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Practically speaking, tomahawks have long been a utilitarian solution for survival and woodworking. Make them light enough to throw, and you’ve got yourself one of the most badass melee weapons of all time. Knuckle dusters and spiked flails may be things of the past, but the glorious tomahawk lives on, and it’s better than ever. Modern tactical tomahawks are almost too good to be true. We’re firm believers that anyone who uses a tomahawk in combat should be awarded a special medal emblazoned with Mel Gibson’s face. While we work on getting that approved by the Defense Department, you go ahead and pick your weapon of choice. These tomahawks belong not on the frontier or on some distant battlefield, but amongst us, and our jealous friends must learn of our awesome tomahawk with their own eyes.
In the off-chance that you don’t strike the war story lottery and find yourself slaying baddies with your tomahawk, there are plenty of other ways to put it to use. I’ve used my Aplhatraz commemorative tomahawk (shoutout to BOC 10-1) to chop firewood on occasion, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to carry on my camping pack than a full-size ax or even a hatchet. Most tomahawks are sharp enough for all kinds of campsite chores. Since they’re designed for throwing, you could even rustle up some friends and create an ax-throwing league––assuming you can find a suitable venue. Fair warning, neighbors aren’t always thrilled with such activities.
It’s a marvel that such incredible tomahawks not only exist but can arrive on your doorstep in a matter of hours. We’re spoiled for choice, too. For less than you’d spend on a casual night at the bars, you can score an old-school tomahawk or a futuristic composite one with all the latest materials. Maybe it’s time to start a collection to rival your friends’ knife and watch collections. Now, how many references to The Patriot can I fit in this article? Read on to find out.
CRKT Woods
Supcamp survival axe
Gerber Downrange
SOG Survival Hawk
Smith u0026 Wesson Hawkeye Throwing Axes
HX Outdoors tactical tomahawk
Cold Steel throwing axe
Statuscrafts Competition Throwing Axe
Types of tomahawks
The tomahawk concept is a derivative of the hatchet. Variations have been designed as lightweight hand tools, throwing weapons, and even axe/pipe combination devices–which gets wilder the more you think about it. Today, you can also choose between natural materials and advanced composites like polymers and metal alloys that increase durability and reduce weight. Many have secondary features built-in, including fire-starters, compasses, and pry-bars. Some are designed for competitive throwing events, and others are built to strike down members of the murderous cavalry unit who killed two of your sons.
Key features of tomahawks
- Size: While tomahawks were originally designed to be chuckable multitools, more compact options have become available. A little extra size and balanced weight are important for throwing, but you might want to consider mobility if you have a lot of gear to carry.
- Weight: A good tomahawk needs to have a little bit of heft to it. Composite materials can reduce weight, but they still have the rigidity and balance to throw or fit securely in your hand. All will be lighter than a traditional hatchet.
- Balance: Hand axes built for chopping have some flexibility as long as the head is heavy enough to split small logs. Tomahawks need to have a more refined balance that allows them to rotate predictably through the air.
- Durability: Wild places like the Black Swamp require equipment that can take hard knocks and resist nature’s merciless assault in the form of moisture and extreme temperatures. Look for high-quality steel and either composite or hardwood handles.
- Tools: Survival tomahawks come with additional tools integrated into their design. One of these will keep you prepped with a knife, hammer, fire-starter, and compass. More urban-oriented tomahawks come with things like a pry-bay for breaching doors or opening General Cornwallis’ personal effects.
Benefits of tomahawks
Do you need to be told? Tomahawks are like the knife’s cooler older brother who’s in a band and drives an IROC Camaro. They can chop wood, fashion a wilderness shelter, fight off bad guys, and intimidate the daylights out of your French allies. Many are essentially a survival kit, with integrated tools like fire-starters and removable knives. Modern materials and innovative designs make today’s tomahawks some of the most versatile, practical tools you can get. You might get a few looks for being the first one in your unit to show up with one of these strapped to your body armor, but can you imagine the regret you’d live with if you ever got an opportunity to use a tomahawk and didn’t have one?
Tomahawk pricing
Since tomahawks are fairly simple to make, you can find serviceable examples for less than $30. Decent throwing axes cost around $50. Premium options can cost as much as $375, but that will get you top-shelf materials and build quality. Fortunately, there are great options across the price range. You’ll just have to decide what kind of features you want in addition to a basic tomahawk before settling on a budget. Since these aren’t firearms, there’s no need to set money aside for a safe. Feel free to store your tomahawk in a trunk under your bed that can easily be retrieved if someone sets your house on fire for harboring a colonial spy.
That’s 14 Patriot references, by the way. Did you catch them all?
