Guns & Outdoors Forum

What is the attraction of all the $500 tomahawks?
I cannot think of what use I would find for one,
@$300 - $500 I sure as hell am not going to throw it at anything, and at 16-20 in in length it isnt going to be an EDC.
high end knife makers are building them from intricately machined high grade steel and if the latest hawks were not selling they would not be building them.

Maybe to bring your own to the axe throwing place or look cooler than the average mall ninja?

Never been to an Axe throwing place. MIL bought me a gift card to one about 2 years ago and I never found the interest to go.

I do have a nice axe from Winkler Knives. I also have a few of his knives and they are worth every penny he charges for his blades.

Winkler was local to me when I lived in the Mountains in NC and I liked the design of his blades so I went to a local dealer (not a lot of those) and wife said, yep. It was $600 when my wife bought it for me, it's now over $800. It's stupid handy, easy to carry, fast to deploy, the full tang construction will not be breaking any time soon, and in combination with his Striker knife they are really all the tools I'd ever need outdoors. I've done a BUNCH of day trips with it where I was able to use it a bit for miscellaneous chores, and my outdoor time has grown exponentially since I gave up my day job. But, I just finally took it camping and it does short work of anything that a hatchet would do and it split dry logs into kindling swiftly, better than any hatchet I've ever used. The full metal handle allows you to baton the handle right through a log and there is zero worry about using the full handle to pry, it's solid steel covered in hard maple wood scales.

I lives, with the Striker knife, in my I need "alone time" NOW bag that is always handy for throwing in my Jeep and scooting into the mountains. And they work so well that as a matter of fact I've been slowly selling off other "premium" knives I have because I just don't see me needing them again. Just got rid of a well used Randal for almost $800, that's over twice what I aid for it new!!! Which is testimony to the old adage, buy right cry once. That knife worked for me for decades and I made money when I sold it.

So throwing? I wouldn't have a clue. I was told a long time ago that throwing your tools at anything or anybody is foolish. But, Winkler sells just about his entire production to SF folks that swear by them as CQC tools, many of his orders are done for full units and teams. Apparently the spike on them will puncture an engine block and disable an enemy vehicle permanently in a big hurry or take care of someone decisively and quietly.

You can see them in action in the series Terminal Lis where the main character has a matching set on the wall of his man cave and uses them to dispatch a BG in one of the final scenes. It's Hollywood stuff, I know, but apparently based on real use.

jkp wrote: ↑Fri Aug 23, 2024 11:42 pm Maybe to bring your own to the axe throwing place or look cooler than the average mall ninja?

Not even mall Ninjas, my BIL went to one of those places and he said it was a bunch of flaming urban snowflakes of every letter in the new sex catalog, dressed in new flannel shirts drinking craft beer.

Hard pass...

Ax throwing is a big event at logging shows. Thise guys take their equipment seriously. Weight, balance and sharpness is a big deal. The tactical ones I can't speak for but throwing axes are another story for those into it

I’ll kiss anyone’s ass who can manage to swing a tomahawk hard enough to punch a hole in an engine block. That’s the largest pile of mall ninja bullsh it I believe I’ve ever heard.

I understand the need and desire for high dollar stuff. But I can probably buy a bundle of tomahawks on Amazon for the price of a name brand, designer one. I'd also be more inclined to throw the Chinese ones without crying if I nicked the handle. Now throwing knives on the other hand, they are fun. I bought a bunch for less than $20 last winter and got pretty good in the basement using cardboard and Styrofoam as a target. The one thing that I can't seem to get down though is the set distance you HAVE to be to get the tip to stick every time. I can find that distance by trial and error and stick them everytime but there's no way I could just walk up to a tree and guarantee I'll stick them by standing in the right place.

I have seen a SPAX —specialty axe is a short hatchet designed to free oneself and others from downed mil aircraft. Has a round blade that won’t get stuck and a spike to break glass or an initial hole in metal. That might be useful but I’m not going to buy one.
If my Spyderco clip or schrade sharp finger or electric chainsaw won’t cut it. It probably doesn’t need cutting

Almost forgot they are not axes or hatchets they are “tactical tomahawks”

Here are a few. Oh how does one choose??

RMJ Tactical Knight Hawk Specs
Blade Material: 80CRV2
Overall Length: 14.5 inches
Edge Length: 2.875 inches
Weight: 23 ounces
Handle Material: G-10
MSRP: $525

Spyderco Warrior Hawk Specs
Blade Material: D2
Overall Length: 13.68 inches
Edge Length: 2.17 inches/.79 inches for top edge
Weight: 28.5 ounces
Handle Material: G-10
MSRP: $550

CRKT Jenny Wren Compact Specs
Blade Material:D2
Overall Length: 13.68 inches
Edge Length: 2.17 inches
Weight: 28.5 ounces
Handle Material: G-10
MSRP: $550

Winkler Wild Bill Axe Specs
Blade Material: 80CrV2 with black Caswell finish
Overall Length: 13.25 inches
Edge Length: 2.25 inches
Weight: 22.2 ounces
Handle Material: Maple Wood with Black Cord
MSRP: $600

Winkler Combat Axe Specs
Blade Material: 80CrV2
Overall Length: 13.75 inches
Edge Length: 2.5 inches
Weight: 24 ounces
Handle Material: Black Canvas Laminate
MSRP: $600

I'm pretty sure that even adjusting for inflation, whatever the Hudson Bay Company was selling knives and axes to the Native Americans for, it wasn't anything near $500.

I get that a tomahawk is going to be a dandy camp utility item and improvised melee weapon for 17th-18th Century light infantry, but let's be real here - it's a hammer converted to do double duty as a lightweight hatchet.

As for the CQC argument
One can get a Rock Island 10mm double stack 17 shot 2011 with threaded barrel suppressor ready for $750
Or a Keltec KSG bull pup 12 ga 40 shot mini slug capacity
Either should be sufficient in most circumstances

I have a 15ish year old CRKT Tomahawk that hangs on the wall. Of course it was about 20 bucks from midway back then.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 24, 2024 12:59 am I’ll kiss anyone’s ass who can manage to swing a tomahawk hard enough to punch a hole in an engine block. That’s the largest pile of mall ninja bullsh it I believe I’ve ever heard.

Maybe, just repeating something I heard. Have no proof otherwise or need for that skill/feature. But maybe next time I find an abandoned vehicle in the desert I’ll give it a swing just to see what damage the spike will do. If I manage to make a hole or crack you can keep your lips to yourself, I’m good.

There’s no maybe. It’s mall ninja claims. Anyone dumb enough to attempt to put a hole in an engine block where there’s a perfectly good fuel line, brake line, battery, or, maybe four round donut looking things….well anyway. Tactical Tommy strikes again.

No tomahawks here. I carry one of these when need be...

Engines don't last long without coolant either

Perhaps whoever suggested a tomahawk could penetrate an engine block was talking about the tomahawk missile. I think it could handle the task.

Is anyone else having flashes of Daniel Day Lewis or Mel Gibson trying to chop up a car, or is it just me?

Tomahawk throwing is fun. We went to an event where we got to forge our own. They had the eye preformed, we just did the heat and beat to get it to hawk shape. After making we got to throw them. More fun than pitching horse shoes, for sure.

Not liking tomahawk throwing because of the clientele is like not liking CZ because of gun hipsters.

I’ve had this H&B throwing Hawk for years. It’s a handy camp tool, I’ve used it to split an elk pelvis with great success. They have been popular in the Mountain Man scene for years. I’ve been eyeing their bearded hawk for a while now….

I had a short gerber hatchet. Awesome little tool. It got pilfered, I need to replace it. It would get STUPID sharp. I prefer a hatchet to a tomahawk simply because a hatchet doubles as a hammer. Takes up the same space but gives double duty.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 24, 2024 8:17 pm I had a short gerber hatchet. Awesome little tool. It got pilfered, I need to replace it. It would get STUPID sharp. I prefer a hatchet to a tomahawk simply because a hatchet doubles as a hammer. Takes up the same space but gives double duty.

https://hbforge.com/polled-axes/large-camp-axe/
There ya go!