New to Hawks

M

mister_wilburn

Joined
May 23, 2006
Messages
410
Hello, I am new to tomahawks in general and had a few questions about them. Are all tomahawks designed for throwing? I have thought about picking up a hatchet, but like the look and feel of the longer handle for chopping and camp chores. Where would be a good place to start looking for hawks/hatchets online? I could spend up to about 60 dollars to start out with. Throwing tomahawks is not something I plan to do, so maybe a decent hatchet would be best. thanks
 
I'd say most "true" tomahawks, as opposed to hatches, hand axes, etc., will be at least rudimentary throwers.

For your purposes, I'd probably go with a hatchet. But personally, I'd still get a tomahawk, just for laughs. :)
 
If you're going to do some serious chopping, go with the hatchet for sure (but then again, a full sized ax would be your best bet...)

I prefer to use a small/light hammer pole hawk as an outdoors/camping tool -- you get good chopping and a hammer all in one (not to mention decent protection against wildlife LOL)

There are custom makers here on BF (like K R Johnson -- see my thread in this forum about his medium hawk, a large would be even a better chopper.) H&B Forge is also a reputable maker for your price range. I'm sure others will chime in with more suggestions...
 
I'm new to tomahawks, also, but recently purchased a Cold Steel Trail Hawk, which seems to be one of the more popular production models. Haven't used mine yet (got it for chopping, not throwing) but I've read a lot of good things about them. I like the fact that tomahawk handles can be replaced in the wilderness much more easily than hatchet handles, but that's not a concern with everyone. The TH is relatively inexpensive (around $20-$30, depending who you buy it from) so you don't have to spend big bucks to try one. An internet search should turn up several retailers who sell them.

Here's the manufacturer of the TH: http://www.coldsteel.com/axes.html
 
i find hawks to be far more durable than a hatchet with its simple construction. with that being said if chopping stuff is your only concern a hatchet is probably the way to go as you get better performance.
 
I think when it's all said and done, bouncing quality against price the Cold Steel Trail Hawk is a good buy. I use these quite a bit for throwing and have encountered problems with the tip cracking due to missing. As far as chopping and general camp chores it's pretty good. It is not one of those custom beauties that one is afraid to use and generally end up worshiping it on the wall....nope it is ugly, nasty and you really don't mind using it. Any number of sheath are on the market that can be adapted to it. When I operated the school, it was the Hawk that I used to introduce the students too. Again, cost makes it a pretty good deal. We don't do a lot of tomahawk fighting these days so I would put the expensive 'Fighting Hawks' on hold till I got comfortable with the Trail Hawk. Remember that the 'Head' of the Hawk has a message all it's own that will tell you what it is good far. Take care and have a ball.

Best
Dwight
 
I have a French Hawk from
http://www.greatriverforge.com/
I like it. 40.00 and made by an American.
Bought it here in the Maker's forum,fixed blades.

Fort Turner is good also.
I have a Fort Turner Ranger hawk in my future.

I personally don't like the Trail Hawk by Cold steel.
Too narrow,too lite.
NOT made in America.
The price is good but you can support an American Blacksmith for a few dollars more.
If I had to choose a cold steel hawk, I like the Norse Hawk.

As a weapon the French hawks can be worn without a sheath for a quick draw and the downwards pointing edge is a usefull tool for grappling and hooking things as well as giving width to the edge which gives you a larger degree of error when striking wood or bone targets.
They look cool too.
 
By all means buy American. However, American based companies selling forgien products while employing AMERICANS (& providing jobs) is not all that bad either. A Japanese/Chinese company providing a cheaper product than our local people sounds like free enterprise to me. Just on a global scale. Don't look too close at where the steel comes from. No matter how AMERICAN some of these small forges are the steel might very well be made in Japan. The world has changed and the old concept of supply & demand may have made us Americans more international than we even believe. I think what Shootist is saying is to support the American Smiths who are the small business owners, who bang out by hand hawks that are still part of the American tradition. I REALLY agree with that. If you can afford it, I really think the hand-forged hawks are the ones to buy for personal use. If you have to train a bunch of students daily, you might look at 'Cheap' for that environment. BTW just got a design off to Tim Ridge of Swamp Fox knives and it is very, very similar to the Cold Steel Trail Hawk but with a beard and large hammer poll. I train with the heavy Norse Hawk designs, but wagging it around the countryside is a no-go...I go for the lighter version. This has evolved into a really interesting post. Shootist, thanks for bringing up this American-Made Issue, while I don't completely agree this is definitely needs to be surfaced from time to time if only to make sure that "WE" Americans are still out here.

Best
Dwight
 
Well I'll be danged! Where else would one expect to find Mr. McLemore? I'm an avid reader of your books...have both the Bowie and hawk manuals quickly becoming well worn from backyard training use. I'd like to bend your ear with a bit of Southern history. My Dad was born in 1919,Grew up in deep East Texas in the 20's and 30's. His stories to us boys around the fire were of a Texas before paved roads and electricity poles..He talked about huge family gatherings on the Neches river,"after the crops were laid by" where affairs of honor were settled "to first blood"(until someone was cut or "blooded") with large folders,which he called "jack-knives". The knives he described to me would have been a single blade slip joint folder about 4 to 6 inches in lenght. He and a couple of my Uncles had apparently had differences of opinion and settled it in this way but years later had no bad feelings between them as a result. At the time I was most impressed by this system of family honor. Being of Cherokee heritage he passed on to us a fighting systen that used a "jack-knife" in one hand,(the dominate hand) and a stick or hawk in the other hand. So when I began to practice on the pell using the techniques in your books it felt really natural and easy,...just like stepping back in time 30 years or so! Really enjoyed the first 2 books and looking forward to getting Advanced Bowie. Keep up the good work Sir. I am humbled by the level of research you have done.
 
InfidelShootist said:
I have a French Hawk from
http://www.greatriverforge.com/
I like it. 40.00 and made by an American.
Bought it here in the Maker's forum,fixed blades.

Fort Turner is good also.
I have a Fort Turner Ranger hawk in my future.

I personally don't like the Trail Hawk by Cold steel.
Too narrow,too lite.
NOT made in America.
The price is good but you can support an American Blacksmith for a few dollars more.
If I had to choose a cold steel hawk, I like the Norse Hawk.

As a weapon the French hawks can be worn without a sheath for a quick draw and the downwards pointing edge is a usefull tool for grappling and hooking things as well as giving width to the edge which gives you a larger degree of error when striking wood or bone targets.
They look cool too.
Click to expand...

+1 for greatriverforge. I have a couple of his hawks & they're nice. And as already mentioned, forged by hand in the USA! :thumbup:
 
Anrkst6973 said:
Well I'll be danged! Where else would one expect to find Mr. McLemore? I'm an avid reader of your books...have both the Bowie and hawk manuals quickly becoming well worn from backyard training use. I'd like to bend your ear with a bit of Southern history. My Dad was born in 1919,Grew up in deep East Texas in the 20's and 30's. His stories to us boys around the fire were of a Texas before paved roads and electricity poles..He talked about huge family gatherings on the Neches river,"after the crops were laid by" where affairs of honor were settled "to first blood"(until someone was cut or "blooded") with large folders,which he called "jack-knives". The knives he described to me would have been a single blade slip joint folder about 4 to 6 inches in lenght. He and a couple of my Uncles had apparently had differences of opinion and settled it in this way but years later had no bad feelings between them as a result. At the time I was most impressed by this system of family honor. Being of Cherokee heritage he passed on to us a fighting systen that used a "jack-knife" in one hand,(the dominate hand) and a stick or hawk in the other hand. So when I began to practice on the pell using the techniques in your books it felt really natural and easy,...just like stepping back in time 30 years or so! Really enjoyed the first 2 books and looking forward to getting Advanced Bowie. Keep up the good work Sir. I am humbled by the level of research you have done.
Click to expand...
that is an interesting story. i wonder if the jack-knife would be something like the navaja folders that were popular back then. they remind me of folding bowies.
 
Yes I think the navaja would be close to what was described to me. I'm not a huge guy so a 110 or 112 folder or my fav fixed blade, a swamp rat howler and my renegade or RD hawk in my other hand...thats what I call getting it on!!! I would encourage our freind who started this thread to look into both the RD or renegade avaliable from Brigade Quartermaster. That way he gets the best bang for the buck.
 
Anrkst6973....Thanks so much for the interesting story. I wish I knew more about my own linage. Only been able to trace it back to the 1900s and clearing railroad right-of-ways along the Arkansas Louisiana border. Oh yes and some Col at Vicksburg during the Civil War. Thanks for the kind words, I can't take all the credit for the books because I've got some really good friends that help me a lot with the historical research and some really good teachers. My Sword book comes out in July with Paladin and the Staff book next year. We will make a tomahawk video in October 08 and a companion tomahawk too. Sorry to get off topic.

Best
Dwight
 
Thanks for the link to Ranger knives. I had overlooked them as a producer of Tomahawks. Seems like a great tool, but which one to pick. I need more money.
 
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