dumb question?

P

paleosteveo

Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
80
ive seen alot of people try to use a tomahawk to little effect as far as chopping and splitting, and people tell them you are using it wrong. i use mine basicly for throwing in my yard. but in light of this, what is the proper use of a tomahawk, besides weapon?

anybody catch my drift?
 
I use mine as a lightweight tool.. I have used to skin Deer and Elk.. I have had good luck spitting sternums on Elk as well as cutting ribs from the spine..I have processed fire wood for camping with but It's not my first choice for that chore.. I have used it with great success to build shelters and blinds both.. I came to own a trailhawk quiet by accident, but sure am happy with all the fun time it reminds me of every time I look at it..
 
I guess it depends on the grind, the wood density, etc..
There are so many designs, specialized heads, handle lenghts, etc..
I think of them as weapons for the most part, but they were paired with a knife for many early Americans. If you just need to bust out a campfire, lots of hawks can get the job done. If you need to chop wood for your house, you want an axe, not a weapon.
 
Yep, they're more of a weapon with some light weight tool capabilities. When I carry my hawk alongside one of my axes, it feels almost useless in comparison while doing camp chores. Sure, it can chop and split wood, but it's not the same as a real axe.

They sure are fun to play with, though!
 
NothingCoherent said:
Yep, they're more of a weapon with some light weight tool capabilities. When I carry my hawk alongside one of my axes, it feels almost useless in comparison while doing camp chores. Sure, it can chop and split wood, but it's not the same as a real axe.

They sure are fun to play with, though!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what people do in camp they need an axe. Are we talking winter time using a fire to keep you warm or are you using an axe because you just enjoy using it? Are you car camping or hiking? If I was in the Cascades in winter time I'd choose an axe all day long. If I'm car camping then sure, again an axe is the bees knees. If I'm 3-season backpacking, there's no way I'm lugging a 2 1/2-3 pound axe. :barf:

A hawk is not an axe but it's just as useful as a hatchet IME. In fact the geometry of the bit of my trail hawk is almost the same as my gb mini. When I use my hawk I don't go after any branches thicker than my wrist and I try and cut cross grain as little as possible. Someone on here once said that cutting cross grain is for suckers and it's true. Most of the time it's not necessary after the first felling cut. Limbing and splitting the first few branches to get the fire going is all I've ever needed really. If you're splitting large rounds in the traditional way(standing them up and hitting them on end) a hawk sucks due to the abrupt transition from the thin blade to the massive eye. For splitting small rounds from the side, a hawk is great. I think the hate or love of hawks as cutting tools is more about the habits of the user then the tool itself.
 
I agree with Shotgun that hawks can be useful as a camp tool. While I find a hatchet slightly more efficient at wood processing, hammer poll hawks are certainly capable in their own right. I also have find hawks are comfortably carried by sliding the handle inside of my belt. If I want to take a hatchet or small axe with me, I must have a pack to carry them. There are + and - to each, but I have found hawks to be useful more than just as a weapon.
 
paleosteveo said:
ive seen alot of people try to use a tomahawk to little effect as far as chopping and splitting, and people tell them you are using it wrong. i use mine basicly for throwing in my yard. but in light of this, what is the proper use of a tomahawk, besides weapon?

anybody catch my drift?
Click to expand...

Great question. I myself am not a tomahawk guy, at least before I came on here. Didnt really even think about them too much. But now "lurking" around this board I see some really great pieces and some great work done. Might have to break down and take some money out of the axe kitty and get me a hawk for fun.

Anyway, I think you can use a hatchet, axe, hawk, for so many different applications, it is really up to you what you want to do. Each tool will have better applications sure, but I bet it would be interesting trying to split some wood with a hawk, or then throw a hatchet as accurately. But I bet they would all be fun, and thats the main thing.
 
Well, it's simple really.

Use a hawk they way they were used for a long, long time.

Rule of thumb is don't go after wood larger than your wrist. If the NDNs wanted larger wood, they'd smear mud a couple of feet above where they wanted to "cut" and set a fire around the tree and let the fire fell it. That's one way to go after larger wood.

Second I see guys using a baseball bat grip on hawks (and axes as well) and this is one of the least efficient ways of using it. You want to make a "snap cut" with the hawk. This increases the velocity at the tip and increases your depth of cut. If you look at the proper way to use a full size axe, you'll notice that with the one hand guiding and one hand sliding down the haft, you generate a snap cut with it as well.

Splitting isn't a problem if you stick to the wood the size of your wrist or smaller. Typically, this diameter will be less than the length from the edge of your hawk's bit to where the eye starts to really swell. You chop into the side, and then pry, like a guy does with a hatchet in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjrJapcdWqY

But a hawk isn't going to work well if you try to use it the same as you would a regular 3/4 or full size axe, you have to adapt to the tool, the tool isn't going to adapt to you.
 
I use my hawks or throwing and whacking the odd branch off. have hatchets and axes coming out my ears for other jobs. Hawks when used properly can do a ton of work in camp though. Light and easy to carry too.

Regards

Robin
 
I use my hawk for light work in woods, next to chainsaw, axe and sapi (which I use for heavy-duty-work).

Building a fence with the hawk was also working. Using the hammer on the hawk for nailing the fence on wooden (things you put in the ground for keeping the fence on ahead => I don´t know the word).

Kind regards..
 
Paleo, my hawks are really just for fun. I camp and hike a lot and don't see any reason to bring one along unless its for fun. I can make fires real well without an axe or hawk just as most anyone can. I might use a knife for creating tinder but even that is optional, IMO. I don't need to chop things to build shelters.... I use a tent. At my suburban home I have hammers, saws, and other things should I need to deal with wood, which is rarely.
 
pullrich said:
Paleo, my hawks are really just for fun. I camp and hike a lot and don't see any reason to bring one along unless its for fun. I can make fires real well without an axe or hawk just as most anyone can. I might use a knife for creating tinder but even that is optional, IMO. I don't need to chop things to build shelters.... I use a tent. At my suburban home I have hammers, saws, and other things should I need to deal with wood, which is rarely.
Click to expand...

Do you camp in the winter/rainy season? If you wouldn't mind it would be great if you did a fire starting tutorial in bad conditions in the wilderness and survival skills section. I live in pretty much the same environment as you but don't feel comfy without a chopper when it's wet out.
 
Shotgun said:
Do you camp in the winter/rainy season?.
Click to expand...

Now and then. Mostly I'm a fair-weather sort of guy. I don't mind day-hiking in the rain, its the rainy camps that I want to avoid. But when it happens, a fire may be neither here nor there .... I'd be in my tent if I'm not walking. If we're talking about life or death survival situations same deal, I'm not making my survival contingent on presence/absence of a fire. There are other, better ways to get warm. I like fires on nice evenings in low elevation settings. Sitting by a fire in the rain? no thanks.

Anyway I may be straying from the point. I always carry a sturdy light mora knife with plastic handle. Does any job I need but mostly it stays in the pack.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top