The hawk is slimmer at the blade and lighter/quicker for use as a weapon?
The wider shape of the Hatchet handle is more comfortable than the rounder hawk handle?
It's both the blade profile and the handle. The thinner 'hawk bit is an advantage sometimes, but not others. For one thing it won't split wood as well as a thicker profile hatchet. The other thing is the handle. The straight handle on a 'hawk makes for easier hooking and ripping maneuvers, but the curved handle most hatchets have are tailored almost exclusively to the chop.
In short handle geometry makes a hatchet a better chopper and a poorer weapon, and the opposite is true for a 'hawk.
Dose a hatchet cut noticeably different than a Hawk?
IMO, yes. Mostly it'll be noticed that the hatchet is better at felling and splitting. They are both about equal in limbing and shaping.
I spoke to generally. I should of said "it can be used as a 3 inch blade if it was all you had." A Hawk/hatchet head will never replace a real knife when I have one (OK, 4 or 5)to chose from.
OK, I thought you were talking that since the blade length on the bit was the same on a hatchet and 'hawk, that they should work the same.
Both can be choked up on and used as a knife. It works better than you might think. Here i would give the advantage to the 'hawk with its thinner blade.
Let me make an analogy:
There's a reason the Indians liked tomahawks. If you're living in a way that the general rule is to use nothing larger in diameter than your wrist to build shelter, and have to doa lot of skinning and cleaning of game, then the 'hawk is the better way to go. In these applications, you won't notice the hatchet's advantage as a wood tool, and will notice its disadvantages as a weapon and impromptu knife.
If you are going to do more "white man" camping, where you may be splitting wood or using larger pieces for shelter, the hatchet has the advantage.
If you're building a cabin a full sized axe and buck saw (or chainsaw if allowed) will be far better than any one-hand tool.
