BORELLI CONSULTING: Recreational Equipment Reviews

Tomahawks From K5 Tactical
3 March 2008

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“Tomahawk” is a word that brings to mind visions of make-up laden Indians circling wagons on horseback, whooping and kicking up enough dust to blind you. For some it may also bring to mind stories of “’Hawks” being used as combat weapons in the Revolutionary War. K5 Tactical actually designs its ‘Hawks for use as breaching tools, but they certainly make impressive weapons if need be. However, for my purposes this week, I tested them as simple camp tools: hatchets, levers, etc. They faired pretty well and I thought I’d share that information.

For readers not familiar, Borelli Consulting staff have previously performed individual reviews of the K5 'hawk products.

In October of '05, Sgt. Al Garcia performed our first evaluation of the Tactical Tomahawk.

In November of '07, I wrote a review of K5's Hawk Spike.

Since those reviews were written, our T&E 'hawks have seen fairly continuous use and abuse. I've had mine on several camping trips where it was used for miscellaneous chopping chores, and once or twice as a pry bar. More recently I took one of each of these tools to a training session for a SWAT team not too far from home and discussed their further potential as breaching tools with the team leader. Having them available to a team during operations wouldn't be difficult: the new nylon sheaths are MOLLE compatible. Our biggest challenge was actually getting the 'hawks out of the sheaths as the stitching and tightness of the sheaths is first rate. Once the 'hawk has gone in and out a few times, the sheaths start to loosen just a tad and extracting the 'hawk gets a bit easier.

The finish on the 'hawks themselves has seen a few scratches but nothing serious. The sharp edges have all held up very well. In fact, the sharp edge on the undercurve of the blade means you have to be careful when pulling the 'hawk out of the sheath. Hooking your finger underneath to get better leverage as you pull is a bad idea.

'Hawks in and out of sheaths. MOLLE webbing on sheaths runs entire length. Attachment clips / straps are included when you purchase a 'hawk.

As you can see in the photo above, the sheaths are cut and stitched to fit each 'hawk design. The Tactical Tomahawk (top) and HawkSpike have proven good performers for all chopping uses as well as attacks on sheat metal, aluminum, wood doors, etc.

When you attach the sheath to your MOLLE / web gear I recommend attaching BOTH lines of webbing on whichever side of the sheath you attach. Because of the curve of the material around the handle this actually makes the sheath a bit tighter on the 'hawk. However, it also prevents the sheath from wobbling on your gear. Minor weight shifts can matter.

If you're using your 'hawk purely for recreational purposes I still recommend keeping it sheathed for transport and storage. Those edges are SHARP when they're delivered from K5 Tactical and you don't want them impacting - and therefore cutting - your other equipment. On the Tactical Tomahawk you're provided with a good chopping / cutting edge while the back end is a flat edge good for hammering chores. The HawkSpike, on the other hand, has a back end that's good for puncturing objects. On the tactical side of activities, this is good for penetrating mobile home doors, etc for breaching. When used in the field (camping, backpacking, etc) I haven't found a true need for it yet. That doesn't mean I'll stop carrying it!

For more information about K5 Tactical and there tomahawk products, visit them online.

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Don't forget to check out our Tactical Equipment Review of CamelBak's Urban Assault Pack.

This week's Feature Article articulating Sgt. Al Garcia's "Sore Shoulder Theory".

For a listing of all reviews in chronological order, GO HERE.

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