What is everyone's opinion on the best bang for the buck in a tomahawk that will do light camp chores and still be perfect as a fighter?? Basically if you had to buy only one and it would be the only one in the world your likely to ever come across again and you had to survive in a world gone upside down... what would you buy?
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SHTF Hawk/Axe
- Thread starter jamgusmc
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In my opinion a Lagana is pretty limited as far as a tool. If it were strictly for fighting I could see it. I'd go for something with a long haft, bigger edge for cutting wood, and a hammer poll for whatever needs hammering. It would have to be something that could be used in many roles that may or may not arise. A strict fighting hawk is nice, if you are going to be in a situation where you may need it frequently. But, if your not in that line of work, the utility is more important. A combat hawk would make a poor bush tool, but a good bush hawk could still nearly equal the effectiveness of a fighting hawk. Not knocking combat hawks at all, but they are made for a certain purpose.
I've been playing around with modding my CS pipe hawk and trail hawk. I have to say I really like the size and poll of the pipe hawk. The trail hawk is lighter if you were packing light, but the pipe hawk seems to be a good compromise of size/weight/blade. I'm probably gonna look to get a Fort Turner camp hawk or trapper.
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I would imagine you could. But the side of the eye isn't tempered the way the poll is, is it?
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I use the spike to puncture holes a few walls, and doors, make some holes en fuel barrels, use it as a pick to dig stuff out of the ground, flatten a few tiers, prayed open a few car doors whit it to. its not completely useless as a tool, but a hammer is way more versatile.
You can use the side of the head as a hammer if you have a full tang on your axe, that's way a prefer them over the tradition hawks.
You can use the side of the head as a hammer if you have a full tang on your axe, that's way a prefer them over the tradition hawks.
Let me guess, since its another BUSSE/SWAMP RAT exclusive they do them in runs only every few years.. or I have to find one on Ebay..:jerkit:
It did look like it might work for me..
M67
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Swamp Rat, as far as I know, only did one run of the Crash Axes and they are hard to come by because people love them
See.. thats what I am talking about!! Sure Busse and Swamp Rat may be the cats meow... but what good does it do them when nobody can get their hands on anything!!!!???? I dont have one of either.. for years I have wanted one.. price and availability kills it for me every freaking time!
If you look into a Ft. Turner Hawk be prepared to wait, I ordered mine on Feb 4th and have sent email after email with Dana saying "I'v been meaning to send that right out" :jerkit: still waitin..........
Yeah that's a little troubling. I just ordered a knife and sheath from two gentleman and communication has been less than minimal. I know people are busy and it takes time to follow up. But people are spending good money, and it doesn't take much to inform. I'm willing to wait, just don't like being jerked around.
BINGO.. people... (US) are paying good money for a decent product in a decent time frame.... seems like people who make items have forgotten that.. especially in this economy people should be kissing the consumers ass! All great you made a knife and want to sell it for $$$$ butt loads of money, but in these times an awesome product isnt worth the money the maker wants if he cannot deliver in a timely manner! WITH A FREAKING SMILE ON THEIR FACE TOO.
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Best bang for the buck - well the trail hawk thread is up to around 64 pages.
Might not be a swamp rat, but for $300 you could get a dozen trail hawks delivered to your door by middle of next week.
Might not be a swamp rat, but for $300 you could get a dozen trail hawks delivered to your door by middle of next week.
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I have been contemplating the same thing. It's hard to find "the one" that will do it all...sort of like knives. I have a hammer poll, a neat little rasp hawk, a couple of MMHW, a custom cleaver and a nice little hatchet. If SHTF and I had to grab one, it would probably be eithe the hammer poll or MMHW #3. The MMHW would be a good chopper/prybar, small enough to pack, yet large enough for decent chopping and chores. It would also be a good fighter and even looks scary enough. II'm still searching, but getting closer. I want to give a Winkler and maybe an RMJ a shot. The Crash axe just doesn't do it for me though.
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Spoiled between these two:
All-rounder
Futuristic and destructive
All-rounder
Futuristic and destructive
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Just about any hawk can do light camp chores. Remember they were used as survival tools for a decent amount of time (even Oetzi's copper "axe" was more like a tomahawk than what we call an axe). So let's optimize for the fighter with a little tweaking for utility.
There's two schools of thought: spike or no spike.
Spike: like Edwood said, you can use it to breach, they've been used in Iraq and Afghanistan to pry locks off house doors, flatten tires and rip the door locking mechanism out of cars, etc. It makes a good way to "hook" an opponent, as well as drive it down through the space between clavicles to maneuver their body around (often in front of the guy they are with to suck up his attack aimed at you). The downside is, if you strike with the bit or the spike, it's going to get caught in the flesh of the opponent. That's for a traditional spike. One like on the Sayoc that Edwood posted would come out easier, but not be as good for hooking.
No Spike: you have a cutting edge and a blunt side. The blunt side can be used with running attacks and not get caught in the flesh of the other guy, so you can strike and go without slowing down. You can also use it for utilitarian purposes as a hammer. Extensive use of the side of the eye as a hammer will tend to deform the eye over time, and this is not a good thing if this is your "one and only".
Personally, I prefer a hammer poll and a long haft. It gives more reach in combat, and more power for utility, and if it's the end of the world, concealment probably isn't much of a concern anymore. If it's for hiking and camping now as well, most states allow open carry of blades when engaged in such activity. In extreme close quarters, you can choke up on the haft without much trouble, but you can't make a short one longer.
As for who to go with, since this is your "only one", why skimp on price? Talk to some of the makers here (they really don't have high prices, IMO) and make what you really want, instead of looking for "close enough". Also read around this forum some more, maybe search member name Vector001 -- he goes into quite a treatise on "proper hawks", what to look for and why you want certain elements.
Sure, you can get Cold Steel for less. But then you have a Cold Steel. I'd only go that way if you want to modify it and aren't sure of your skill.