Clockwise from Bottom, RMJ, American Tomahawk, Sayoc Winkler, SOG
Referenced by the U.S. military back as far as 1757 in the 28 orders of Roger's Rangers, the tomahawk has seen a resurgence in popularity as an effective weapon and a useful battlefield tool. They are decent breaching tools, outstanding weapons and are replacing knives as the last-ditch CQB weapon of choice by some of America's elite forces.
While many are sold as breaching tools, this belies the 'hawks best and bloodiest use. No other weapon of the same size can generate as much force with a short stroke in an enclosed space. Period. If a bad guy gets in your entry stack, you can't shoot him without endangering your teammates; and a knife is a slow kill. If you really want to get someone off your teammate in a hurry, there's nothing deadlier than the spike of a tomahawk to the head. Small and short might not look as cool, but they do the bloody job better than a knife in a confined space. Now, if you want to get through a wooden door, rake some glass or punch in a door lock, the longer handled tomahawks fit the bill.
Looking at the range of 'hawks in today's posts, you'll see everything from budget-minded quality all the way up to exotic-looking designs. One of the keys to a tomahawk's durability is the way the shaft is connected to the head. Nylon handles attached to steel heads will bend back into shape after a hit, but the head could eventually separate. Full tang designs mean the head and shaft are made from a single piece of material with no chance of head separation. Another factor to consider is the type of steel. Each of the 'hawks below use different grades of steel and you get what you pay for in weight, durability and edge retention.
[nggallery id=75]
