could be too much. Keep in mind, I think most of these hawks are for modern fighting, meaning guns get involved. We're not standing in the open fighting with melee weapons, it's not tomahawk vs. tomahawk. These hawks are backups, and help get you back to your primary weapon. If all you have is a hawk, and you have to defend yourself, the one you have is the best one at that moment.
As far as other RMJ's, IDK, I don't own any others. I had my eye on a Kestrel for a while, but I agree with jwaj and JayGoliath. It just seems like the Jenny Wren is made for fighting, up close and personal, while the rest of the lineup is geared more for breaching, with fighting as a secondary use. I'm sure they are all devistating in their own ways, but speed and agility can give you the split second advantage in a fight, at least in my opinion.
I'd like to own a Storm Crow though, and maybe something designed by RMJ and Dan Winkler.

[Over Kill]

Shhh, you were not supposed to say storm crow... You gave it away.

[RMJ Tactical]

It's funny - I've mentioned this before in other places, but it seems appropriate here. We took some hawks to the MOUT training facility at Camp Le June a while back to test a new design - a large breaching axe designed for a specific AFSOC team. Our thoughts were, let marines play with them, if the axe is gonna break they will break it.
At one point they were testing a Jenny Wren side by side with the breaching axe (4 times heavier than the wren with 3X larger footprint) and the wren did pretty much the same as the larger axe. Their response was, "the new axe is cool, but why would a person carry it if they could get away with so much less weight and real estate? While it was hard not to be disappointed about the new design, but they taught me a valuable lesson. There is only so much breaching an axe in the size and weight range of a tomahawk will do. You have to move up to a sledge or Hooli bar to get into real heavy duty destruction. The point of carrying a hawk is that not everyone has the luxury of carrying the cumbersome weight of a sledge or hooli bar. While the Shrike is a better breacher than a Jenny Wren in my opinion, you cannot discount the smaller axes. The Wren was specifically designed for fighting, but like a lot of tools and weapons the design has proven useful for other things as well.

[VolundoftheForge]

It's funny - I've mentioned this before in other places, but it seems appropriate here. We took some hawks to the MOUT training facility at Camp Le June a while back to test a new design - a large breaching axe designed for a specific AFSOC team. Our thoughts were, let marines play with them, if the axe is gonna break they will break it.
At one point they were testing a Jenny Wren side by side with the breaching axe (4 times heavier than the wren with 3X larger footprint) and the wren did pretty much the same as the larger axe. Their response was, "the new axe is cool, but why would a person carry it if they could get away with so much less weight and real estate? While it was hard not to be disappointed about the new design, but they taught me a valuable lesson. There is only so much breaching an axe in the size and weight range of a tomahawk will do. You have to move up to a sledge or Hooli bar to get into real heavy duty destruction. The point of carrying a hawk is that not everyone has the luxury of carrying the cumbersome weight of a sledge or hooli bar. While the Shrike is a better breacher than a Jenny Wren in my opinion, you cannot discount the smaller axes. The Wren was specifically designed for fighting, but like a lot of tools and weapons the design has proven useful for other things as well.

Thanks for the info! So, I'm curious, your website says they're protected for life against breakage. Does that mean if one were to get the Jenny Wren and end up breaking it(Hopefully in an emergency and not just to say they could do it), would you replace it for them? Also, since you make the hawks, which is YOUR favorite?

[RMJ Tactical]

Yes - that is what the lifetime guarantee is all about.
My favorite? Tough question. My favorite is always the one I'm working on at the moment...
If I were gonna have to kick in doors and tote a gun I would carry a Shrike.
If your talking going out in the woods and having fun I carry an Elmer Roush hatchet. He's a blacksmith in Brasstown NC and mostly does a lot of Viking stuff but also makes a fine English style hatchet.

[foxx]

Shhh, you were not supposed to say storm crow... You gave it away.

Well, I was going to show a picture, but I have some mecy...

[VolundoftheForge]

Yes - that is what the lifetime guarantee is all about.
My favorite? Tough question. My favorite is always the one I'm working on at the moment...
If I were gonna have to kick in doors and tote a gun I would carry a Shrike.
If your talking going out in the woods and having fun I carry an Elmer Roush hatchet. He's a blacksmith in Brasstown NC and mostly does a lot of Viking stuff but also makes a fine English style hatchet.

I may want to contact him, I've been looking for some viking weaponry. I think I may go with the Shrike or kestrel first, then a Wren. Or maybe the other way around. I can't choose!