- Joined
- Mar 7, 2006
- Messages
- 2,171
A few years ago I broke down and dropped around $20-25 on a basic, forged tomahawk to use for throwing and to just have. I quickly came to appeciate why the hawk was basic kit for the wilderness traipsers of a bygone era. It simply works and works well. I used mine for chopping down saplings to later become walking sticks, used it for a number of axe type chores, and I found it great for stripping and shaping walking sticks by either choking up or holding the head in my hand. Above all I found it much superior to the standard hatchet for chopping chores.
Mine wasn't a custom make or anything fancy. It was just your run of the mill, forged, found in any muzzle loader shop tomahawk. Like a good, working 1095 camp blade it kept its edge reasonably well then sharpened up pretty easy with a stone, and a file if you needed to work out a few knicks from the occasional oops. I haven't used the fancier stuff, but this one worked just fine for me.
I like and keep an axe or two around though I don't get much occasion to use them anymore. However, the basic hawk just proved to be much more verastile, handling a variety of chores well and in a light, easy to carry package. I would still use a good axe for regular heavy woodwork, but the hawk is just to easy to keep around. Held in the hand the basic hawk head is kind of like an Ulu and can be used as such.
I finally gave my Dad mine recently, well actually kinda appealed to the fact he has a Tipi and used it to get my old CS SRK back from him which he has had since the early 90s. Now I find I'll probably end up back at the gun shop getting another one before long. I don't doubt the higher end hawks are excellent, but don't discount the old basic as an excellent workhorse of a tool.
Just for the record, I had to quit throwing the hawk when I started tossing a 26 inch handled axe. After tossing the heavier piece and hitting repeatedly with it I find going back to the lighter hawk I tend to throw the light weight all over the place. Now with problem with both a throwing area and my back I don't get to throw at all.
It sure is nice when something plain and simple works so well.
Mine wasn't a custom make or anything fancy. It was just your run of the mill, forged, found in any muzzle loader shop tomahawk. Like a good, working 1095 camp blade it kept its edge reasonably well then sharpened up pretty easy with a stone, and a file if you needed to work out a few knicks from the occasional oops. I haven't used the fancier stuff, but this one worked just fine for me.
I like and keep an axe or two around though I don't get much occasion to use them anymore. However, the basic hawk just proved to be much more verastile, handling a variety of chores well and in a light, easy to carry package. I would still use a good axe for regular heavy woodwork, but the hawk is just to easy to keep around. Held in the hand the basic hawk head is kind of like an Ulu and can be used as such.
I finally gave my Dad mine recently, well actually kinda appealed to the fact he has a Tipi and used it to get my old CS SRK back from him which he has had since the early 90s. Now I find I'll probably end up back at the gun shop getting another one before long. I don't doubt the higher end hawks are excellent, but don't discount the old basic as an excellent workhorse of a tool.
Just for the record, I had to quit throwing the hawk when I started tossing a 26 inch handled axe. After tossing the heavier piece and hitting repeatedly with it I find going back to the lighter hawk I tend to throw the light weight all over the place. Now with problem with both a throwing area and my back I don't get to throw at all.
It sure is nice when something plain and simple works so well.