[FALPhil]

Hey guys, I am thinking about adding a tomahawk to my BOB. I have looked at the Cold Steel hawks, and I really like the Frontier hawk. Estwing makes one that is "full tang" (their words), and it seems to me that it would transmit too much shock to the hand under hard use. SOG makes a "tactical" (again, their words) with a fiberglass handle which might work pretty good.

So, what have you got, and what's your advice? Post some pics.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

It ain't much of a "Tommy Hawk," but it is a hatchet most likely. It was left to me by my F in law. Now in a nursing home. It is stamped "Estwing." Good metal all the way down. Leather grip. It hacks like hell and keeps going.

Other 2 knives are his favorite steak knife on top, an Imperial IIRC. The other one below is a Buck Lite lockback.

 

[Ajole]

I have one in my truck. It's a Gerber Gator II combo, has a little pull saw in the handle, good enough for small to medium branches. Has a sheathe that would allow carry on the belt, though I wouldn't go that way; probably strap it to the pack if I needed to hoof it.

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-41420-Gator-Combo-Axe/dp/B000C0RKYM

That Cold Steel unit is nifty, but not much of a tool, though it does have the advantage of allowing easy handle replacement. I like the flat back side of a hatchet for hammering.

In something as short as a hatchet, I doubt the metal handle would transmit any more than the short wood handles. Those Estwings have been around for a really long time.

 

[scbuxton]

I have a united cutlery M48. Hawk and I like it a lot. I just bought a cold steel riflemans hawk for throwing and it does pretty well out of the box. A 22 inch handle on a heavy hawk makes it a very useful tool. It will cut as well as any small axe and makes a formidable weapon. The cold steel is not as good looking as a custom hawk, but it functions just about as well. I've been practicing hawk throwing in the afternoons after work and I can 'stick it' just about every throw. Lots of fun.