Dixon's Tomahawk

[Dave Markowitz]

I bought a tomahawk at Dixon's Muzzleloading Shop in Kempton, PA about 10 years ago. For the past few years I've used it as a garden tool. The relatively thin blade chops through the wood on my property well.

The edge had gotten dinged up pretty badly from hitting pebbles. Today I went out and bought a couple of new files to resharpen it. The blade is fairly soft, so with the sharp new files it didn't take me long to get the edge repaired. I then taped a sheet of 150 grit sandpaper on top of a mousepad to my workbench, and polished it up. I wound up with a nice convex edge. The 'hawk will now slice newspaper.

While I was working on the 'hawk I decided to wrap the handle with paracord. I left a gap of exposed wood as a grasping surface, because I thought it might be too thick if I wrapped the whole thing. At the bottom I drilled a hole through the handle and made a wrist loop.

I took her out back and whacked a few things. Big improvement. Here are a couple of pictures.






I have an Ontario 12" machete and a Cold Steel Trail Hawk on order. It'll be interesting to see how they compare as choppers.

Edit to add:

It weighs 1 lb. 7 oz. Total length is 18-3/8", and the edge is 4".

 

[sm]

Dave,

I like the way you think.

Very useful tool, easy to maintain with simple sharpening tools and methods.
Wrist loop is quite handy, and the para-cord assists with less "felt recoil".

I had much smaller Tomahawk, set up like yours. Making duck blinds, cutting sod and removing to transplant elsewhere to all sort of uses.

I take a paint stir stick, or broken wooden yard stick, and attach various grits of Sand/Emery paper to them.

Sticks are anywhere from 8" - 14" long.

Lay Sand/ Emery paper "grit" down.
[Paper to stick]
Line up the edge of stick to one edge.
Score lightly were the other side of stick/ruler is and fold.

I am scoring to assist with a more Crisp fold over and onto Stick.
Staple at top and bottom.

Now one can do only one fold, a few, or quite a few.
One can remove a "side" of Sand/Emery if need, due to tearing or just being worn out.

Not just for another, easy sharpening tool, other uses as well and less money than buying "Emery Sticks" already made up.

Still, one can use as a file, or akin to the Mouse Pad method, in the field.

 

[JShirley]

Nice. Good size. I have two 'hawks that are pretty close to yours in size.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I have one like that. I keep it by my bed just in case, and keep it with me as a general purpose tool when I'm backpacking. It's always hanging from my right hand by the lanyard.

I think that the tomahawk is often an overlooked choice, but a good one nonetheless.