Matched pair of 18" Wreckers

These were commissioned by a fellow for himself and his buddy.  Everyone needs a friend like that.  :)

Unless this is a dueling set.  Hmmmm...      

18" Wrecker models, in black, unsharpened inner beards.  

And the Kydex to go with them.  Double-adjustable, quick-detach shoulder slings for carry.

I feel like I need something like this on a T-shirt.  :D

Handful of tomahawks

This is part of the previous batch that went out to customers.

The 12" Wrecker with sharpened inner beard in olive drab has been popular so far, but some of the future batches will lean more on some of the other options.

 

18" desert Wrecker, sharpened inner beard, bare sheath.

 

 

18" Woodsman with sharpened inner beard.  Black with olive drab Micarta, double retention straps on the sheath.

 

 

And a naked 18" War Chief with sharpened inner beard, in black.  Naked, you ask?  Ain't got no pants!  :D

Avast! Wrecker "boarding 'hawk"

This one was ordered up by a fellow in the Australian Navy who is about to go on pirate patrol off the African coast.  He's thinking of it as a "boarding ax", which I've often read was the precursor to spiked tomahawks.

These aren't my best photos, but it's a 12" Wrecker (pry spike) model with sharpened inner beard, in olive drab.

Kydex sheath with quick-detachable double-adjustable shoulder sling and IWB bands.

 

 

Hope it serves him well!

SEAL's Wrecker 'hawk rig

This is the one that actually started me on the path to making full tang tomahawks.  I'd been working on forged prototypes with nylon handles for a while, but still had questions in my mind, particularly about the handles.  Then the SEAL who has become my best customer asked about me making him a full-tang 'hawk, and it solved the issues I was having but meant that I'd need to do a major shift in my approach and work out the logistics for building it.

He asked about it late last winter, and I finally got his 'hawk to him in December.  Part of that wait was making sure I had it right, part of it was having one that would match his order being bought off my table at the Blade Show in June, part of it was waiting until I could have a sheath with it, and part of it was his work keeping him busy and away from e-mail.

But, I just heard back from him and he is happy with his tomahawk.  So, here it is.  :)

12" Wrecker (pry spike) model in olive drab with sharpened inner beard.  His was the first sheath I made for them, before I got the tooling together for the other two models.  He got it with the shoulder sling and IWB bands.

This shows the 'hawk better, but is taken before I moved the IWB bands to their final position.

Here's me using it to demonstrate the shoulder carry.  Note that there's a lot of adjustment to pull it up tighter, and that I moved the IWB bands from being on the corners to the inside of the shoulder sling later on.

 

Not one to sit still on his time off, he told me he's been wearing it by the shoulder sling on a few hikes and barely notices it's there.

He also sent me a picture of a display case that his future brother-in-law made for him for some (not all) of the blades he's gotten from me.  I joke with him about charging into battle wearing a kilt made of my blades.  :D

Marine's Woodsman 'hawk

It took a while to get there, but the Marine stationed in Okinawa who ordered it finally got in the Woodsman 'hawk I shipped before Christmas.  :)

12", desert, sharpened inner beard.  1/4" 4140 steel, canvas Micarta, and flared stainless steel tube rivets.

He also got a bare Kydex sheath with it.

Here's hoping it serves him well!

Woodsman 'hawk with sheath

This is the first piece of mine to make it up to Alaska.  12" Woodsman (hammer poll) model, unsharpened inner beard, black Durabake and natural tan canvas Micarta.  1/4" 4140 steel, flared stainless steel tube rivets.

The customer ordered a sheath with the shoulder sling, double adjustable and quick-detachable.

Wrecker 'hawk with bare sheath

This one went out to the customer a few days ago.  18" Wrecker model with pry spike, sharpened inner beard, black Durabake and Micarta.  1/4" 4140 steel.

He plans to have a buddy build a leather sheath for it, but went ahead and got a Kydex one without carry options for the meantime.

War Chief tactical tomahawk with sheath-making video

I had a customer who lives nearby come to the shop today and watch as his tomahawk's sheath was made.  He ordered a 12" War Chief (combat spike) in black, with a sheath.  He also brought tasty breakfast tacos!  :)

 

 1/4" 4140 steel, canvas Micarta handles, flared stainless tube rivets.

The sheath is Kydex, bottom-eject, ambidextrous, MOLLE-compatible, jump-ready with multiple carry options.

He chose to add a quick-detach double adjustable shoulder strap and IWB bands.

 

And here's how I built the sheath.  I had templates waterjet cut to build the Kydex molding forms, lay out holes and slots, and trim the overall outline.  Still takes time, but the results are consistent and work well.  I'll do another video in the future showing the sheath's various carry options.



 

 

Four more 'hawks waiting on sheaths and sharpening, then on to the next batch!

Wrecker tactical tomahawk in black. First look at new sheaths.

This one went out to a patient customer this past weekend.

18" overall length Wrecker model (pry spike) with a sharpened inner beard.  Black Durabake coating and Micarta with flared stainless steel flared tube rivets on 1/4" 4140 steel.

 He is one of the first customers to receive a sheath from me, something that delayed me starting to work on orders by probably at least a month while I built the tooling to make them and tried it out, working out the little tricks inherent in any process.

It's Kydex, bottom eject, ambidextrous, MOLLE compatible, jump ready, with multiple carry options.

This particular one was ordered with optional second retention strap, quick-detach double adjustable shoulder strap, and MOLLE locks.

Hope it serves him well, and I appreciate him sticking with me while I got everything off the ground.  :)

Tomahawk pricing and ordering

Tactical Tomahawks:

06/15/2019 - There have been further changes made to tomahawks, and the prices have changed accordingly.  Check out the changes in the "Tomahawk Stats" post.

To place an order or ask questions, send me an e-mail at helmgrind@gmail.com .

NOTE:  It will be much quicker for you to purchase a tomahawk that is already in stock at one of my dealers than to place an order with me and wait for me to work my way down the list to you.  If there is one in stock that matches what you want, I encourage you to snag it!  Not to discourage orders, but my output is limited and it can take a while.

Dealers 

The final price depends on the options that you choose.  If you answer the questions for me below, I know all of the options you want and can get your order added to my list quickly and easily.  Otherwise, I end up having to coax the answers out of you over a series of e-mails.

The base price is for a Woodsman hammer poll tomahawk with an unsharpened inner beard, which is $250 plus shipping.

 

Adding a Wrecker pry spike is an additional $25.  Adding a sharpened inner beard is an additional $25.

Length does not affect price, nor does color.

Your final price for just the 'hawk (no sheath or trainer) can range between $250 and $300 plus shipping.

If you order, answer these questions:

1.  12" version, 15" version, or 18" version.  [18" versions on temporary hold]

2.  Which model?  Woodsman (hammer poll) or Wrecker (pry spike).

3.  Sharpened inner beard or unsharpened.

4.  Black, or desert tan for the handle slabs.  NOTE:  Olive drab is no longer an option.

5. Boltaron sheath or no.  If yes, then answer the sheath questions further down the page.

6.  Are you active duty military?  If so, what branch?  You go to the front of the line if you are.  Law enforcement and first responders go right behind them.

Sheaths:

 

Sheaths are Boltaron, bottom eject, ambidextrous, MOLLE compatible, jump ready, with multiple carry options.  The base price for a bare sheath with one retention strap of 1" wide nylon webbing and no carry hardware is $50.  Each option will add to the total price.  Please answer whether you want the following options or not.

1.  Second retention strap.  $5  The Boltaron itself retains the 'hawk just fine for general walking around, with the single retention strap mostly there in a precautionary role.  Unless you are going to be jumping out of an airplane with your 'hawk strapped to your gear the second strap is probably overkill, but if you are jumping with it or are a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy, it's cheap insurance.  Retention straps are adjustable for tightness.

2.  Shoulder sling.  $15  Each end of the strap has a slider that allows you to quickly adjust the 'hawk from riding at your waist to snug under the armpit.  Quick-detach buckles mean that if you need to get the strap out of your way (going from hiking with it slung to riding in a vehicle, etc.), you can do so in seconds, then return it to a sling carry just as quickly.  It also means that you can cinch the strap up tight under your arm for maximum clearance with your other gear and still take the 'hawk off quickly simply by opening the buckle on one end of the strap.  The loops attaching the sling to the sheath can also double as belt loops, and are adjustable.

3.  Pair of rubber IWB bands.  $10  Loop over and snap shut with a pull-the-dot snap (http://www.dotfasteners.com/pull_the_dot.html).  Mine are mounted so that they can be rotated from an up orientation to a down orientation.  Work as belt loops or MOLLE attachment for quick attachment and detachment, while providing more flexibility in movement than MOLLE locks.  Note:  I do not recommend wearing an 18" model on your belt, as you'll likely have a bruised knee before you walk very far.

4.  Pair of MOLLE locks.  $14  Designed for attachment to standard MOLLE gear.  Doesn't work well with a standard belt, but great on a MOLLE vest or pack (or one of those MOLLE tactical seat covers for your vehicle :D ).  Holds more rigidly than IWB bands.  Can be quickly detached and moved around on a MOLLE setup, but works well as a semi-permanent attachment point.  Note:  I see no point in having both MOLLE locks and IWB bands unless you plan on swapping between the two for some reason beyond my understanding.  If you want both, I'll try to oblige you.  :)

If ordering either IWB bands or MOLLE locks, please tell me whether you would rather have them mounted on the left side of the sheath or the right, as seen with the tomahawk held in front of you with the blade facing away from you.  Otherwise, I will assume that it needs to be mounted on the left side, so that the 'hawk is carried on the right side with the edge forward.

Example setups:

MOLLE locks on the left, IWB bands on the right.  Both have shoulder slings and single retention straps.

Double retention straps, shoulder sling, MOLLE locks.

Single retention strap, shoulder sling, IWB bands.  Note that the second picture is how I plan on attaching all IWB bands in the future, where they can be rotated in either an up or down orientation.

Trainers:

Trainers are now available to order.  They are waterjetted from 3/4" ABS plastic (same thickness as the handles on the real tomahawks), with all the edges beveled the same as the handles on the real 'hawks.  They are the same profiles as the hammer poll tomahawks but with the corners rounded for safety.  In addition, holes have been added to the heads allowing for the attachment of padding when sparring with a partner.  These can easily crack a skull without it.  Train safely and be considerate of your sparring partner!

These have the same handle cross section as the real 'hawks, with the same holes in the handles in case you want to train with a lanyard, and balance at the same points as the real 'hawks.  They are a good deal lighter, as a wooden waster would be.  Only hammer poll models are available as there is no way of making a spiked version that would be safe; even a very rounded spike would easily open a skull or penetrate the flesh of a torso with the kind of leverage these have.  Although the hammer polls are 1 1/8" shorter than the spike models, they are long enough to practice hooking moves as you would with a spike.

Please specify whether you want a 12" model or 18" model.

Price (either length): $50 plus shipping

Tomahawk stats

Edit 06/15/2019 - There have been a number of changes made to the tomahawks.  Most prominently, the steel alloy has been changed from 1/4" thick 4140 to 1/4" thick 80CrV2, an alloy I've used extensively for my other blades for several years now.  The tangs have been slightly widened, the coating changed to Cerakote ceramic gun coating, and texture added to the handle slabs. I am dropping the War Chief (combat spike) from my lineup although it was the first of my designs.  It is functionally matched by the Wrecker.  Hopefully I will soon be able to bring some new prototype designs into production and add them to the lineup.

Design:

There are two different basic designs of tomahawk, each available in three different lengths and two different color schemes.  There is the Woodsman (hammer poll), and Wrecker (pry spike).

The pry spike of the Wrecker is formed by two lines meeting to make a point.  It is intended to slip into narrow gaps and then lever out.  In conjunction with the rounded top of the 'hawk's head, it acts like a roller head pry bar with an ax blade on the other side.  The spike is angled in relation to the handle to give good knuckle clearance when prying (one of the alterations made during the prototyping phase).  It's also a vicious weapon and withdraws easily to allow for follow up shots.

 



Aside from utilitarian tasks, the Woodsman's hammer poll makes a great impact weapon, and the slight hook on the bottom of the poll helps during CQC in catching and re-directing limbs.



The butt of the tang is exposed, giving an extra hammering surface and protecting the end of the TeroTuf from damage in impact (say if you throw it, which I strongly advise against).  The handle widens as it approaches the end and has a swell in width to aid in retention in the hand while swinging.  Throwing tomahawks have handles that are the opposite, tapering to the end in order to easily slip out of the hand when thrown.  I consider it more important to keep the tomahawk in your hand during usage, especially if it must be employed in the heat of close quarters combat, than to be able to throw it.

Materials:

The steel of the tomahawks is 80CrV2, a very tough alloy.  I've used it extensively to forge blades over the past several years.  It performs very well from a simple heat treatment, and I do my own heat treatment in-house.  After the blanks are cut by waterjet they are ground, hardened, and tempered to the point where they will hold an edge chopping hardwood all day, yet not take undue damage if used for more abusive tasks like cutting into a car.  The bevels are also ground with that in mind, able to cut well while still being stout enough to handle more brutal service without failing.

The handle slabs are 1/4" thick TeroTuf, a composite material made of resin-impregnated layers of cloth.  It's very durable, lightweight, grippy, and impervious to most chemicals.  The slabs are attached with flared stainless steel tube rivets, which are extremely strong and allow attachment points for lanyards, cord wraps, etc.  I no longer use Micarta as I find the TeroTuf lighter, grippier, and tougher.

The coating on the steel is Cerakote ceramic firearm coating.  While protective, it will wear during usage. 

Dimensions: 

The steel of the tomahawks is 1/4" thick.  The cutting edge is 2 13/16" in a straight line from point to point.  The spiked heads are 7 5/16" long and the hammer poll heads are 6 3/16" long.

The three available overall lengths are 12", 15", and 18".

I found that whether the tomahawk had a hammer poll or a spike didn't change the weight much; the length did.  The 12" ones are around 28 ounces, the 15"ers are around 30 ounces, and the 18" ones are around 31 ounces.

Here are the points of balance for the 12" and 15" lengths:



Other options:

Either of the tomahawk designs can be ordered with the inner beard either sharpened or unsharpened.  This adds to its fighting effectiveness, especially when hooking extremities.  However, it can make it a little more dangerous to handle, and certainly adds to the aggressive looks.  If its usages are going to be more benign and around people who may look askance at anything they perceive as a weapon, the unsharpened beard may be a better choice.  I have had a customer use his sharpened inner beard to cut branches and vines while hooking them, but it is more intended for folks who may have to use it in a fight as a last-ditch CQC weapon.

The tomahawks can be had in either black or desert tan color schemes.

The sheaths are bottom-eject, ambidextrous, with multiple carry options.  They are molded from Boltaron, a material similar to Kydex but less vulnerable to temperature extremes.  It is common with professional pistol holster makers.  Sheaths come standard with a single retention strap.