Hatchet vs Tomahawk?

[Hammer67]

I have a Fiskars hatchet I was going to convex but I was curious after seeing some tomahawks what your folks think.

Please discuss

What we think about what, exactly? Are there specific tasks that you are looking for one or the other to do?

The 'hawk vs. hatchet debate is endless, in large part because people are debating two different tools with only a minimal overlap in task abilities. It's kind of like debating a spin rod vs. a fly fishing rod - from a distance, they may both look like similarly long, skinny pieces of graphite, but they are designed to behave differently and perform in different ways.

That said, if my primary goal is to chop wood, and I'm not going to be carrying it far into the backcountry, I'll take a hatchet or small axe - no contest. On the other hand, if I want to hike far and not have a lot of weight, but still have something that can do some minor chopping/scraping, be used for hammering stakes, etc. then I'll reach for the 'hawk.

 

[desmobob]

That said, if my primary goal is to chop wood, and I'm not going to be carrying it far into the backcountry, I'll take a hatchet or small axe - no contest. On the other hand, if I want to hike far and not have a lot of weight, but still have something that can do some minor chopping/scraping, be used for hammering stakes, etc. then I'll reach for the 'hawk.

I wanted to try a tomahawk, so I looked at American Tomahawk/Cold Steel for a reasonably-priced entry-level model. I ended up picking the Rifleman's Hawk. Mistake. As heavy as a hatchet... should have tried the Trail Hawk.

Stay sharp,
desmobob