Where to start with tomahawks.

B

Bugbear

Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
28
Hello:

I am looking to get my first tomahawk, and I'm not sure where to start.

I assume since there is a great deal of cold steel useage it should be a good starting point. I like the looks of rifleman hawk, but I think I'd rather have a spike on the other side.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Cold Steel's Rifleman's Hawk is a good place to start. I've had mine since early 1994 and put it through a lot of heavy use. It's held up great.

One thing though, it is a bit heavy because of that hammer poll, but the hammer poll is very useful, IMO more so than a spike.

I found mine balanced out just right on a 24" handle.
 
Cold Steel Trail Hawk is also a nice pick. For 25 bucks you can't beat the price. You can typically buy 3 to 4 Cold Steel hawks for the price of a custom. :D
 
What are you going to use it for ? How much would you like to spend ?
 
If you want to go cheap, try a Cold Steel Trail Hawk. I thought the head would be too small when I first looked at it, but after using that head (on a Vector haft), it's really good.

Or you can do what I did, and say "Damn the torpedoes!" and make a Vector hawk your first. But I'll warn you right now, it isn't cheap, and you WILL want more.
 
I have the coldsteel trail and norse hawk, then i bought a FT. Buckhawk and my last buy was atc vtac.I love to carry the trail hawk when hunting and my FT Buck hawk for throwing.the VTAC ,S handle is a little short,but i love them all (also had a hawk from JASTOWNESAND AND SONS) and give it to my cuz.for a gift,i have more to buy(im an addict now)and i would like some handles from VEC.best to you JBEE
 
I'm probably just going to use it for throwing, whacking things, messing up with poor modification attempts, etc etc. Eventually I think I would like to go old school and slap some brass tacks and wood burning on it.

Cheaper is better, but not so cheap that the quality starts to go. Nothing bothers me more than a poor quality tool.

How is the Norse tomahawk? That one interested me also.
 
Bugbear said:
I'm probably just going to use it for throwing, whacking things, messing up with poor modification attempts, etc etc. Eventually I think I would like to go old school and slap some brass tacks and wood burning on it.

Cheaper is better, but not so cheap that the quality starts to go. Nothing bothers me more than a poor quality tool.

How is the Norse tomahawk? That one interested me also.
Click to expand...

Cold Steel Hawk's are Great for what they are, But for almost the same price you can get Americam Made Hammer Forged "Top Of The Line" Tomahawk's check out these from Fort Turner Dana use's Way Better Steel and a Better Working Cutting Edge his Cutting Edge's are the Best I've seen from Any Hawk Maker, http://www.fortturner.com/store/index.htm Good Luck In your Search,
 
Last edited:
I like my C.S. norsehawk but FORT TURNER has one also which keeps calling my name ;) JBEE
 
Spike is useless except for ninja skull hole drilling...hammer poll much more utilitarian...let the arguing and recrimminations begin! :)
 
What, if then, is the advantage or drawbacks of just the hawk blade, blade + spike, blade + poundy thing? I kind of thought that about the spike. Why would someone turn over a perfectly good blade to go for a small pokey thing?

I really really like those Fort Turner tomahawks. Thanks for the link.

Now I just have to decide between the Iroquois and the Buck. Does anyone have either or any, and if so, what is the verdict?
 
I agree the hammer is overall more useful than a spike, but the spike is not entirely useless. I'm fond of using my spike hawk to chip ice in the winter time.

As for combat use, a plain tomahawk without either spike or hammer could still deliver a deadly blow from the poll side. Think about it; it's a stout piece of steel or iron on the end of a stick. In any other context that is a mace. Anyone who takes a blow upside the head from that will not have a good day.
 
Bugbear said:
What, if then, is the advantage or drawbacks of just the hawk blade, blade + spike, blade + poundy thing? I kind of thought that about the spike. Why would someone turn over a perfectly good blade to go for a small pokey thing?
Click to expand...

For piercing power. If you absolutely need to puncture something such as a 55 gallon drum *right now*, that would be the tool to use.

I really really like those Fort Turner tomahawks. Thanks for the link.

Now I just have to decide between the Iroquois and the Buck. Does anyone have either or any, and if so, what is the verdict?
Click to expand...

I have two of the Iroquois model. The first one was a bit small but it's a great thrower. I had Dana Turner make me a larger version and it's exactly right. The blades are thin but very tough, very sharp, and they bite deep. His forging is excellent. The internal dimensions of the eye are some of the best I've ever seen. :thumbup:

Left to right, Cold Steel Rifleman's Hawk, smallish FT Iroquois, larger custom FT Iroquois:
HPIM0941.jpg


I bet Mr Turner could make me an awesome Missouri War Hatchet.:D
 
Nice Collection of Hawk's Wolf, I like them all but those two Iroquois Hawk's from Fort Turner are Beautiful, I've bought lot's of Hawk's from different maker's and the Fort Turner Trapper I have Is the one I use the most It's Compact a Very Good Chopping Tool also has the Hammer Poll 15" Handle the Hawk Is Is 5 1/4" from Hammer Poll to the Very Sharp 3 1/4" Edge and the Edge on It would Skin a "Coon" or any Critter If that's all I had, I'm gonna start a Collection of Fort Turner's I think there a Great Hawk and there Priced so Low there also a Great Investment, I sure like the Hawk Head design on the Trapper Hawk I'll get some close up's of It here In a few minute's, Thank's for sharing the picture's of your Hawk's Wolf "You Got Them Looking Good !"
Here's a quik picture that show's the design of the FT Trapper "Notice the Sharp Upward Slant Of the Hawk Head and a Very Good Hammer on the end,
24weczk.jpg


This Is a better picture catching the design/Shape of the the Fort Turner Trapper,

2easawg.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the pictures. Those look great. I'm pretty sure that I'm going with the Iroquois, and I don't see it stopping there. But after seeing the trapper, its a tough call.
 
Bugbear said:
Thanks for the pictures. Those look great. I'm pretty sure that I'm going with the Iroquois, and I don't see it stopping there. But after seeing the trapper, its a tough call.
Click to expand...

Hey BugBear, Any Hawk you chose from Fort Turner Is gonna be a Goodun, You can alway's get the Trapper's Bigger Brother The Camp Hawk ! There's just one thing on Fort Turner's you have to place your Order and then he make's your Hawk and there Is a Short waiting period depending on how many Order's he has, Sometime's as long as a two week wait maybe longer maybe shorter, These aint Mass Produced Production Hawk's there Hand Made Hammer Forged TomaHawk-Perfection ! :thumbup:
 
When I was carving a longer handle for FT Iroquois #2, it looked to me like Turner makes the blade first as a separate piece then forge welds the eye around it. The forging is very well done and very strong.

I sunk the larger one, #2, deep into a big chunk of maple firewood and flexed it a bit. The blade is well tempered. It's flexes only a little, being rigid yet suitable 'springy'. I don't see it ever breaking in use.
 
Thank's for that Info. Wolf, Dana has the Info. on his Site of the prcedure and the Steel used In making his Hawk's, And Thank's again for sharing your knowledge of how these Fine Hawk's are made, I have no dought If these Hawk's are taken care of properly they will out last us In our Lifetime and will be passed down as Family Heirloom's, This Is from his Web-Site,

Our tomahawks are hand forged, using a coal forge, with forging techniques that have been utilized for hundreds of years. We start with a strap of 1020 steel and wrap around a full insert piece of 1095 high carbon steel. We forge weld and draw the blade to shape, then heat treat and temper to give you the strongest and sharpest blade possible. Finishing off with a quality American hickory or ash handle that has been hand fired and coated with two coats of satin lacquer.
 
My Iroquois hawk is waiting for me at home and I can't wait to finally get my mitts on it.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Great River Forge yet. Keith makes some mighty fine hawks at a very reasonable price as well. Here's a pic of my three current faves (that is until I get my Iroquois today, then this might change:D).
L to R are Coal Creek Forge Spike Hawk, Condor Combat Axe and Great River Forge French Hawk:
hawks1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top