Tomahawk for Self Defense...

Bladewolf said:
I carried a crash axe (read that as spike hawk), a number of years while CO'ing a security detail at an explosives production plant, where firearms were restricted for EVERYBODY, LEO's included. Lesson's learned; 1). a hawk is one of the most intimidating but PC edged weapons you can field (swords are kind'a frowned upon in these environments. :D 2). Breaching ability outweighs fighting ability for overall utility. 3). All metal hawks rule. FWIT that's why I'm a K5 Tactical fan for the $$$. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Yes! I would imagine that packing an American Tomahawk or crash axe would scare off any crazy fools trying to gain acces to what you were guarding man.. The ATC cant be beaten IMO, from the reviews I have read.. Dont know much about the crash axe... Is that a Swamp Rat product?


Mymindisabomb, I agree tenfold buddy! the ATC you listed is the one i am going to go with... its over half less the price of the others and EVERY bit as tough from what i have heard from others who have used them or carried them in combat zones for a plethora of tasks. how do you like yours? Do you carry yours in a sheath on the belt or on a backpack? just wondering.
 
My crash axe was an old military surplus one. A lot of companies are coming out with contemporary ones. The TOP's one I like, but it is to small for serious demolition work. K5 Tactical has one on the way that is cheaper than their other hawks, less grinding involved probably. If your primary concern is breaching, than I would go with an all metal spike style hawk. The difference in kinetic energy on impact, and penetration, is noticeable. Vibration is not as bad as you think it would be compared to a synthetic handle. I've breached with both. Not as quick for a weapon, but a better performer utility wise.
 
wolf, you think that would be better than the ATC hawks? I doubt it... but i will check it out
 
Justin Gingrich over at Ranger knives also makes a line of fine traditional and tactical hawks. Being a former Ranger who has served over in the Gulf, he could give you good first hand info on what works.
 
Cold steel had a PDF file on figting with tomahawks on their site...not an expert at H2H but to be honest it looked pretty dumb- i guess the old time folks fought with them because they were what they HAD , like gurka's and kukri's.
RAther have the later though!
I'm guessing that somone who was 'commited' to the attack and had a knife could get inside your swing and stab you three times before you could 're-aim' your hawk... just a guess though.
Looks pretty scary though, and proberbly usful for rescue work and such.
 
Just remember reconseed,

When you get commisioned, you will be a 2ndLt. A tomahawk sounds like a great piece of gear for one per fireteam or maybe squad. But in no case is a L.T. going to run up to a door and start chopping at it with a 'hawk.

Maybe wait till you are in an actual pre-deployment program, getting ready to go. Some of (a lot of) your guys will have already been where your going and hopefully some of your peers too. Talk with them, then decide what you should blow you own hard-earned money on.

YMMV,
Jax
 
Jax, thank you sir. However, I am going to either be branched Infantry, Military Police, Armor, or Air Defense Artillery.

We recently had batallion that got dispatched with an infantry division in Baghdad... My Master Sgt. (whom just recently left to go back to Iraq, said this... Over there right now cadets, everyone no matter their branch (officers) or MOS (enlisted), we are all doing the same thing for the most part... Unless you are Adjutant Generals Corps or Finance Corps. Even supply and ordnance guys are doing house raise in insurgency areas.

So you think as a 2nd Liet. i WONT be raiding a house with my platoon? We are taught that as the platoon leader, you LEAD the way....
 
reconseed said:
So you think as a 2nd Liet. i WONT be raiding a house with my platoon? We are taught that as the platoon leader, you LEAD the way....
Click to expand...
No doubt you will or have developed your own leadership style, but in my experience, "leading from the front" rarely means being first guy through the breach.

A Plt Cmdr should know where everyone is, coordinate tasks with his Plt Sgt and Sqd Ldrs, keep in contact with higher and adjacent units, and be thinking ahead on what might happen, preparing himself and his Plt for the most likely contingencies, as well as a multitude of over things. Basically keeping everyone acting as a team, making decisions and communicating.

The last thing a Plt Cmdr should be doing during a house raid is whacking at a locked door with a hatchet. He has better things to do. The big beefy LCpl from Nebraska should be kicking the doors in. As a leader you have to be willing to expose yourself to the same risks you are asking your troops to face, but that does not mean acting and doing things like a PFC.

But hey, but I'm not some sexy Combat Arms guy nor have I even been to Iraq yet. I'm just a guy waiting for his turn in the barrel, trying to get my Marines as prepared as possible should we get the call.

All I was saying above is have one guy in each squad carry a 'hawk. This one guy should not be you or your Plt Sgt. I'd probably just use a trench gun to blow the lock out and rush the door as the possible multiple whacks with a tomahawk would probably give your intentions away. Again, ask what others are doing once you get there. Copy the guy who been keeping his guys alive and who's troops seem to have genuine respect for him.
 
Sorry if I came across as something different. I have not said i was a 2nd Liet. currently. I am in ROTC as I have said and will be receiving my commission when I graduate.
 
STEVENKIM,

Not cool to post something out of someone's MySpace page onto this forum. If you have a problem with his beliefs then you should keep it to PM's or email.
 
StevenKim - your words are obscene and not allowed in this forum. You are posting things and blaspheming me. I am having your disdain and immature behavior reported.
 
STEVENKIM, I don't know where you got that quote but neither it nor your response to it seems to have anything at all to do with tomahawks or Bladeforums. Maybe you got mixed up and pasted in something that should have gone in another window....
 
While I'm here:

reconseed said:
i got a warning or restriction notice from cougar man for "saying bad words." even after i editted it...
Click to expand...

No, I did that before I told you to edit it. Not too big a deal, just don't do it again....
 
Well, I am going to forgo the "happiness" of getting involved with all of this childish bickering, and stick to the post.

I have the ATC VTAC, and I dig it. Keep in mind, though, that it's used more like a sharp hammer than a knife or machete. Mostly designed to break things.

As a 2LT, you WILL NOT be #1 man (if you know what that means) or #4 man making a physical breach (not if the NCOs around you are worth a crap). If you want to carry it, go ahead, I'm just a lowly enlisted guy, it's your dead wieght to hump around town.

Also, keep in mind that you may not even go to SWA (regardless of what you are being told), so if you aren't going to use it any other time, don't waste your money. Wait until you get deployment orders. Then, go ahead and buy one, so that high-speed PFC in your platoon can borrow it to chase bad guys and break things.

Of course, if you just want one because they are cool, by all means, buy it. I doubt this is the crowd that you'll need to justify the purchase to:D
 
My husband makes tomahawks so we always have them around the house and in the car even. Gun or tomahawk...whichever is closest would be my choice. If someone is trying to break into my place I would get them with what I could and I must say I'm a pretty good shot with a tomahawk. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top