Barebones tomahawk

ManRay

ManRay

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
709
My old man has been talking about wanting a tomahawk, so I'm looking at picking him up one for his birthday soon. I was originally looking at the cold steel lineup, likely the trail hawk as he like the hammer pole. I just saw this tomahawk by barebones called the "field hatchet" and wanted to know if anyone has tried it. not really much in the way of
information online, at least not to the extend of the cold steel. Thanks!

barebones.jpg
Specs:
Materials
1055 High Carbon Steel, beechwood, polyester (sheath)

Dimensions
Handle: 17" Long
Blade: 4"L x 3.5"H
Hammer: 1"L x 1.25" H

Weight
1.2 LBS
 
Barebones doesn’t have a lot of internet buzz because they offer a basic product for a premium cost. A Cold Steel Trailhawk is less than half the price even if you buy the mask too, but with a smaller bit. The CS Rifleman hawk is substantially beefier by almost a pound, but has a comparable bit. The CRKT Chogan is another hawk with a hammer poll and a good sized bit, but it is also heavier than the BB.

I think the BB is over-priced based on the specs I see. They appear to be charging a premium for staining the handle when hawk handles are consumables that you will eventually replace. The bit is slightly larger than other hawks at its weight, and that might be the deciding factor for you. If your dad is going to take it out on the trail for fun and light chopping, it or the Trailhawk would work fine. If he intends to do a lot of chopping, go with a Rifleman or Chogan because that heavier head helps you do work. If he wants to putter around in the back yard or car camping, a Council Tool Flying Fox is what I would want my boys to get me—and I am going to have to hint more heavily for Father’s Day. Or you could go for some good fun and get him a Spontoon and watch his eye goggle.
 
My only issue is they are cast heads and that would worry me as durability goes. I would suggest the CRKT Woods Chogan over the barebones. I personally have a few different Cold steel tomahawks and have zero issues with them but I think the trail hawk is quite small and is not a versatile as some of the other models, I also have on a few occasions used the rifleman's hawk and found it a bit heavy and clumsy for a tomahawk it is more like a hatchet to me.
 
To me, it seems pretty similar to the CS Trail Hawk and has an inferior beechwood (vs. hickory) handle. I have a Trail Hawk and a Rifleman's Hawk (too heavy). I'd get the Trail Hawk, or the Pipe Hawk if you prefer something a bit heavier...
 
Between a beech handle and a cast head it seems that company has decided to ignore things learned over the years for some reason. It looks like it fits the general design of the rifleman's hawk and I agree that model is too heavy. I would get the pipe hawk if I could justify another tomahawk.
 
I second the suggestion made by Riz!

The Cold Steel Hudson Bay Tomahawk (SKU: CS-90QA) is a better design with a better handle.

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-99k...ucts/242/500/90QA_1__07003.1607300810.jpg?c=1

The edge is 3.5" specified on the Cold Steel website, but mine is close to 4" if measured around the curvature.
The hammer is 1 1/2" x 7/8". The weight is about 1.5 lb vs the 1.2 of the BB.
22" hickory handle.
The hickory handle will be tougher than the beech one and you can easily get replacement handles for the Cold Steel one if you plan to throw it.
The beech will have a slightly smoother surface. On the other hand, when the stain/lacquer/wood finish wears off the beech handle, it will move a lot with changes in temperature and humidity.

The corners are nicely chamfered on the hammer, but the finish is deliberately left rough on the head surface, which is easily smoothed with some sandpaper and steel wool.

Finally, the price is about 2/3 (or even half, if you find a good sale) compared to that of the BB.

Edited to correct spelling.
 
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I haven’t seen anything that says the CS Hudson Bay hawk has a hardened poll, hammering with it might lead to problems.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
I haven’t seen anything that says the CS Hudson Bay hawk has a hardened poll, hammering with it might lead to problems.
Click to expand...

What kind of problems? You mean if you use it as a rigging hatchet or as a geologist's hammer?
You can destroy a rigging hatchet too, if you use it as a blacksmith's hammer.

By the way, does the Barebones one have a hardened hammer poll?

I think these tomahawks are designed to hammer on wooden or plastic stakes, not on hardened nails.
The poll is more like a secondary feature, for some light hammering, and makes the hawk more balanced in my opinion.

If you need a hardened poll, you can buy a designated carpenter's hatchet, like the Vaughan half hatchet or the rigging hatchet. They are quite cheap and you can hammer with them to your heart content.
However those wouldn't be good tomahawks, and the rigging hatchet will be quite heavy too, while the half hatchet will be short. Alternatively, you can buy the Council Tool Flying Fox hatchet with its hardened poll, but it will be quite heavy and also a bit short.
 
littleknife said:
What kind of problems? You mean if you use it as a rigging hatchet or as a geologist's hammer?
You can destroy a rigging hatchet too, if you use it as a blacksmith's hammer.

By the way, does the Barebones one have a hardened hammer poll?

I think these tomahawks are designed to hammer on wooden or plastic stakes, not on hardened nails.
The poll is more like a secondary feature, for some light hammering, and makes the hawk more balanced in my opinion.

If you need a hardened poll, you can buy a designated carpenter's hatchet, like the Vaughan half hatchet or the rigging hatchet. They are quite cheap and you can hammer with them to your heart content.
However those wouldn't be good tomahawks, and the rigging hatchet will be quite heavy too, while the half hatchet will be short. Alternatively, you can buy the Council Tool Flying Fox hatchet with its hardened poll, but it will be quite heavy and also a bit short.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about using it like a sledge or other similarly foolish thing. The OP said he was interested in a hawk with a hammer poll, which usually means it's hardened for use as a hammer. The poll of the Hudson Bay pattern isn't hardened, and of course you can use it to hit things--look at all the pictures posted up of old axe heads with mushroomed polls for that exact reason. In a pinch anything is a hammer if it can drive a stake, but you may deform the eye or take some good damage if you encounter a rock or pound metal.
 
Using it to pound occasionally non-hardened steel nails for building a lean to won't deform the eye.
If you want to use it as a hammer on a construction site, you will damage it for sure.

The Hammer polls on the Cold Steel Trail Haw, Pipe Hawk and Rifleman's Hawk are all hardened.

The OP specifically inquired about the Cold Steel lineup, that is why I suggested the Cold Steel Hudson Bay, which resembles the Barebones the most.
I used the Trail Hawk in the past, but it was too light, especially on the standard Cold Steel handle, and the bit was sticking too much due to its thinness.
The Hudson Bay is more balanced and robust, and still just 3/4 of the weight of the Rifleman's Hawk.
The Pipe Hawk is a great hawk IMHO, but it is quite different looking from the Barebones.

By the way, can you tell that I really-really like the Cold Steel Hudson Bay tomahawk? :D
 
Give a look at the 2Hawks Longhunter. Small, light, fast, hardened poll. Not terribly expensive.

I have the Warbeast, it's my favorite outdoor tool.
 
I have both the CRKT Chogan and the Kangee (with spike) and am very happy.
Getting the sheaths/mask are a crap shoot as not always in stock. They do have the Chogan in black finish that also comes with the sheath for the same price as the plain finish that doesn’t have the sheath.
 
justjed said:
Give a look at the 2Hawks Longhunter. Small, light, fast, hardened poll.
Click to expand...

ManRay,
I think this would be the nicest option from all the ones mentioned as a birthday gift for your father.
He will appreciate the craftsmanship. Based on the many positive reviews, it is a great working tool too and comes with a nice leather mask.
If he wants the hawk for throwing, I would also buy him a cheap dedicated throwing hawk from a site selling hatchets and axes or reenacting gears.
 
You could always take the Head off of the cold steel hawk, heat up the face of the poll with a map gas soldering torch until it is bright red and drop it into some oil too harden the hammer. They are cheap so if you screw it up just buy another one. You could also just reheat it and let it cool down slowly on its own
 
thebrain said:
My only issue is they are cast heads and that would worry me as durability goes. I would suggest the CRKT Woods Chogan over the barebones. I personally have a few different Cold steel tomahawks and have zero issues with them but I think the trail hawk is quite small and is not a versatile as some of the other models, I also have on a few occasions used the rifleman's hawk and found it a bit heavy and clumsy for a tomahawk it is more like a hatchet to me.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be too worried, personally. Modern casting methods have led to much higher quality, void-free casts than were ever possible under older methodology. The biggest issue that remains between casting vs. forging is grain flow, or the lack thereof, but it doesn't make enough of a difference to be relevant to something like axes. It would play more of a role in things like architecture or industrial machinery components.
 
I understand that, I just think of other current production hand tools that are cast as opposed to drop forged tool and some cast tools are not as strong or resilient in my experience.
 
thebrain said:
I understand that, I just think of other current production hand tools that are cast as opposed to drop forged tool and some cast tools are not as strong or resilient in my experience.
Click to expand...

Which ones, out of curiosity?
 
Hello, I normally don't make definitive statements about things, because it just leads to unnecessary arguments. But in this case I cant open with" in my opinion ". Cast is inferior to forged. It might be good enough in a lot of apps, but when you want better people always go with forged. For instants crankshafts pistons connecting rods. Grain structure is always stronger when forged. Grain size can be fixed after casting by putting the part through heat cycles but strength is increased by forging. Grain size is affected by forging also. If a cast part isn't much cheaper, then in my opinion it isn't a good value. Cast then drop forged is fine.
 
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