[Citadel99]

Next payday my buddy and I are buying a tomahawk from American Tomahawk Company. It's this one: http://www.americantomahawk.com/index.htm

ohhhhhhh yeah!

Mark

[hillbilly]

Cool!

I drooled over the ATC hawks, but just couldn't justify spending that much.

Soon, I am going to get one of the spike hawks from HB Forge.


http://www.hbforge.com/

I figure for the same price as an ATC hawk, I can get a hand forged, differentially heat treated spike hawk, plus 500 rounds of 7.62X39......or a synthetic stock for my homemade ugly scout rifle project, etc. etc. etc.

hillbilly

[4v50 Gary]

How much are those tomahawks?

I've got a couple already (throwing hawks) but I don't have GI surplus. Bought a hand forged one that was made from a gun barrel. You could still see the lands in the pipe portion of it. When I finished it, I presented it to my uncle for his Xmas gift. Gave a brass head pipe tomahawk away to a friend who celebrated his 40th b-day. Next one should stay with me.

BTW, Daniel Boone had a real good tomahawk. It had a spear point on two ends (backside and projecting above the haft). It would stick anyway he'd throw it. He lost it in a camp site fire in Missouri and couldn't find it. About a century or so later, a ex-slave plows it up and her son donated it recently to a museum. God bless 'em both cuz now we can all see it.

Conner Prarie is offering a class this Oct. on making your own hawk or knife. John & Hershel House are the instructors. I didn't sign up for it this time but am going to get first dibs on next year.

[Dr.Rob]

Wow thats a pricey hawk.

Cold Steel sells a Vietnam-era repro for a lot less, if you want a good replica.

The Cold Steel rifleman's hawk is my fave, and I'm pretty good with it. (Learned to throw a tomohawk at 16) Also a very useful tool.

[Citadel99]

Yeah, it's pricey. However, I'll be deployed to Iraq in Feb and will be making more and spending less. So what the hell, right?

Mark

[Spark]

Cold Steel's hawk is not liscenced by the creator either. Yes the ATC one is a bit more expensive, but you are getting what you pay for - it's damn near indestructable through normal use, will punch through a kevlar with ease, and is extremely easy to throw.

FYI, ATC just got the nod for their products to be included in the Rapid Fielding Initiative to the Stryker Brigade - and we've had several calls from units wanting to puchase a few hundred for themselves.

[hillbilly]

Here's the link for the press release about tomahawks becoming standard issue in breaching kits


http://www.americantomahawk.com/av/ArmyPR.pdf

[Sharp Phil]

I heartily recommend Bob from Survival Sheath (http://www.survivalsheath.com) to maximize your enjoyment of an American Tomahawk. He made this rig for me (http://www.themartialist.com/0603/survivalsheath.htm), which carries a Gryphon M10 on the opposite side:

http://www.themartialist.com/images/survsh-9.jpg

[Abominable No-Man]

Now this is interesting. Brings to mind my formative years as a young infantryman. Went out of my way to get a real honest to God K-Bar. Showed up with it to go to the field one time, and my crusty old platoon sergeant, who was a Vietnam vet, kind of laughed. Asked me what it was for, and I couldn't honestly tell him. Rambled off something lame about hand-to-hand combat, and that was when I learned an old soldiers' proverb:
"IF YOU GET INTO A KNIFE FIGHT YOU WILL GET CUT."

Anyway, my P.S. was one of the old timers who carried a Vietnam era tomahawk as part of his hand to hand kit (the other part was a machete),
and the plus side was that if you didn't need them to fight, you could use them for something else.

ANM

[Citadel99]

Yeah, the knife I take into the field is a little Gerber with a two inch blade tied to my belt with some 550 cord. There isn't much more need for a bigger knife--mostly used for quick cuts and opening MREs when your hands are wet.

But this could be pretty useful out in the field. Plus I'll be in/around Humvees most of the time so the added weight isn't really a factor. Plus, I'll have a tomahawk!

Mark

[tiberius]

Pretty cool, of course they are specifically illegal to carry in Texas - even in your car :(