SOGTactical Tomahawk- Throwing Hatchet, Versatile Survival Tactical Axe and Emergency Breaching Tool with Sheath (F01TN-CP)

This is a very well made tomahawk and well balanced and ergonomically designed. I choose this tomahawk after reading several reviews on SOG tomahawks and other brand tomahawks. I wanted to purchase one for my 16 year old son who is interested in tactical weapons and self defense. This item is light enough for him to manage and well balanced. What I like about the tomahawk based on the comments from the reviewers on this site was its durability, design, quality and value. Many stated that their tomahawk held up to various forms of throwing and use. It is not meant or designed to be used as an axe, but as a self defense weapon or tool. My son loves it because it not only looks "cool" but is well built and has the safety sheath for it. He loves the look, design, and feel. His hands are smaller than mine and the handle on this tomahawk is narrow enough for a comfortable and stable grip for him. He has limited use of it since he just got it, but we have thrown it several times at 3/4 inch plywood and a few trees and it held up. He likes the non-axe end which is spear like because it enables him to punch holes into metal containers with ease. I did show him how to throw it and how to handle it from a safety perspective so he would not hurt himself or others. I also made sure he understood that this was not a toy, but a tool and he was to respect its potential to harm or hurt someone by accident. So, no monkey business with it when he handles it and he can not allow his friends to use it or handle it without me there initially. Basically, I am making him follow what I call our gun safety rules. It is also important to know how to position you arms and how to place the tomahawk in your hand to throw it. Most of this is common sense and through practice you can refine the hand and arm placements based on personal comfort. If the tomahawk fails in use I will up date this review to reflect that, but for the value this tomahawk is a steal (no pun intended).For those interested in learning more about tomahawks and their use, there are many books available at the library and some videos on you-tube. We did research for our information on tomahawks under keywords like, tomahawk, tactical self defense weapons, hand to hand combat weapons, military self defense weapons, etc. There is a lot out there for adults and youths to read and learn about these tomahawks. I may even purchase one for myself and carry it as a tool in my vehicle since it can have many useful applications in times of an emergency. The sheath that comes with it not only protects the tomahawk, but is an excellent safety cover so no one would get cut by the sharp axe end of the tomahawk. This makes it easier for me to store it in the vehicle without concern for an exposed axe end.

Why did I buy this Tomahawk? I had previously purchaed a SOG machete and was pleased with the quality and performance. But, I needed soemething that was less for bushwhacking and more for hiking and camping. If that's what you are looking for this may be the tool for you.So far, I have taken it on one weekend camping trip in Virginia and it was great. I used it to chop up some firewood. Some of what I cut were logs about three inches in diameter. It took a few more whacks than a traditional axe, but this Tomahawk cut right through. Trimming branches away from the bigger logs was very easy, it sliced them off with ease.I also used it for some finer work, nothing highly detailed but I used it to fashion a walking stick. I cut a dried branch to size, trimmed the other branches and little knots away (a lot easier than I would have with a knife) and there I had it, my walking stick for the weekend.One day, I did a six mile hike along the river with my trusty Tomahawk in its sheath. It was lightweight and easily carried on my belt. That's the best thing, lightweight but heavy enough and it has a very sturdy feel that gives you confidence in it as a tool and if need be a defensive tool.I really like the way the handle attaches to the head, very well made. No fear of swinging this and cracking the handle where it attaches. Plus, it was sharp right out of the box, maintained its edge through three camp fires and one improvised walking stick. I bragged on it so much that one of the guys that I was camping with without and bought his own.Yes, it is great, but don't expect it to chop down trees, it has a smaller blade than you would find on an axe, but for chopping smaller logs and clearing brush, this Tomahawk is a winner!

There are several reasons why I would recommend this to other campers and survival enthusiasts out there. First, it has some heft to it. It feels like it weighs a solid 3 to 5 pounds; I'm unsure of what the specs actually say it weighs, but that's about what it feels like. The heft is a huge positive for anyone looking for a real tool. It's heavy enough to pound tent stakes in with ease, and what makes it even easier is that the sides of the head are hammered faced providing great striking surfaces. It's also incredibly sharp coming from the factory. Second, the pick on the end is incredibly durable; I've already used it to break a couple small rocks for fun. Certainly, last but not least, the blade comes extremely sharp from the factory. The heft allows it to cleave and cut extremely well, but don't expect to cut down entire trees or anything crazy like that. The blade is also protected by some kind of plastic coating to ward off rust. It also seems to hold an edge incredibly well as I have yet to resharpen it. Overall, I would rate this as excellent; it's incredibly handy for camping and my ecological field coursework.Beware though; this is not a "throwing" tomahawk and this is not a toy. It is a well made tool meant to serve you in situations where you may need it.EDIT: I guess you could throw it if you wanted to. I personally love it for cutting kindling and small branches for when I have to camp out overnight.