Broken crkt Chogan, is it ok to throw full tang hawks?

Liam Ryan

Liam Ryan

Joined
Sep 26, 2005
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Found this on another forum,
YLJYGBel.jpg

He got CRKT to replace it, and they told him it was not meant to be thrown.
He was a bit miffed as he assumed if it's called a tomahawk, it is implied that it can be thrown, and if not it should say so.
Does throwing a full tang hawk put too much force on the handle? If it's meant to breach doors surely it can handle being thrown?
I am on the fence about it, I think at least he should take responsibility for breaking it rather than blame CRKT for not calling it a battle hatchet.
I assume most things I throw could break.
 
I understand the need for some lightening, but that does seem to be past the point of good strength retention. May not be meant for throwing but thats a lot of stress points.
 
Liam Ryan said:
Found this on another forum,
YLJYGBel.jpg

He got CRKT to replace it, and they told him it was not meant to be thrown.
He was a bit miffed as he assumed if it's called a tomahawk, it is implied that it can be thrown, and if not it should say so.
Does throwing a full tang hawk put too much force on the handle? If it's meant to breach doors surely it can handle being thrown?
I am on the fence about it, I think at least he should take responsibility for breaking it rather than blame CRKT for not calling it a battle hatchet.
I assume most things I throw could break.
Click to expand...

Hawks are for throwing.

I throw my Gavko Hawk (full tang) all the time. I'll throw it as far as 50 feet from the target, basically as hard as I can while still being accurate. No damage what so ever. It has a fairly thin spike on the bottom of the handle, which I stick with on throws quite often. It hasn't bent or broke.

IMG_20130910_165030_297_zps6cc74bd2.jpg

IMG_20130910_164835_265_zps3a1caae5.jpg

IMG_20130910_164725_169_zpsf5378859.jpg
 
Any holes in the handle?
If it broke would you blame the product, or the fact that it was misnamed? (should be called a CQB hatchet?)
 
I don't understand the notion that if it's a tomahawk it is necessarily for throwing. And I get the question all the time about mine, "How does it throw?" Even had an ABS Mastersmith ask me that a few weeks ago at the Expo.

Throwing is awful hard on a 'hawk, and the ones built for throwing take into account the likelihood of handle breakage in their design. I don't do much blade throwing, but I know that those who do tend to keep replacement handles on hand for their 'hawks.

When I was doing the prototyping work on my tactical 'hawks and was originally using a punched-eye design with nylon 6/6 handle, the handle withstood all the normal use I put it through, but broke when thrown. It's part of the reason I went with a full-tang design.

So it's not all that surprising to me to see this break. It's just more catastrophic on a full-tang 'hawk than when a wooden-handled one breaks. If this becomes a common issue, then some tweaking is obviously called for. If this is the only such break in the many that have sold, that's a different matter.
 
Well said Storm Crow. I doubt the natives who first used tomahawks were doing much throwing with them, either.
 
Why not just get an estwing full tang "hawk" for throwing? the shaft is very thick an has not cut outs in it?
 
Liam Ryan said:
Well said Storm Crow. I doubt the natives who first used tomahawks were doing much throwing with them, either.
Click to expand...

And not much prying open car doors and such either, I suspect. They mostly posed with them and on occasion put holes in people, if Im not mistaken. What would the Chogan be useful for?
 
got ya. I never tried with mine yet. I don't really throw my other hawks or hatchets for that matter. I just know the estwing seems pretty indestructible.
 
I cannot see the point of full tang hawks. wood seems a better material to me, lighter an easy replaceable, leaves more weight on the head which is good for chopping.. For "breakin doors", I don't think this could be a problem either.
 
In the world of emergency breaching/rescue the full tang hawk is the only option.
Replacing a wooden handle in the field on a hike or camping trip is no big deal. You grab some trail mix and look around for an appropriate tree branch. Sip some water and then begin the task-at your leisure. When the handle snaps when your trying to get into a chained barricaded school door(see Va Tech) while there's an active shooter running amok the stakes have just gone up. Ask Mr. StormCrow why his customers prefer full tang hawks. . . .
 
I really like a good hickory handle. But I've broken too many for me to put one on a military/first responder tool. That's my reason. That, and prying duty. But I don't build with throwing in mind. It's still a tomahawk in my mind.

I don't have an issue with throwing a tomahawk, but I don't see all tomahawks as throwing 'hawks any more than I see all knives as throwing knives. There are plenty of good knives out there that would probably snap the tip or break the handle if thrown.
 
I am finding it hard to explain this in the other forum, they think that the word tomahawk means a throwing weapon, and calling it a tomahawk then saying it's not meant to be thrown is mislabeling it. Well what about pipe tomahawks?
 
Liam Ryan said:
I am finding it hard to explain this in the other forum, they think that the word tomahawk means a throwing weapon, and calling it a tomahawk then saying it's not meant to be thrown is mislabeling it. Well what about pipe tomahawks?
Click to expand...
Are they serious? All tomahaks are for throwing?

Throwing on the grill?
 
Those look good, if I threw them on the grill and they broke, I would be demanding a replacement, though.
 
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