I recieved an ATC Next Generation Ranger that I purchased second hand but in as new condition on Saturday. When I pulled it out of the box my first thought was how light it seemed. As I began looking it over, I immediately noticed the stoutness of the acetal handle. The pictures I've seen posted don't accurately depict how extremely sturdy this handle is. It's thicker than it appears in any pics I've seen. It fills the hand nicely and the heavy texturing provides an excellent, secure grip.
I took a few easy swings with the Hawk and felt the near perfect balance between the weight of the head and the handle. The head doesn't feel light, exactly, but neither is it heavy. Its weight, along with the light weight of the handle make this a very fast handling tool, capable of lightning quick head acceleration.
Initially, I wondered about the durability of the head, given its relatively light weight. As I handled the hawk more, I realized that it was the superb balance that made it seem so light. As the fact that the head is constructed of high grade O-1 tool steel, rather than some cheap structural steel began to sink in, it became clear that ATC's lifetime warranty on the head is no great risk to them. The head is so tough that I doubt they will ever have one come back.
I e-mailed ATC on Saturday night with a few questions and requests. Justin Gingrich, the Operations Manager, got a response back to me the next morning! I won't bore you with the details, but his response went way beyond anything I could reasonably expect even if I had purchased the Hawk directly from them!!!
To sum it up, The ATC Next Gen. Ranger is a Hawk that I would stake my life on. It is the real deal, no question about it. And the customer service at ATC is second to none, period. I am saving up already for my next purchase from them; I'm certain ALL of their products are equally good within their niche. If you want to be fully satisfied in every way with a purchase, buy from ATC.
(edited spelling)
I took a few easy swings with the Hawk and felt the near perfect balance between the weight of the head and the handle. The head doesn't feel light, exactly, but neither is it heavy. Its weight, along with the light weight of the handle make this a very fast handling tool, capable of lightning quick head acceleration.
Initially, I wondered about the durability of the head, given its relatively light weight. As I handled the hawk more, I realized that it was the superb balance that made it seem so light. As the fact that the head is constructed of high grade O-1 tool steel, rather than some cheap structural steel began to sink in, it became clear that ATC's lifetime warranty on the head is no great risk to them. The head is so tough that I doubt they will ever have one come back.
I e-mailed ATC on Saturday night with a few questions and requests. Justin Gingrich, the Operations Manager, got a response back to me the next morning! I won't bore you with the details, but his response went way beyond anything I could reasonably expect even if I had purchased the Hawk directly from them!!!
To sum it up, The ATC Next Gen. Ranger is a Hawk that I would stake my life on. It is the real deal, no question about it. And the customer service at ATC is second to none, period. I am saving up already for my next purchase from them; I'm certain ALL of their products are equally good within their niche. If you want to be fully satisfied in every way with a purchase, buy from ATC.
(edited spelling)
or check out the ATC website. I LOVE this hawk. ATC tomahawks are terrific.