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- Apr 28, 2010
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Due to the recent threads discussing the chopping ability of tomahawks and the BK-9, I thought it would be interesting to determine which of the two is better; big knife or hawk. Of course, which is better depends upon an individuals environment, activities, and personal preferences. However, a detailed comparison of the advantages of each of these two tools may be helpful in determining which tool fits your needs. Here are some observations I have gathered.
In this comparison, the category of big knives is represented by the Becker BK-9 Combat Bowie, The King.
The tomahawk used was the very popular Cold Steel Trail Hawk.
It has already been established in Khans thread that the Trail Hawk will outchop the BK-9. My own testing confirms this. But it must be noted that a knife may be more effective in the hands of one unskilled in the use of a hawk. It is easier to miss with the narrow cutting edge of the hawk than the long cutting edge of the knife. Regarding pure chopping ability, though, advantage must go to the hawk.
For splitting small diameter wood, both tools perform well, and I see no clear winner. When using the hawk as a splitting wedge (handle removed), on larger diameter wood, say over 4 inches or so, I have had difficulty. It is hard to drive the hawk head straight into the wood. It often turns under an imperfect baton strike and must be re-straightened. The BK-9 fully spans the width of the log and can be held in place by the handle while batoning. From my experience, I must give the advantage to the knife.
At this time I will say that I rarely find it necessary to baton logs. Cutting wood to firewood length and splitting each piece requires a lot of work, and I rarely carry a saw. I find that it is more effective to use the hawk to chip kindling from the side of a log. This gives access to the dry wood inside and the chips can be split with a small knife to make pencil size and toothpick size kindling.
The Trail Hawk head can be used to make shavings for fire starting.
But the BK-9 handle provides a much better grip than the hawk head. Also, the knife is sharper. For fine work such as shavings, feathersticks, or notches, advantage goes to the knife.
The BK-9 performs well when cutting small branches, vines, and herbaceous stems. The hawk is a poor choice for these cuts.
The Trail Hawk also has a hammer poll, which has many uses.
The BK-9 performs well as a draw knife.
The hawk can be used as a carry handle for firewood.
The hawk can be thrown, not really practical but can be fun.
So, which do you choose? Hawk or Knife?
And feel free to add any hawk or knife skills I may have missed.
In this comparison, the category of big knives is represented by the Becker BK-9 Combat Bowie, The King.
The tomahawk used was the very popular Cold Steel Trail Hawk.
It has already been established in Khans thread that the Trail Hawk will outchop the BK-9. My own testing confirms this. But it must be noted that a knife may be more effective in the hands of one unskilled in the use of a hawk. It is easier to miss with the narrow cutting edge of the hawk than the long cutting edge of the knife. Regarding pure chopping ability, though, advantage must go to the hawk.
For splitting small diameter wood, both tools perform well, and I see no clear winner. When using the hawk as a splitting wedge (handle removed), on larger diameter wood, say over 4 inches or so, I have had difficulty. It is hard to drive the hawk head straight into the wood. It often turns under an imperfect baton strike and must be re-straightened. The BK-9 fully spans the width of the log and can be held in place by the handle while batoning. From my experience, I must give the advantage to the knife.
At this time I will say that I rarely find it necessary to baton logs. Cutting wood to firewood length and splitting each piece requires a lot of work, and I rarely carry a saw. I find that it is more effective to use the hawk to chip kindling from the side of a log. This gives access to the dry wood inside and the chips can be split with a small knife to make pencil size and toothpick size kindling.
The Trail Hawk head can be used to make shavings for fire starting.
But the BK-9 handle provides a much better grip than the hawk head. Also, the knife is sharper. For fine work such as shavings, feathersticks, or notches, advantage goes to the knife.
The BK-9 performs well when cutting small branches, vines, and herbaceous stems. The hawk is a poor choice for these cuts.
The Trail Hawk also has a hammer poll, which has many uses.
The BK-9 performs well as a draw knife.
The hawk can be used as a carry handle for firewood.
The hawk can be thrown, not really practical but can be fun.
So, which do you choose? Hawk or Knife?
And feel free to add any hawk or knife skills I may have missed.
Though the TH is a chopping machine, I still like my BK9 better. Fear it!
