Utility of a Spike v Hammer Poll.

On the surface it might appear that a hammer poll has more utility value than a spike poll; however, in all the years that I have spent in the woods, I have had very little use for a hammer. IMO, other than perhaps building tree stands, most tasks like pounding tent pegs could be equally well handled with a rock.

You may want to take a look at the Idaho Jones thread in the ATC Forum before lightly dismissing the utility of a spike. Brian Jones & RadioRay used their RR Spike hawks for a wide range of tasks in the Idaho woods, none of which were anti-personnel in nature. ;)
 
For any wood work the primary edge is far more efficient than the spike, outside of recreational use. For example while I can split dry lumber easier with the spike than with the edge, on fresh wood the spike just wedges. It also prevents the splitting of large wood as you can't reverse the round and do a reverse strike which could be important if the wood is wet.

The spike does however offer advatages such as being able to work in very harsh conditions like rocky soil. It also provides two additional edges which can be sharpened if desired and can be used for a lot of heavy duty cutting / scraping. Basically saving the primary edge from excessive wear.

Brian Jones mentioned using the spike as a way to set the tomahawk head and thus produce a stationary edge that you could use to cut against with two free hands. I experiemented with this and did not find it as useful as simply cutting with a choked up grip on the head. However if you had one hand severely injured it would be very useful.

Besides just pounding on a stake, the poll can be used for flaying (generally rounded and thinner than normal), crushing nuts, breaking open bone, shaping scrap metal to improvise tools. The spike can do a lot of that just in a different way.

My basic suggestion is to use both and get a feel for how to best use both as they both have strong and weak point. While being very well prepared with your own set of tools is an option, you are always better off with more experience. What about if it wasn't you who chose the gear but someone else, if it not like in an emergency situation you will always have your ideal choice of implements.

-Cliff
 
I am gonna have to say, the Spike 'hawk. For the simple reasons of anything you can do with the hammer poll can be done with a rock or if necessary the side of the 'hawk head. Granted, it might not work as well as the hammer poll but it works well enough.

The spike can scrape, poke, slice, dig, pick, pry, and more. It can be used to make small cuts, holes, and notches. It can anchor the hawk as mentioned to use the primary edge with two free hands. You can even anchor the primary edge and use the spike for precision work such as boring a hole by placing a piece of wood on top of the spike and turning it. It can also be used in a last ditch abusive manner and you will still have a fresh primary edge.

The hammer poll can pound.
 
Good move, WH.

Let's get more input on this spike v hammer issue.

Reading with interest ...

Nem
 
my take on that: different strokes for different folks,

BUT I would advise against using the side of the eye as a hammer on a spiked hawk, as suggested by the cross-hatched section on the SOG fusion hawk. You may very well pop the eye open and be left with an unfunctional tool that is beyond repair.

Ookami
 
Here's the post that swayed me from "hammer" to "spike".

[And probably a Hayes spike.]

I am gonna have to say, the Spike 'hawk. For the simple reasons of anything you can do with the hammer poll can be done with a rock or if necessary the side of the 'hawk head. Granted, it might not work as well as the hammer poll but it works well enough.

The spike can scrape, poke, slice, dig, pick, pry, and more. It can be used to make small cuts, holes, and notches. It can anchor the hawk as mentioned to use the primary edge with two free hands. You can even anchor the primary edge and use the spike for precision work such as boring a hole by placing a piece of wood on top of the spike and turning it. It can also be used in a last ditch abusive manner and you will still have a fresh primary edge.

The hammer poll can pound.
Click to expand...
And, a spike could serve as a reasonable ice ax.
 

Attachments

  • ice-ax-h.jpg
    ice-ax-h.jpg
    24.7 KB · Views: 30
Which do you think is more realistically useful, a hammer or spike poll?
Click to expand...

Depends on where you live.
 
Depends on where you live.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes ... and ... ?

Are you going offer views about how where we live will influence our decision, or just leave us hanging? :D

With your credentials (associated with survival sheaths, and I'm told I should send my 'hawk to you when I get it to have a sheath made), you must have some good opinions about that.

Please share. ;)

Sincerely,

Nem
 
Ookami said:
my take on that: different strokes for different folks,

BUT I would advise against using the side of the eye as a hammer on a spiked hawk, as suggested by the cross-hatched section on the SOG fusion hawk. You may very well pop the eye open and be left with an unfunctional tool that is beyond repair.

Ookami
Click to expand...

Good point.

& even on quality hawks, that area can be mild steel, not hardened.
 
If you're doing more of a utility thing, pounding stakes, setting up camp, making shelters, the hammer is very useful. So if you live in the US, you'd be pretty good with a hammer.

Now IF you need to punch through body armor, break locks and pierce helmets, you may not live in the US, (well maybe Detroit) so you probably wouldn't need it.:D

I can't think of too many utility uses for the spike that you couldn't do with the hammer, and then of course you always have the axe head anyway.
 
Robert, thanks for your views. Very useful for me since I'm trying to decide between spike and hammer. (Of course, eventually, I'll have one of each, but trying to decide which to start with since I can't afford both right now... ;) )

What do you think of the arguments about using the spike for things like digging, punching holes in things in a non-combat role (e.g., need a hole in a piece of metal sheeting for rigging a shelter), etc.

Admittedly, one could use a punch for the latter, but as a backpacker type, I'm trying to lighten my load and ounces add up ...
 
Well you CAN use them for stuff like that, but do you need to? Depending on the soil, the hammer would do the same thing as the spike, and be a hammer. The spike is, well......a spike.

I think the spike is primarily a military thing. Doesn't mean you can't own it. I probably could get along just fine with my Winchester Scout, but I LIKE my AK's:D

It seems to me though, that in a normal survival or utility situation, a hammer is more useful. How often do you say to yourself "if i just had a hammer"..... as oppossed to "if i could just puncture that with a long metal spike!"

And if you want to go the fighting route, a hammer will crush bone and skull quite well, while the spike on the Vietnam hawk was designed specifically for going through the NVA helmet, putting a hole in the brain housing unit of a bad guy, (whithout getting stuck in there), and coming back out so you could go brain somebody else. It's a really beautiful, efficient weapon, like a war hammer or a PKM machine gun. But to each his own.
 
honestly fellas.

as someone who has made a living digging in hard ground i have to disagree with the hammer works as well as a spike mentality.

ever used a sledgehammer to do what a pick is supposed to do? prolly not. and if so, not for long.

it truely does seem to me that a short spike (ie, 2-3'') is ideal on the back of a "survival" type hawk. hell, a stout tree limb makes a dandy hammer, but wont break up ground for shite. ;)

my $.02 of course.

course all in all I think I'd rather have a kuhkri for most survival needs. judging from my experiences today building some things in the woods with a 18'' kuk and a 14'' fiskars hatchet.

wouldn't want to use the kuk for digging but other than that it well outperformed my hatchet. course a firehardened digging stick works pretty well for most easy digging chores.

but all in all, (back to the topic an all.) i'd take a spike over a hammer. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top