which RMJ hawk as a woods companion?

Z

ZanMartin

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Apr 23, 2013
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I have seen the beauties at shows and held them but never got to use one. I know there are axes designed more for chopping, but between the rmj hawk line which do you think works best as a general outdoor tool. I have looked all over the forums but none of the threads I found compare the chopping abilities or utility against each other....usually they are just compared against hatchets or none full tang hawks. I would be keeping it attached to my bag while hiking/camping/float trips. I'm a fairly large guy so I'm not overly concerned about the weight.
 
What I recall RMJ posting here a while ago was that the Talon and Kestrel had edges that were more suited to woodworking than the Shrike, which was more optimized for demolition. I have a Talon and it would be far from my first choice as a woods tool although it could certainly be made use of in a pinch. Mine is an older one and to be honest the handle is optimized much for grip retention than comfort. I wouldn't want to chop down a tree without wearing gloves. I think newer ones have more rounded edges and might be more comfortable barehanded.

The Jenny Wren looks like it would be a pretty decent outdoor tool to me, especially the hammer poll version, but I have no experience with one. No idea how the Berserker would stack up either.
 
I use my Berserker for outdoor use when I go camping/hiking. I've used it for all the camp tasks and it has worked well. To me it's set up best for all round use but that's my .02
 
Burke said:
What I recall RMJ posting here a while ago was that the Talon and Kestrel had edges that were more suited to woodworking than the Shrike, which was more optimized for demolition. I have a Talon and it would be far from my first choice as a woods tool although it could certainly be made use of in a pinch. Mine is an older one and to be honest the handle is optimized much for grip retention than comfort. I wouldn't want to chop down a tree without wearing gloves. I think newer ones have more rounded edges and might be more comfortable barehanded.

The Jenny Wren looks like it would be a pretty decent outdoor tool to me, especially the hammer poll version, but I have no experience with one. No idea how the Berserker would stack up either.
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Do you think the length of the kestrel(13) would be better than the talon outdoors?
From what I can tell I think ideally I would want the kestrel/talon blade but with maybe a 15inch length.
 
If I'm going to carry one of my RMJ hawks to the woods I'm most likely to grab the Jenny Wren for size, weight and packing. But....... This is just my opinion and what works for my needs. I think the hammer poll version would be even more practical as mentioned above. Besides the Jenny I have a Feather and a Shrike, each has it's place. I handled and played with the Berserker when visiting Ryan at his shop, it's definitely a hulk of a hawk but it's just not my cup of tea.

Looking outside the box at another woods carry option take a look at the American Kami MicrAxe. DJ offers some super options and the hammer poll version is awesome.
 
I like to take one if my hawks along while hunting or camping too, I try not to get caught up in the arguments about how a big knife or an axe would be better, nor do I care much about weight because the majority of my travel is done on an ATV and I'm moving so slow while stalking that the weight doesn't matter much at all ( my rifle is 11 1/2 pounds ).

I've had a Shrike for a while and am amazed at how well it works on wood, it moves pretty good chips and it bites pretty deep. I have quite a few other traditional hawks and they also do well but they have much heavier heads and longer handles; since I'm not a kydex bender non of them are as convenient to carry. I really like the Shrike a lot, I don't find it to be too long for carry, just right for use, and a whole lot of fun.
I read some good posts by Mistwalker about using the Shrike as a woods hawk before I bought mine, try looking them up, he did a great job.

I bought a Jenny Wren last Oct. it's very easy to carry and convenient to have around since it's so light and short that I never take it off when on a trip. I've always liked big knives but rarely carry them in the woods, the JW fills that role for me. It chops well enough from my experience on firewood and field dressing a white tail deer. It's definitely no axe, nor was it meant to be a full size axe, but it handles the firewood well enough and you can baton the handle if it gets stuck. I would never go any smaller than the JW for wood work and honestly it may be too small for most, but it's fine to me. I'm not out there depending on the quickest fire or the biggest tree, I have plenty of time to gather my firewood and don't need the biggest fire since it's mostly for pleasure and not survival. If I was out there in that fashion I'd have something bigger but the chances of me getting lost doing what I do are astronomically slim and I get cell service there so if worst comes to worst I don't need the bigger axe.
All that said, I'd have no problem taking either one with me on any hunt or adventure, even if it was a remote adventure where a big axe would be necessary- I'd still be wearing the Wren, it's just awesome !

I remember reading a post not too long ago that RMJ was going to be releasing a dedicated woods style hawk, then the newest CRKT collab hawks came out, you may want to look into them.

Good luck choosing and please let us know how you like whichever one that you end up with.
 
I've been using my Shrike S-13 as my hiking adventure companion for about a year, it serves me well.
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Thanks for the feedback and pictures!

I think I like the style of the Kestrel and Shrike more than that of the other designs. Thinking ill shoot RMJ an email and see if they can offer me a good comparison between the two blade geometries. I've read they have slimmed down the shrikes blade a bit in recent productions but still wondering how it bites wood compared to the Kestrel.
 
For me, the spike is a great asset, I use it for prying,scraping,digging,climbing (out of creek banks), awl type use, picking up items, dragging branches/briars etc. Probably use it more than the blade. You can still hammer with the flat side as well.
 
WJC01 said:
For me, the spike is a great asset, I use it for prying,scraping,digging,climbing (out of creek banks), awl type use, picking up items, dragging branches/briars etc. Probably use it more than the blade. You can still hammer with the flat side as well.
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^this^
Exactly !

If it was a true fat hammer poll I may argue a little more towards the poll but with how skinny the polls are on full tang hawks I find that I just don't have much use for them in the woods. The spike on the other hand has proven itself very value able to me and very useful.
If I want to hammer something I'll just use my hawk to cut myself a baton :)

I waffled between the Shrike and the Loggerhead for months when I was shopping hawks, I couldn't be happier with the choice I made.
I occasionally take a traditional hawk into the woods instead of the RMJ's but I don't find myself using the poll very often. Everybody has a different style in the woods and how they use a hawk varies just as much, you're style may lead you to a hammer poll in the end, I just ask that you don't write off the spike without trying it first.
 
Edited. I sold my Shrike :grumpy: but......... placed a pre-order for a Logger :) This will be my "woods / camping" hawk and I still have the Feather and Jenny Wren for other handy work that may requite a spike.
 
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I'm looking for a loggerhead for the same purpose. I think it makes the most since in the wood because of the hammer poll. I've also read somewhere its ground thinner than the forged offerings so it should eat wood better!?!
 
sr15match said:
Edited. I sold my Shrike :grumpy: but......... placed a pre-order for a Logger :) This will be my "woods / camping" hawk and I still have the Feather and Jenny Wren for other handy work that may requite a spike.
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Do you know if you have to pay up front for the pre-order?

Thanks,

Dan
 
DBH said:
Do you know if you have to pay up front for the pre-order?

Thanks,

Dan
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I paid upfront, gave them my finish color request so now it's time to wait but you can ring them and see if they have a waiting list. There's a logger for sale here on the forum right now unless it's been spoken for already.
 
I didn't figure it would hang around very long. A fair price and available now, no waiting.

Tough to beat especially when looking at another member here selling RMJ Hawks with nearly a $200 premium on them depending on the model....... :thumbdn:
 
The standard Shrike.
I considered the loggerhead, but the hammer is only as wide as the tang, and I could just see myself hitting me more than what I was aiming at.
WJC01 outlined the advantages of the spike very well, and I won't bother repeating them. Also, ask yourself is it easier to duplicate a spike like object that can do what a metal spike on a hawk can do, or is it easier to duplicate a hammer-like object?

The Shrike I got came nearly shaving sharp, the edge isn't bad for wood work at all, and I was surprised at how light the hawk was in hand.

I had a berserker and sold it because it just didn't do it for me. It's also heavier at 40oz. to the Shrike's 27 oz.
 
Think I'm going to go with the Shrike. Thanks for all the feedback guys. You helped settle my nerves haha
 
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