I ended up with one of these. It was a drunk purchase, one boring night I watched The Patriot. 2 weeks later this showed up on my door step and I had no recollection of ever buying this until I looked at the purchase date. Moral of the story, don't watch The Patriot drunk unless you want to end up with a "tacticool" Tomahawk.
Wrap the handle with hockey tape. That's what I did. Much better than paracord, although less durable. For the record, I'd never use a lanyard with an axe of any kind. The last thing you need is to have a heavy axe head swinging back at you like a pendulum when you lose your grip. Regarding the sharpness, my SOG Tactical Tomahawk came sharp enough to shave arm hair. Regarding door breaching, at best it's wishful thinking.
On a full size axe there is no way in hell I'm gonna wear a lanyard on my wrist or hand. But for something as small as the Fast Hawk it certainly doesn't hurt.
unless it swings back and hurts you... i suppose a lanyard makes it a bit safer for others that may be nearby, but for the user it just guarantees a close proximity ricochet upon release.
I'm pretty sure the tang goes through the band because i have one and after using it a ton the band has knots on either side from the tang pressing against it and is actually tearing on the top at either side from the tang. Maybe mine is a new/old model.
Got this when I was still in the guard. Solid camp axe that makes throwing easy. A solid design for lockups and excellent balance without being too long or heavy which makes this a good backup/offhand to a bowie knife.
Try the estwing tomahawk. 16" from the bottom of the handle to the top of the axe. As far as I can tell, the tang extends from the axe head to the bottom of the grip. It's extremely overbuilt and even has a shatter warning regarding striking hard surfaces, so apparently it's some pretty hard steel. It seems like something meant to be used as opposed to look cool.
Great review. I bought one at Wal Mart for $40. Love it . I am glad to see you pointed out that tomahawks are weapons. If you need to chop a lot of wood,use an axe or hatchet! I do a lot of solo hiking and NEVER head into the bush without my Fasthawk. Every outdoorsman , or woman, should have one. Your videos are great!
I have the larger version, and I've found it to be a better than average general outdoor tool, despite it's "tactical" intent. My larger version is an exceptional thrower, and regular sharpening keeps it usable for general cutting as mentioned when choked up on. If you keep the head clean the entire tool holds up very well in adverse conditions. The spike is less useful in general, but I've used it to break tempered and safety glass easily before. I have heard it used to puncture tires (at roadblocks) but I have yet to actually see it done.
I use this axe in the military, I find it very useful for many purposes over the standard issued knife. Although I wished that the blade surface was longer in length, and more curved, making its swing accuracy more forgiving.
PapaTristan Which government? Each state has its own laws on firearms. Some states it’s nearly impossible to actually get a gun. Others it’s easy. You also can’t buy a handgun under age 21. Guns are something most foreigners really don’t understand about America. Watching the biased media will portray America as a warzone with gun violence running rampant. But, in reality it’s so unlikely to actually be killed with a gun in America. In fact, the yearly FBI statistics from 2019 show that more people are murdered here by an unarmed assailant than by an assailant using a rifle. Read the FBI statistics. Just google them right now. You’ll see that half our gun deaths are actually suicides. The FBI considers a suicide with a gun to be a “gun death”. Further, half of the remaining number are actually gang related murders. Which is very common in inner cities like Chicago. Constant game ware fare in those places leads to huge murder numbers as these gangs constantly kill one another. After you get rid of suicides and gangs you end up with a tiny amount of people actually murdered with firearms here. I’m serious. Do some research on your own and come to your own conclusions. Judging us based on what you see in the news just isn’t fair. Most Americans just believe strongly in the right to self defense. Hence why we have so many guns. And you’d be surprise how often those guns are used in legitimate and lawful self defense.
PapaTristan Yes, in theory you can get them in every state. But in practice that’s just not the case. Someone living in New York City or Chicago has to jump through a huge number of hoops to get a gun. Maybe even more than some European countries. And we place plenty of limits on who can own a gun. In Texas if you’ve been convicted of family violence charges you lose your rights to a gun. Even felons who have done their prison time have a hard time getting guns even after they’ve served their full sentence. Like I said, most foreigners just don’t understand all the complexity surrounding guns I America. It is so dependent upon what state you’re living in and even possibly what city inside that state. Fun fact. These ultra-strict gun laws basically do absolutely nothing. Chicago and Los Angeles have horrific murder rates with firearms yet have incredibly strict gun laws. All these hoops to jump through protect no one. And only serve to disarm the law abiding public. It’s easier to get a gun illegally in these places than legally.
As a weapon I think this has good potential. Its hardy and can be thrown with accuracy in my experience. In use for camping however, its pretty sub par in my experiences. I and a bunch of friends get together for the summer and camp on a river island or some other fairly remote places and one of my friends brings this. When you need to get a decent amount of firewood chopped before dark, the SOG naturally comes up wanting. I always wonder why he bothers bringing it. I have a gerber gator hatchet with a saw in the handle and it works wonders. So, as a weapon which is how you reviewed it, its fine and dandy. If you ever go camping, I'd choose something different. You'll have more firewood to last you the night.
one time my hatchet bounced unnexpected off wood and I was in a rhythm so I was also raising it for the next cut and I hit myself in the eye with the back of the axe. I was fine but it was unpleasant to say the least, if I was using that axe I would either be a Cyclops or dead
I had a tomahawk with a spike....and was clearing a fence-line that was butted up to a forest, on a down stroke I got sloppy and bounced the spike off the top of my head.....didn't hurt that bad but bled alot. I also learned that was not the tool for the job.
we sell these at Big 5 sporting goods in california with a "kydex" sheath for about 45 dollars and the spike isn't meant to go through "armor" it's meant for mainly going through sheet metal, glass, and other ,as you said, hard surfaces
SAE vs. Metric problem? I took a small diameter bike tube and cut a section, sprayed the handle with WD-40 and slid the tube on- Really snug fit, the lube dried and it's a great, comfortable not-slip handle.
Those TorX screws look to be a bit size of T20. Really common screws used on the Volkswagens I work on. What I'd suggest is to pick up a TorX bit set which has the hole in the center for security bits. If you can find a set that has T10, T15, T20 and T25 in it, you'll have most of what you need for small items. If you work on larger items, you may want to pick up a T30, T40, T45 and T50.
I think the tang goes through the metal band though, I have the Fasthawk and I have thrown it quite a bit. After much use it appears that the tang had started to wiggle out of that metal band a little near the middle. On mine you can see where it is "poking out".
Hey Skall, I am really addicted to axes (being able to hook stuff seems awesome) and I was checking your channel but saw little stuff about them (and I mean historical replicas, techniques, sparring matches... not modern day wood chopping), actually, I saw little stuff about axes in all of youtube. So if you are in need of ideas for a new video... there's that
i picked up a fasthawk for $55 and the tactial tomahawk for $70 in Australia... good fun hey. had a go at throwing the coldsteel rifelmans hawk today... big difference between them when you dont hit the target right, the coldsteel falls apart everytime. punches portholes through stuff when it hits but lol
TY for the review. I see these things around all over the place. They look fun but i just don't see their functionality as a camp hatchet. My dad warned me not to buy one. He is in his 80's, and tends to be right about this stuff even when he is wrong, if you know what i mean! ;)
For a better hawk get the cold steel trench hawk(I know you are not a big fan of that company but u got admit some of their products are actually good)
Little tip for extra grip on that handle, spray some truck bed liner on the handle. Of course that adds more grip but like you said, it'll add to potential blisters if used repetitively.
Wish I lived near some wilderness area so I could go try one of these out for throwing. It does look like it held up well in your throwing videos, and the cost is hard to beat.
one of the ups to the steel is you can sharpen it on some surfaces I have actually tried and sharpened it on a concrete sidewalk and got it shaving sharp.
somebody probably already said this already, but tomahawks are meant for flesh, not wood... a hunters axe would be a better option if you were looking for an all purpose bush axe. personally i like forest axes for that 'cause i don't care about hauling extra weight. that being said... and as you said, this hawk throws AWESOMELY!! i bet it would be pretty good in combat too... and i hope i never have to find out if that's true or not!
I put racket tape on mine which helped a lot. I managed to deform the digging spike when I hit a brick. I had seen it done on line and wanted to try it out. FAIL. Spikes on hawks like this were used for digging quit a lot and this one works pretty well for that.
Damn proprietory screws. The head on mine came loose and I could never get it tight as I wanted. Strangely, the full sized SOG tomahawk I own never came loose even though I've had it longer. A handy size, too bad it's not as strong as its bigger brother.
I bought mine for 20 dollars at Wal-Mart in a cool ACU digital camo pattern, I got it to practice throwing with but so far had little luck with that...But a cool axe and no doubt will be useful for some light yard work, I think I may keep it in the car just in case, Especially useful for areas I can't take my firearm like on the Army post.
Question, i have both this exact axe and a regular $20 Kobalt camping hatchet. In a combat scenario the fasthawk of course might be faster to swing around but the hatchet has a much broader blade on it. Which would you personally use in combat if you had to?
speed is almost everything in a combat scenario. The thinner blade of the fasthawk will cut though more material, and will penetrate deeper into an opponent
There's no guarantee that the tang doesn't just indent to make room for the ring, and then continue beneath for an inch or two for anchoring purposes (in sort of a T shape, where the tail of the T anchors inside the ring). I'd withhold judgment on that until I was able to take the thing apart, especially given that you beat it up pretty bad and it apparently hasn't loosened at all. Seems very solid. But a totally valid concern either way.
Well then, if that's the case, isn't the metal ring supposed to reinforce it? Unless it isn't a ring then doing that to the tang would be sorta useless... Of course, I don't know anything about hatchets/axes so I could be wrong.
The ring would be clamping the tang into the rest of the handle, preventing it from bending or from splitting the handle due to force applied sideways against the head (such as using it as a hammer). If you could imagine taking a wooden pole, drilling a hole into it and inserting the tang of a spear blade into that hole, then binding the end of the pole with metal around the tang would help prevent the wood from splitting should sideways force be applied to the blade. Same is true here. (Also forgive me if I am using any terminology incorrectly)
MouseAndShiraz No I get how that works, but with a loose tang what's the point? That piece isn't a 'cast' is it? It's just a metal ring. And a thinner tang isn't a good thing at all unless you're trying to cut down on weight for balance, even then it's the last thing you should get rid of. I think Skall is right here, it just wouldn't make any sense otherwise, it likely just ends there.
What's the point? I'm not sure what you mean. It's a continuation of the head of the axe into the haft. Literally *any* extension of the head into the haft is going to increase structural durability of the whole weapon/tool. The tang is there to overlap the head and the haft and provide structural support, because if you just bolt the head on to the haft with no tang at all, it will easily snap off. Cutting 1/10th of an inch off the edge of the tang to form it into a prong is not going to weaken it considerably; it's already a very thick and durable piece of steel. The manufacturer probably wanted the outer portion of the tange, the haft, and the ring to all be flush, which meant that in order to extend the tang into the haft, it needed to indent inwards slightly to fit inside the ring. The ring would then act as horizontal structural support, because the haft itself is not as resistant to shearing force as the steel ring is. Besides, Skall never said that it wouldn't make sense, he said that he thought it would be better if the tang extended into the haft. I am saying that it very likely probably does, just that the outer edge indents to allow the ring to be flush to the haft as well as the tang.
When I first held one of these my thoughts were such cheap feel but I put it through it paces trying to find flaw in not being a full tang. But it is one of those tools like a glock pistol. Feels cheap and doesn't look good but it keeps ticking like a Swiss watch. I want to send you an awesome tool for you to keep and review. How can I contact you for arranging this?
wrong the tang is longer than you think it goes half way through the metal ring the edge you see at the end is just a notch ground to make it fit in the metal guard thing for sure you only have a hunch i know for sure mine has wobbled back and forth in the collar from tons of very hard use and the metal band has a bump in both sides from the end if the tang corner and if you were able to take it apart it is through the ring and the reason you stripped the screw may be the fact that they use permanent locktight or superglue in the screw to keep it from vibrating loose
Hey Skallagrim, I have important question, and I hope you answer me, because I really need your help, since I can't find answer anywhere else. Thing is, I bought SOG tactical hawk today, and i tested it by chopping some branches, and all is fine, BUT, head of the axe is moving slightly forward and backwards when I force it with hand, I can feel it moving maybe a millimeter or two under my hand, and I tried to tighten those screws that hold head in place, but i cant move them, and I dont wanna force it too much... So, is that a problem, will head loosen even more if Im throwing it frequently??? I have been working with throwing weaps for last few years, and well, earlier I practiced with ordinary short wood chopping axe xD so, I wanted something better, and that is why I bought this hawk...
I personaly prefer classic, 0,6kg axes with wooden handle, especially for throwing. In Poland(my country) we buy them for 4-6$(the very best ones cost about 20), and I find the hammer at second side much more useful then any kind of spike, especialy in woodworking with two axes. Having some practice you can stick them from any distance. I usually practice with three, when I break the handle with the other axe I just change the handle(less then 1$ each). I think theres no better self defense then throwing the axe at the opponents chest(hammers side, of course!). By the way, nice review. Greetings from Poland!
Skall, would you consider this lethal if thrown? In my experiences with throwing knives and shuriken I considered them more of a distraction tool. What do you think?
I think an axe to the head is fairly lethal :p In all seriousness though a tomahawk is a lot heavier than a knife and would be more lethal when thrown. The weight has the con that you'll carry less of them (when used as throwing weapon) and like most people you'll probably own only one as a tool. And in my opinion: a thrown weapon is a lost weapon (but a heck of a lot of fun to practice at targets such as dead trees) if you want to kill at distance go for a bow, crossbow, pistol or rifle
Though it was directed at Skall, I would think unless you hit a vital organ or artery it would cause significant damage but not lethal. I don't think it would have the power to go through a rib cage and penetrate the heart or lungs but it might. It would be most lethal if it hit the skull or jugular. However pretty much anywhere it hit it would cause more damage than a shuriken or a throwing knife due to the weight and edge, but this is all speculation on my part
Well, if you get hit in the gut it is very possible it'll cause a deadly wound (not an instant kill) and I en if you hit the leg and are lucky enough to destroy the femoral artery it'll kill your opponent within minutes (your throat is not the only thing you should worry about)
It depends on a lot of factors but generally I think it would be hard to get an immediately lethal wound with a thrown tomahawk. Even if you hit the head I doubt it would penetrate far enough.
Thank you skall! You habe made me so interested in knifes and axes that i am going to start to collect knifes, axes and possibly swords! Thank you. Any advise on the 1 first knife/ axe to buy, thx! Love your vids! Keep up the good work
If you want to chop wood the edge must be sharp, else it becomes dangerous as it cannot bite that well into the wood and could glance off, potentially biting the user.
This tomahawk is not meant for chopping, it is meant for throwing. The shape of the head is more relevant than the size of the blade. If any one is in the market for a hatchet for chopping, make sure it has a felling head.
Maybe the tang does go underneath the metal band, since it could start to be narrower at the start of the band, probably not though. Who knows? One would now if he/she unscrewed it ^^ haha
I've got one and I love it. Coupled with a knife, you could theoretically be a dangerous person when wielding them. I do suggest, however, that you take the time to learn how to fight with them. The Martial Art Kali would work well with such a set up.... But then my current doctrine is that if you aren't police and are in my home uninvited, I'll likely just shoot. I will save the tomahawk and knife for the movies. But if I ever found myself in need of such tools for self defense (as opposed to, say, my shotgun, or my handgun, or rifle) it's nice to know that you could make a mess out of an adversary.
Live to get stoned again my friend! Tomahawks are cool, but just remember the cardinal rule: never bring a knife (ax) to a gun fight, and you will be ok! ;)
Oh no LOL. No knives or axes to gunfights, that's for sure. I can hope to live another day in such circumstances, but you just never know. Some of our best gunfighters have been killed by an untrained 12 year old with an AK, or a psychotic Marine (The Chris Kyle shooting.. THAT Marine is whom I'm speaking of, not the entire Corps). If it came down to it, I'd prefer a firearm. But if crap happens, that tomahawk would be nice when it got to hand to hand.
its better than a flea market tomahawk which ive seen for more than 20 bucks ...flea market tomahawks normally have a flat grind which is ridiculous . I don't even like flat ground knives because they are generally hard to hone on a whet stone
This is not a tool I would choose for door breaching or really anything but killing time in the field during any down time by throwing it into a dead log.
Notta Native Tommy. More like one of those cheap steel katana knock offs. A real Tommy is one of the best close quarters. Hung one from my belt intha Army.
This is fine...but it sucks ass as a thrower. The ax head and spike both stick fine. But the handle eventually gets marred and has sharp plastic stabbing your hand. The head gets loose pretty easily and the screws fall out unless you tighten them regularly. The plastic or polymer is also very springy so every hundred throws or so, when it hits right, you'll have one fly back straight at you and have to dodge an incoming tomahawk. Have fun with that. Get an ACTUAL tomahawk if you plan on throwing. (more than just a few times so you can film it...this hawk clearly doesn't have the wear of an actual thrower.)
Wow, I'm kinda disappointed in SOG now. I've got a 19 year old tigershark and a 20 year old tomcat that will both split a bullet if shot. It looks like they're making their stuff cheap now.
Pfletch83 I would bet the quality is substandard. Pretty much anything purchased at walmart is going to be of substandard quality compared to what you find elsewhere. Even for the same item. I don't trust anything from walmart. I really wish people would stop shopping there so it can go out of business.
isaac 03 Yeah, Scandinavian prices are high on tools. (in fact most things) I buy'em one from American. Even with the shipping and import fees it's cheaper. (I am from Denmark btw)
I ended up with one of these. It was a drunk purchase, one boring night I watched The Patriot. 2 weeks later this showed up on my door step and I had no recollection of ever buying this until I looked at the purchase date. Moral of the story, don't watch The Patriot drunk unless you want to end up with a "tacticool" Tomahawk.
+LordDelakar Mel Gibson is the man haha. Good movie.
Last of the Mohicans for me
@Gianni Finnegan fuck off bots
Wrap the handle with hockey tape. That's what I did. Much better than paracord, although less durable.
For the record, I'd never use a lanyard with an axe of any kind. The last thing you need is to have a heavy axe head swinging back at you like a pendulum when you lose your grip.
Regarding the sharpness, my SOG Tactical Tomahawk came sharp enough to shave arm hair.
Regarding door breaching, at best it's wishful thinking.
I don't wear the lanyard on my wrist, I wrap it around my hand.
On a full size axe there is no way in hell I'm gonna wear a lanyard on my wrist or hand. But for something as small as the Fast Hawk it certainly doesn't hurt.
unless it swings back and hurts you... i suppose a lanyard makes it a bit safer for others that may be nearby, but for the user it just guarantees a close proximity ricochet upon release.
indeed hes german
I'm pretty sure the tang goes through the band because i have one and after using it a ton the band has knots on either side from the tang pressing against it and is actually tearing on the top at either side from the tang. Maybe mine is a new/old model.
Got this when I was still in the guard. Solid camp axe that makes throwing easy. A solid design for lockups and excellent balance without being too long or heavy which makes this a good backup/offhand to a bowie knife.
Try the estwing tomahawk. 16" from the bottom of the handle to the top of the axe. As far as I can tell, the tang extends from the axe head to the bottom of the grip. It's extremely overbuilt and even has a shatter warning regarding striking hard surfaces, so apparently it's some pretty hard steel. It seems like something meant to be used as opposed to look cool.
Great review. I bought one at Wal Mart for $40. Love it . I am glad to see you pointed out that tomahawks are weapons. If you need to chop a lot of wood,use an axe or hatchet! I do a lot of solo hiking and NEVER head into the bush without my Fasthawk. Every outdoorsman , or woman, should have one. Your videos are great!
I have the larger version, and I've found it to be a better than average general outdoor tool, despite it's "tactical" intent. My larger version is an exceptional thrower, and regular sharpening keeps it usable for general cutting as mentioned when choked up on. If you keep the head clean the entire tool holds up very well in adverse conditions. The spike is less useful in general, but I've used it to break tempered and safety glass easily before. I have heard it used to puncture tires (at roadblocks) but I have yet to actually see it done.
I use this axe in the military, I find it very useful for many purposes over the standard issued knife. Although I wished that the blade surface was longer in length, and more curved, making its swing accuracy more forgiving.
I was thinking "Hey ! What a cool tomahawk I will buy it right now" and then I remembered that I live in France
you seriously can't buy a tomahawk in france? Holy fuck man your government is pathetic.
idk what he's talking about, there are plenty of french websites where to buy this very tomahawk and some others legally
PapaTristan Which government? Each state has its own laws on firearms. Some states it’s nearly impossible to actually get a gun. Others it’s easy.
You also can’t buy a handgun under age 21.
Guns are something most foreigners really don’t understand about America. Watching the biased media will portray America as a warzone with gun violence running rampant. But, in reality it’s so unlikely to actually be killed with a gun in America. In fact, the yearly FBI statistics from 2019 show that more people are murdered here by an unarmed assailant than by an assailant using a rifle.
Read the FBI statistics. Just google them right now. You’ll see that half our gun deaths are actually suicides. The FBI considers a suicide with a gun to be a “gun death”. Further, half of the remaining number are actually gang related murders. Which is very common in inner cities like Chicago. Constant game ware fare in those places leads to huge murder numbers as these gangs constantly kill one another.
After you get rid of suicides and gangs you end up with a tiny amount of people actually murdered with firearms here. I’m serious. Do some research on your own and come to your own conclusions.
Judging us based on what you see in the news just isn’t fair. Most Americans just believe strongly in the right to self defense. Hence why we have so many guns. And you’d be surprise how often those guns are used in legitimate and lawful self defense.
PapaTristan Yes, in theory you can get them in every state. But in practice that’s just not the case.
Someone living in New York City or Chicago has to jump through a huge number of hoops to get a gun. Maybe even more than some European countries.
And we place plenty of limits on who can own a gun. In Texas if you’ve been convicted of family violence charges you lose your rights to a gun. Even felons who have done their prison time have a hard time getting guns even after they’ve served their full sentence.
Like I said, most foreigners just don’t understand all the complexity surrounding guns I America. It is so dependent upon what state you’re living in and even possibly what city inside that state.
Fun fact. These ultra-strict gun laws basically do absolutely nothing. Chicago and Los Angeles have horrific murder rates with firearms yet have incredibly strict gun laws. All these hoops to jump through protect no one. And only serve to disarm the law abiding public. It’s easier to get a gun illegally in these places than legally.
PapaTristan Well yeah. I could have used a better term than “pathetic”. Fair point.
As a weapon I think this has good potential. Its hardy and can be thrown with accuracy in my experience. In use for camping however, its pretty sub par in my experiences. I and a bunch of friends get together for the summer and camp on a river island or some other fairly remote places and one of my friends brings this. When you need to get a decent amount of firewood chopped before dark, the SOG naturally comes up wanting. I always wonder why he bothers bringing it. I have a gerber gator hatchet with a saw in the handle and it works wonders. So, as a weapon which is how you reviewed it, its fine and dandy. If you ever go camping, I'd choose something different. You'll have more firewood to last you the night.
one time my hatchet bounced unnexpected off wood and I was in a rhythm so I was also raising it for the next cut and I hit myself in the eye with the back of the axe. I was fine but it was unpleasant to say the least, if I was using that axe I would either be a Cyclops or dead
Jimmy Buzy I was throwing a fast hawk and it bounced back and hit my leg
I had a tomahawk with a spike....and was clearing a fence-line that was butted up to a forest, on a down stroke I got sloppy and bounced the spike off the top of my head.....didn't hurt that bad but bled alot. I also learned that was not the tool for the job.
Tomahawks were made for fighting primarily so chopping wood requires you to take your time while keeping the spike in mind.
you should review the Estwing tomahawk, its the most durable one for its price range
Bought mine at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks. Came razor sharp. Cut wood perfectly.
we sell these at Big 5 sporting goods in california with a "kydex" sheath for about 45 dollars and the spike isn't meant to go through "armor" it's meant for mainly going through sheet metal, glass, and other ,as you said, hard surfaces
SAE vs. Metric problem? I took a small diameter bike tube and cut a section, sprayed the handle with WD-40 and slid the tube on- Really snug fit, the lube dried and it's a great, comfortable not-slip handle.
Those TorX screws look to be a bit size of T20. Really common screws used on the Volkswagens I work on. What I'd suggest is to pick up a TorX bit set which has the hole in the center for security bits. If you can find a set that has T10, T15, T20 and T25 in it, you'll have most of what you need for small items. If you work on larger items, you may want to pick up a T30, T40, T45 and T50.
I think the tang goes through the metal band though, I have the Fasthawk and I have thrown it quite a bit. After much use it appears that the tang had started to wiggle out of that metal band a little near the middle. On mine you can see where it is "poking out".
10 rubber "O" rings from a plumbing store will solve the handle issue. I did this to mine and it made a significant difference.
+isobarikFX
Did the "O"rings with mine also, it's not going to slip out of your hand.
Hey Skall, I am really addicted to axes (being able to hook stuff seems awesome) and I was checking your channel but saw little stuff about them (and I mean historical replicas, techniques, sparring matches... not modern day wood chopping), actually, I saw little stuff about axes in all of youtube. So if you are in need of ideas for a new video... there's that
i picked up a fasthawk for $55 and the tactial tomahawk for $70 in Australia... good fun hey. had a go at throwing the coldsteel rifelmans hawk today... big difference between them when you dont hit the target right, the coldsteel falls apart everytime. punches portholes through stuff when it hits but lol
TY for the review. I see these things around all over the place. They look fun but i just don't see their functionality as a camp hatchet. My dad warned me not to buy one. He is in his 80's, and tends to be right about this stuff even when he is wrong, if you know what i mean! ;)
I agree...The tang should extend into the ferrule like it does on the full sized variant.
For a better hawk get the cold steel trench hawk(I know you are not a big fan of that company but u got admit some of their products are actually good)
I did security In Iraq and we were issued the Cold Steel trench hawk the are very good tomahawk and built like a tank
Little tip for extra grip on that handle, spray some truck bed liner on the handle. Of course that adds more grip but like you said, it'll add to potential blisters if used repetitively.
Wish I lived near some wilderness area so I could go try one of these out for throwing. It does look like it held up well in your throwing videos, and the cost is hard to beat.
I forgot that I even had one of these until I went through all of my tough boxes recently. Nifty little tool.
one of the ups to the steel is you can sharpen it on some surfaces I have actually tried and sharpened it on a concrete sidewalk and got it shaving sharp.
somebody probably already said this already, but tomahawks are meant for flesh, not wood... a hunters axe would be a better option if you were looking for an all purpose bush axe. personally i like forest axes for that 'cause i don't care about hauling extra weight.
that being said... and as you said, this hawk throws AWESOMELY!! i bet it would be pretty good in combat too... and i hope i never have to find out if that's true or not!
The tang ends in the middle of the metal band
I put racket tape on mine which helped a lot. I managed to deform the digging spike when I hit a brick. I had seen it done on line and wanted to try it out. FAIL.
Spikes on hawks like this were used for digging quit a lot and this one works pretty well for that.
those are Torc screws, those things are usually a pain to remove, especially if they are locked in a factory
The size of the spike is to equal out the head for throwing pluss as I did sharpen the spike to a dagger point.
The metal band is probably used to keep the handle from splitting (maybe I am not an expert).
I took the head off to sand the anti-rust off and copper electroplate it and the tang does go down at least half way into the metal band.
I'm thinking of getting a Cold Steel Trench Hawk. Drop Forged 5150 steel, around $70.
Damn proprietory screws. The head on mine came loose and I could never get it tight as I wanted. Strangely, the full sized SOG tomahawk I own never came loose even though I've had it longer. A handy size, too bad it's not as strong as its bigger brother.
I bought mine for 20 dollars at Wal-Mart in a cool ACU digital camo pattern, I got it to practice throwing with but so far had little luck with that...But a cool axe and no doubt will be useful for some light yard work, I think I may keep it in the car just in case, Especially useful for areas I can't take my firearm like on the Army post.
They work very well with a cut log from a pine tree start with soft wood targets and you'll be a beast with it
Thanks! :)
got mine for 50$ at Canadian tire
I had one, and didn't care for it. Seems best for throwing, but only so-so for doing work. Fun to beat up on since it's cheap
Question, i have both this exact axe and a regular $20 Kobalt camping hatchet. In a combat scenario the fasthawk of course might be faster to swing around but the hatchet has a much broader blade on it. Which would you personally use in combat if you had to?
speed is almost everything in a combat scenario. The thinner blade of the fasthawk will cut though more material, and will penetrate deeper into an opponent
Haha big blade goes brrrrrrr
There's no guarantee that the tang doesn't just indent to make room for the ring, and then continue beneath for an inch or two for anchoring purposes (in sort of a T shape, where the tail of the T anchors inside the ring). I'd withhold judgment on that until I was able to take the thing apart, especially given that you beat it up pretty bad and it apparently hasn't loosened at all. Seems very solid.
But a totally valid concern either way.
Well then, if that's the case, isn't the metal ring supposed to reinforce it? Unless it isn't a ring then doing that to the tang would be sorta useless...
Of course, I don't know anything about hatchets/axes so I could be wrong.
The ring would be clamping the tang into the rest of the handle, preventing it from bending or from splitting the handle due to force applied sideways against the head (such as using it as a hammer).
If you could imagine taking a wooden pole, drilling a hole into it and inserting the tang of a spear blade into that hole, then binding the end of the pole with metal around the tang would help prevent the wood from splitting should sideways force be applied to the blade. Same is true here.
(Also forgive me if I am using any terminology incorrectly)
MouseAndShiraz No I get how that works, but with a loose tang what's the point? That piece isn't a 'cast' is it? It's just a metal ring.
And a thinner tang isn't a good thing at all unless you're trying to cut down on weight for balance, even then it's the last thing you should get rid of.
I think Skall is right here, it just wouldn't make any sense otherwise, it likely just ends there.
What's the point? I'm not sure what you mean. It's a continuation of the head of the axe into the haft. Literally *any* extension of the head into the haft is going to increase structural durability of the whole weapon/tool. The tang is there to overlap the head and the haft and provide structural support, because if you just bolt the head on to the haft with no tang at all, it will easily snap off.
Cutting 1/10th of an inch off the edge of the tang to form it into a prong is not going to weaken it considerably; it's already a very thick and durable piece of steel. The manufacturer probably wanted the outer portion of the tange, the haft, and the ring to all be flush, which meant that in order to extend the tang into the haft, it needed to indent inwards slightly to fit inside the ring. The ring would then act as horizontal structural support, because the haft itself is not as resistant to shearing force as the steel ring is.
Besides, Skall never said that it wouldn't make sense, he said that he thought it would be better if the tang extended into the haft. I am saying that it very likely probably does, just that the outer edge indents to allow the ring to be flush to the haft as well as the tang.
When I first held one of these my thoughts were such cheap feel but I put it through it paces trying to find flaw in not being a full tang. But it is one of those tools like a glock pistol. Feels cheap and doesn't look good but it keeps ticking like a Swiss watch. I want to send you an awesome tool for you to keep and review. How can I contact you for arranging this?
wrong the tang is longer than you think it goes half way through the metal ring the edge you see at the end is just a notch ground to make it fit in the metal guard thing for sure you only have a hunch i know for sure mine has wobbled back and forth in the collar from tons of very hard use and the metal band has a bump in both sides from the end if the tang corner and if you were able to take it apart it is through the ring and the reason you stripped the screw may be the fact that they use permanent locktight or superglue in the screw to keep it from vibrating loose
Hey Skallagrim, I have important question, and I hope you answer me,
because I really need your help, since I can't find answer anywhere
else. Thing is, I bought SOG tactical hawk today, and i tested it by chopping some branches, and all is fine, BUT, head of the axe is moving slightly forward and backwards when I force it with hand, I can feel it moving maybe a millimeter or two under my hand, and I tried to tighten those screws that hold head in place, but i cant move them, and I dont wanna force it too much... So, is that a problem, will head loosen even more if Im throwing it frequently??? I have been working with throwing weaps for last few years, and well, earlier I practiced with ordinary short wood chopping axe xD so, I wanted something better, and that is why I bought this hawk...
if im not mistaken they would use 403, so they could harden it
I personaly prefer classic, 0,6kg axes with wooden handle, especially for throwing. In Poland(my country) we buy them for 4-6$(the very best ones cost about 20), and I find the hammer at second side much more useful then any kind of spike, especialy in woodworking with two axes. Having some practice you can stick them from any distance.
I usually practice with three, when I break the handle with the other axe I just change the handle(less then 1$ each).
I think theres no better self defense then throwing the axe at the opponents chest(hammers side, of course!).
By the way, nice review. Greetings from Poland!
Hey the tang prob does go through the handle more, just get s skinnier...
Skall, would you consider this lethal if thrown? In my experiences with throwing knives and shuriken I considered them more of a distraction tool. What do you think?
I think an axe to the head is fairly lethal :p
In all seriousness though a tomahawk is a lot heavier than a knife and would be more lethal when thrown. The weight has the con that you'll carry less of them (when used as throwing weapon) and like most people you'll probably own only one as a tool.
And in my opinion: a thrown weapon is a lost weapon (but a heck of a lot of fun to practice at targets such as dead trees) if you want to kill at distance go for a bow, crossbow, pistol or rifle
I don't think I'd want to be hit with any thrown blade. It may just be a distraction, but it still wouldn't be pleasant.
Though it was directed at Skall, I would think unless you hit a vital organ or artery it would cause significant damage but not lethal. I don't think it would have the power to go through a rib cage and penetrate the heart or lungs but it might. It would be most lethal if it hit the skull or jugular. However pretty much anywhere it hit it would cause more damage than a shuriken or a throwing knife due to the weight and edge, but this is all speculation on my part
Well, if you get hit in the gut it is very possible it'll cause a deadly wound (not an instant kill) and I en if you hit the leg and are lucky enough to destroy the femoral artery it'll kill your opponent within minutes (your throat is not the only thing you should worry about)
It depends on a lot of factors but generally I think it would be hard to get an immediately lethal wound with a thrown tomahawk. Even if you hit the head I doubt it would penetrate far enough.
Thank you skall! You habe made me so interested in knifes and axes that i am going to start to collect knifes, axes and possibly swords! Thank you. Any advise on the 1 first knife/ axe to buy, thx! Love your vids! Keep up the good work
Look for a Spyderco, Kershaw or CRKT knife.
another good self defense use is holding it by the axe head itself, and using it like a police baton. this works best with the big one though.
If you want to chop wood the edge must be sharp, else it becomes dangerous as it cannot bite that well into the wood and could glance off, potentially biting the user.
This tomahawk is not meant for chopping, it is meant for throwing. The shape of the head is more relevant than the size of the blade. If any one is in the market for a hatchet for chopping, make sure it has a felling head.
I use these everyday, the tang goes about halfway through the band, which gets bulged when worn.
Maybe the tang does go underneath the metal band, since it could start to be narrower at the start of the band, probably not though. Who knows? One would now if he/she unscrewed it ^^ haha
420 steel... i guess.. BLAZE IT.
Lol
I've got one and I love it. Coupled with a knife, you could theoretically be a dangerous person when wielding them. I do suggest, however, that you take the time to learn how to fight with them. The Martial Art Kali would work well with such a set up.... But then my current doctrine is that if you aren't police and are in my home uninvited, I'll likely just shoot. I will save the tomahawk and knife for the movies. But if I ever found myself in need of such tools for self defense (as opposed to, say, my shotgun, or my handgun, or rifle) it's nice to know that you could make a mess out of an adversary.
Live to get stoned again my friend! Tomahawks are cool, but just remember the cardinal rule: never bring a knife (ax) to a gun fight, and you will be ok! ;)
Oh no LOL. No knives or axes to gunfights, that's for sure. I can hope to live another day in such circumstances, but you just never know. Some of our best gunfighters have been killed by an untrained 12 year old with an AK, or a psychotic Marine (The Chris Kyle shooting.. THAT Marine is whom I'm speaking of, not the entire Corps). If it came down to it, I'd prefer a firearm. But if crap happens, that tomahawk would be nice when it got to hand to hand.
I have 4 of these. We just use them in the backyard to throw for fun. That's about all they're good for.
Why does it have those holes in the main axe-head ?
Lord JS
to make it lighter
its better than a flea market tomahawk which ive seen for more than 20 bucks ...flea market tomahawks normally have a flat grind which is ridiculous . I don't even like flat ground knives because they are generally hard to hone on a whet stone
Metal band? Hell yeah!
Do the holes serve any purpose?
When I First got my fast hawk it actually cut through the shieth and now there is a big rip in it
***** that sux bruh
Do you need to train to throw it or can you just throw it?
You definitely need to practice.
Would you need to practice with in a special place or could you just throw it at a tree or a target until you get the hang of it (question mark)
Two things, one I am sorry what I said up there but I deleted a comment which someone said something very mean to me and two where Bob Mcdowell
+Raptor 3 are you 11?
This is not a tool I would choose for door breaching or really anything but killing time in the field during any down time by throwing it into a dead log.
Would have been much better if it was full tang. Not a bad throwing tomahawk tho for the price.
You use hexagonal bitsbon the sog
I've got 2 and they work just fine for the little man to cut wood.
review the norse hawk i wonder if i should buy it so please review it first :)
the tang dose go in the band it just gets smaller
could u give us ur opinion on blade symphony Skallagrim. please try it and give your opinion
I have a set of 2 with a set of twin daggers to back them up they work grate ! :)
the tang does go thru the metal band,
Nice but i think it's not soooo small
awesome review sir!
I have a buddy who has that ....its not that bad, its made some fires...
Hello, is there anyone who can tell me if 15n20 space craft steel is a good steel for a knife/sword?
Good to keep it inside home to look and think how cool you are, never to take it with you to use
Notta Native Tommy. More like one of those cheap steel katana knock offs. A real Tommy is one of the best close quarters. Hung one from my belt intha Army.
Thoughts on emerson tomahawks?
Could you do a comparison video beyween the SOG Fasthwk vs the United Cutlery M48 Hawk?
there is a lot of that on the internet ... just search both have low quality steel though
Aqull Yeah well, none of those vids are by Skall, which was kind of the point of the request.. ;)
I don't have the M48.
This is fine...but it sucks ass as a thrower. The ax head and spike both stick fine.
But the handle eventually gets marred and has sharp plastic stabbing your hand. The head gets loose pretty easily and the screws fall out unless you tighten them regularly. The plastic or polymer is also very springy so every hundred throws or so, when it hits right, you'll have one fly back straight at you and have to dodge an incoming tomahawk. Have fun with that.
Get an ACTUAL tomahawk if you plan on throwing. (more than just a few times so you can film it...this hawk clearly doesn't have the wear of an actual thrower.)
Wow, I'm kinda disappointed in SOG now. I've got a 19 year old tigershark and a 20 year old tomcat that will both split a bullet if shot. It looks like they're making their stuff cheap now.
I just Got mine (year 2020) and its really sharp for a such small axe, I cut myself second flip lol.
cheers and be careful, not like me :/
Sog is a good company
***** why do u say that
Could you do the Gerber Downrange tomahawk
I bought the same model at a local wal-mart for 30 bucks :)
Pfletch83 I would bet the quality is substandard. Pretty much anything purchased at walmart is going to be of substandard quality compared to what you find elsewhere. Even for the same item. I don't trust anything from walmart. I really wish people would stop shopping there so it can go out of business.
purplemutantas That's your opinion and you are welcome to it.
It's a "modern" copy of the "Vietnam Tomahawk" designed and built by Peter LaGana.
*Flashbacks to using it in Medal of Honor*
Zombie apocalypse? Yes! Last ditch self defense when guns out of ammo? Also YES!
The spike is better for smashing stuff
If it's not full tang it's going to break, that's just how it works with tomahawks.
Can someone recomend me a tomahawk that is both a good throwing axe and a usefull survival/camping tool (aka good at chopping wood)?
Have you considered any of Schrade's scaxe family?
... Check out the Cold Steel Tomahawks.
Norse Hawk
Spike Hawk
Pipe Hawk
Frontier Hawk
Rifleman's Hawk
Trail Hawk
I bout mine for $20 at Walmart in warrenton VA on sale
how does the budk m48 tomahawk compare to this ?
It's a weapon. It's purpose is to kill.
Not meant for bushcraft.
So why chop wood.
Cheers.
I have one it is awesome 😀
"...Dealing with harder materials..." Like skulls.
420 steel blazing it
FINNALY JEEZ
In sweden IT costs 72 dollars
isaac 03 Yeah, Scandinavian prices are high on tools. (in fact most things) I buy'em one from American. Even with the shipping and import fees it's cheaper. (I am from Denmark btw)
I got one at Walmart for only 20$