I have a small, two bitted Nessmuk style camp axe, but one of my friends who was in Nam told me that a Tomahawk is just as good and usually lighter than many camp axes.
What do you guys think?
Would it be worth the effort to get a Tomahawk, or is it more of a frontier era or last ditch CQB weapon than survival tool?
You could also take a steel pipe / tube with the inside diameter just barely larger than your camp axe handle. Sliding the tube over the handle and either securing it with a set screw in the tube, or with a hitch pin through both (if you have access to the tools) would give you much greater reach and power.
The new tomahawks being brought to the sandbox by some of the troops are state of the art and very solid construction. I forget who is making these, but it should not be too difficult to find.
these guys were on a Modern Marvels episode on the History Channel. On the show a guy almost chopped a car in half with the tomahawk. RMJTACTICAL.COM
Yea there are a number of companys making these new "combat tomahawks" which are kinda seeing a comback in recent times as a last ditch melee weapon over in Iraq and such. Ive read more than a couple articles on them.
But for general purposes and as a tool and less than a weapon Id go for a good standard camp/ utility axe/hatchet.
I have a neat little "Marble's Safety Axe" hatchet for camping/BOB use, but it would be too light for serious weapon use. Excellent for camp chores though!
Check this baby out. I read a report about a soldier in Iraq that knocked this through a insurgents head in a close encounter. I have one after a friend and I used his on a camping trip. Its pretty cool looking, and not gimmicky at all. Comes with a decent sheath that will go on your belt or molle gear. SOG Fusion Tactical Tomahawk
EDIT: Guess I totally misread the OP's purpose for the tomahawk. Either way, the piece I posted is a great survival tool as well as something fun when your bored in camp. Good for small limbs, but not in the way of chopping wood really.
Last edited by xd45; 05-21-2009 at 03:48 PM.
Reason: im a moron
Pretty good looking hawk.
I would personally prefer a 4 inch cutting edge and 2 inches wide on each side of the handle and the extrusion opposite the cutting edge being whatever length it takes to balance the blade.
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Last edited by Windwalker; 05-21-2009 at 05:34 PM.
There used to be a thing called a Rifleman's Tomahawk. It was used as a camp axe, fighting device and as a hammer. That seems to be about the ideal hawk to have around to meet all needs.
There used to be a thing called a Rifleman's Tomahawk. It was used as a camp axe, fighting device and as a hammer. That seems to be about the ideal hawk to have around to meet all needs.
I own two of these. Personally, I would have preferred if the haft was about 6" longer than the stock one. The head on it is too heavy for me to use as an axe with that short of a haft.
I guess it depends on what you want to do. I have 2 good tomahawks and have used them a lot. I have sharpened the ends of hundreds of wooden traps stakes with them, and used them for countless other jobs. That being said, I was working too hard to get the job done and would have been better off with a good hatchet, which I finally got around to buying.
Another tool I use a lot is a "boys axe", which is just a scaled down version of the common single bit axe. I use it a lot trapping, and it is handy around the the camp and yard.
I carry a tomahawk with me at times while 4-wheeling, hiking ect. I also keep one under the back seat of my truck with my survival stash.
