Best Tomahawk For Bushcraft – Multipurpose And Cool As Hell

You want to know what the best tomahawk for bushcraft is, right?

So here are 9 awesome hawks that you will appreciate around your camp for whatever bushcraft tasks you throw at them.

Carry one of these multi-purpose tools and you can rest assured that you can tackle just about any wood-crafting chore.

Let’s face it, tomahawks have come of age.

…And they are cool as hell!

…And just begging for your own personal mods.

Ready to see them?

Let’s dive in.

The Best Tomahawks For Bushcraft

CRKT Chogan Hammer T-Hawk – Overall Best Tomahawk For Bushcraft

This tomahawk lends itself perfectly to bushcraft.

Decent quality makes it reliable.

Like other CRKT hawks, it may need sharpening before you take it out into the woods. And the handle isn’t going to fit the head perfectly. So you’ll need to refine the handle a bit to fit just right.

But for the price, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better tomahawk for bushcraft.

CRKT has created an incredibly versatile, lightweight tool for the woods. Think of it as the CRKT Chogan’s smaller brother.

Forged from 1055 carbon steel, the head comes with a 2.6″ long cutting edge. Its weight is 1.78 lb with the handle. And of course has a pronounced hammer poll.

American hickory makes up the handle.

The blade shape is similar to the Cold Steel Trail Hawk. But the Hammer T-Hawk does have a slightly thicker wedge profile so it splits wood a bit better.

That thicker wedge profile of CRKT Chogan Hammer T-Hawk lets you slice and dice branches and small trees like no other.

But still allows the blade to cut deeper.

So it can be a little sticky.

There’s enough of a beard that you can get your hand behind the blade very effectively.

So you can easily make fine shavings or feather sticks.

You have excellent control that allows you to do more precise carving.

Pop the blade off the handle and the design lends itself to become an effective hand tool.

So if you break your handle or choose to carry just the head in your backpack, you can use the blade to quickly make a new handle in the field.

This CRKT tomahawk comes with a designed hammer poll for tent pegs or for those bushcraft tasks that require a good bashing.

You can even use it to hammer nails and metal spikes. It does NOT come with a sheath so you have to buy one separately.

Like other tomahawks, the CRKT Chogan Hammer T-Hawk is not going to be a great wood splitter for larger logs, just because of its size.

For that you’d need a much heavier head with more of a wedge shape to the blade.

But for creating kindling and wood for a small fire or pocket wood stove, making wood stakes or other general camp tasks including hammering, you can’t beat it.

This is the workhorse that you won’t be afraid to bash around.

…And isn’t that the kind of tool you’d like to have in the woods?

All things considered, this is the best tomahawk for bushcraft.

Specifications:

Blade Length: 2.60″
Blade Steel: 1055 Carbon Steel
Blade Finish: Manganese Phosphate Coating
Blade Thickness: 1.47″
Overall Length: 17.88″
Weight: 1.78 lb
Handle Material: Tennessee Hickory

H&B Forge Medium Camp Hawk – Best Runner Up Bushcraft Tomahawk

A handsome and well functioning tomahawk hand forged in Ohio, that won’t cost you an arm and leg.

It does everything you’d expect from a lightweight tomahawk.

You’ll have a hard time finding an equivalent with the same quality and workmanship.

(You can special order the Gransfors Bruk Tomahawk, who set the gold standard for hand forged axes. … But you’ll pay over 4 times the price.)

H&B Forge produce the camp hawk in 3 different sizes with various handle lengths.

With a 1 lb head and 19 inch handle, the Medium Camp Hawk provides a good balance between carrying weight and effectiveness as a bushcraft tool.

It is modeled after the French Trade Axe, a general purpose utility and small carpentry axe.

The French tradesman belt axe was traded to Native Americans in the Ohio region in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The 1095 steel blade holds a very nice edge. The 1095 steel is hard enough to make this tool highly functional.

As steels used for axes go, 1095 is a bit on the softer side. But that works in this tomahawk’s favor.

It’s much easier to fix a rolled edge in the field than it is to fix a chipped edge.

The head has a full sized hammer poll but it is not hardened.

So it should only be used for pounding in wooden stakes and other soft materials.

The handle that comes with the tomahawk fits the eye very well, certainly better than the Cold Steel products.

Since the camp hawk is hand forged, the folks at H&B Forge have opted to leave the hand forging marks and scaling on the tool.

It gives the hawk a rustic look and feel.

And has become a very popular attribute that people tend to enjoy.

You have to buy the sheath separately.

But they have great, high quality options available, all made in America.

Simply put, a high quality bushcraft tool that is hand forged in the U.S., with a middle of the road price.

And this bushcraft tomahawk looks great too.

Specifications:

Weight: 1.5 lbs
Head Weight: ~ 1lb
Head Length: 5.5 in
Blade Width: 3.5 in
Overall Length: 19″ (different length handles available)
Steel: 1095 steel for blade and 1019 steel for the rest of the head

Cold Steel Trail Hawk – Best Budget Bushcraft Tomahawk

The lightest on this list, the Cold Steel Trail Hawk is a useful tool to have in the bush and would be very appreciated in a survival situation.

This tool is for those who are concerned about adding too much weight to your pack.

Like all traditional tomahawks, the head comes off the handle.

So you can save even more weight and not bring the handle at all. Just carry the head.

You can then easily make a handle when you get into the woods.

The Trail Hawk isn’t going to replace a full sized axe.

You are not going to cut down large trees with it.  Let’s be clear about that.

But it can process smaller branches for firewood, help build a shelter, dress game and clean fish, and make triggers for deadfall traps.

Also, it can be used as a hand tool for rough chopping like making wood pegs and fine work like making feather sticks.

Are there tools that are specifically made for these tasks that perform better?

Yes, of course.

But the Trail Hawk performs these tasks well enough.

All with one tool.

So if it is all you have, you can rest assured that you have a functional tool that will help you around camp.

Overall this a decent and at times, very handy tool to carry in the woods.

Like many other folks, you may want to modify your Trail Hawk, and for good reason.

You can find a bunch of videos online that show you how to modify this hawk.

Many people find the handle too long to fit in a pack. Or it hangs too far below your pack when strapped to the outside.

So they trim it down to fit their packs.

The handle typically doesn’t fit the eye very well.

Because of the poor friction fit, the Trail Hawk comes with a set screw in the head to fasten it to the handle.

This impedes one the best features of a tomahawk – a easily removable head.

So most folks take out and discard the set screw and rely on the better friction fit they achieve by reworking the handle.

The head comes with a thick black paint coating that most people find unattractive.

They tend to remove the paint and instead, force a patina to prevent rust.

Rust prevention methods like pickling or blueing to protect the steel are pretty common options.

The factory edge usually leaves something to be desired. So plan on spending some time sharpening.

All great weekend projects.

In the end, you’ll have a great lightweight and versatile tool that you’ll find very effective for light work in the woods.

It doesn’t come with a sheath so you have to get one separately.

So the Trail Hawk will require a little bit of work before taking out in the field.

But for the cheap price, and some elbow grease, you get a useful and enjoyable multi-purpose bushcraft tool.

Specifications:

Overall Length: 22″
Hawk Length: 6.5″
Edge: 2.25″
Head Weight: 12 oz
Weight: 23.6 oz
Steel: Drop Forged 1055 Carbon
Handle: American Hickory

Hogue Knives EX-T01 Tomahawk

For backpackers and bushcrafters who need to pay attention to their pack weight.

The EX-T01 is technically a tactical tomahawk.

Optional hammer and spike polls are available that you can attach, giving it all the functionality of the other tomahawks on this list.

It has a partial-tang made from S7 steel with G10 handle scales.

The head has been designed to reduce weight as much as possible while retaining most of its strength as an axe head.

Even though this tool looks like an axe, it acts more like a tomahawk.

It will not split large wood anytime soon. It’s just too light.

But that’s by design.

That’s what makes it so packable.

However, it will easily chop branches into firewood, make wooden stakes and pound them in, delimb a small tree to be used for shelter, and general hacking and bashing around camp.

The hammer, spike, and pry bar accessories are sold separately.

Specifications:

Overall Length: 14.125”
Weight: 0.95 lbs (Skeletonized Head)
Total Weight: 1.45 lbs (with Sheath)
Material: S7 Tool Steel
Flat Grind – Hand Honed Edge
Frame: G10 Scales

SOG Survival Hawk

The Survival Hawk from SOG is made to be compact while still having the functionality of a larger tactical tomahawk.

It has a 3 inch blade, a hammer and a nail puller that doubles as a spike.

The blade comes sharp as hell, right of the box.

The handle hides a ferro rod for firemaking, adding to its survival capabilities.

Full length 420 series stainless steel construction make up the body and head.

The handle is covered in fiberglass reinforced nylon scales and a paracord wrap.

Like many of SOG’s tomahawks, the Survival Hawk comes from a proven design. It also comes with a sheath made from ballistic nylon.

At just over a foot long, weighing 1 lb 3oz, it is large enough to tackle any task the other tomahawks can.

And small enough to tuck away in a backpack or rucksack without taking up much space.

Add in the ferro rod and paracord, you now have a tool that covers 3 of the “5 C’s” of survival – cutting, combustion and cordage.

It may look like it’s ready for combat, but this puppy is just as ready for bushcraft and survival.

Specifications:

Overall Length 12.1″
Weight 19.5oz
Steel Type: 3Cr13MoV
Handle Type: GRN

CRKT Woods Chogan T-Hawk

This CRKT tomahawk was designed by Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical.

It is a modern, minimalist take on the tomahawk.

While it has all the same features as the other traditional tomahawks on this list, it is included here because it is a bigger and heavier option.

One of the complaints you’ll hear about tomahawks in general is they are too light to do any serious chopping or splitting of larger pieces of wood.

So here it is, the CRKT Woods Chogan.

The 3.5 inch wide blade is the same as the H&B Forge Medium Camp Hawk.

But the Chogan is beefier.

It has a more pronounced wedge shaped blade which adds material and also lends itself better to splitting wood.

It has a good solid, full-sized hammer poll.

The head weighs in at 1 lb 7 oz., compared to just under 1 lb for the H&B Forge Medium Camp Hawk.

That’s noticeably heavier. And it shows in its chopping and splitting performance.

So why isn’t it ranked higher?

Fit and finish.

Don’t get me wrong.

CRKT has produced a quality tomahawk. But, like the Cold Steel tomahawks, it is not really ready to go right out of the box.

It needs some prep work first.

You may find the blade dull and in need of sharpening before you take it out in the field.

The handle comes with a lacquer finish which can be slippery if your hands get wet.

You may want to remove that finish from the handle without messing up the head fit.

But these can all be small Sunday afternoon projects that you can finish in a couple of hours.

And once you’re done and have your preferred grind on that blade, you have one versatile bushcraft tomahawk that performs more like a light axe than a hawk.

So why not just carry an axe?

For the same reason that applies to all these tomahawks.

You can easily pop the head off and use it more like a multifunctional hand tool. Can’t do that with an axe.

If the extra weight doesn’t bother you, the CRKT Woods Chogan T-Hawk will provide you with that extra chopping power for your bushcraft chores.

Specifications:

Blade Length: 3.50″
Blade Steel: 1055 Carbon Steel
Blade Finish: Clear Lacquer
Blade Thickness: 0.52″
Overall Length: 19.00″
Head Weight: 1 lb 7 oz
Weight: 1.99 lb
Handle: Tennessee Hickory

Cold Steel Frontier Hawk

Closely authentic to a traditional tomahawk, the Frontier Hawk will quickly become your go-to tool for bushcraft chores.

Like most Cold Steel tomahawks, you’ll need to sharpen it before using it straight out of the box.

The drop forged 1055 Steel head is differentially hardened so the blade holds an edge well.

Use it for chopping branches, splitting kindling and small wood for your fire, creating ridge poles and making tent stakes.

The light weight makes it a fast swinging and efficient tool.

The blade shape lets you to choke up on the handle and get your hand behind the beard very easily.

Then you have a push knife for feather sticks, bark strips and other finer work.

Yes, the Frontier Hawk takes a little work to get it set up the way you want it.

But once it is, it will be your trusted bushcraft companion for years to come. With the look and feel of an original hawk but without the price.

You’ll have to buy the sheath separately.

Specifications:

Weight: 22.4 oz
Blade length: 3 1/4”
Handle: American Hickory
Material: Drop Forged 1055 Carbon Steel
Overall Length: 22″

Condor Tool & Knife Bushcraft Tomahawk

The Condor Bushcraft Tomahawk is a traditional style tomahawk, but with a very pronounced beard.

So it becomes an effective cross between a hawk and an axe.

You can choke up on the handle and get your hand behind the blade better than any hawk on this list.

That makes this tool an excellent push knife.

A thinner edge allows for good carving and fine work.

Weighing 31 oz., it also has the weight to do some effective chopping and splitting.

And it comes with a hardened poll for hammering.

The head has a hand hammered finish for a classic look.

The handle is made from good ol’ Hickory.

Condor’s Tomahawk comes with a high quality leather sheath that has a shoulder strap for carrying.

It also has a belt loop that is designed so the tool can be swung out of the way if riding in a vehicle or trekking through the jungle.

Specifications:

Head Length: 6.2″
Blade Width: 3.9″
Overall Length: 19.2″
Blade Material: 1060 High Carbon Steel
Handle Material: Burnt American Hickory
Sheath Material: Welted Leather
Weight: 31.1 oz.

Gransfors Bruk Tomahawk

What happens when you get the best axe maker in the world to make a tomahawk?

You get the Gransfors Tomahawk.

The legendary Swedish axe manufacturer has put their talents to good use.

They have produced the best traditional tomahawk on the market.

It’s based on the historical French Trade Axe, the small lightweight belt axe that was traded to Native Americans in return for furs, hand-made goods, guiding and transport through the wilderness.

This is probably the highest quality tomahawk you’re going to find.

Gransfors Bruk’s forging techniques, material choices and workmanship are world class.

This hand forged tomahawk is no different. Edge retention on the blade is excellent.

The blade geometry makes for an effective and efficient bushcraft tomahawk.

It comes with linseed oiled Hickory handles.

And it comes with a custom made sheath made from extra thick leather.

Don’t get the wrong impression. As beautiful as this tool looks, it’s not just a showpiece.

Gransfors Bruk makes this thing to get the job done.

So why is THIS tomahawk NOT at the top of the list?

2 reasons: availability and price.

This hawk is only available in limited production runs.

There is no pre-ordering and is only available from their website.

You just have to watch their website. If a batch is ready, … you have to jump on it.

And when you do… get ready for sticker shock. This puppy can run in excess of $350 USD, depending on exchange rates.

At that price, you can get 5 CRKT Hammer T-Hawks.

Will the Gransfors Tomahawk prep firewood 5 times faster? Nope. Will it make 5 times more feather sticks in the same amount of time? No, again.

But for some, it’s not about the price.

It’s about investing in the best of the best, the craftsmanship, the attention to detail.

And that’s why this tool makes this list.

The amount of hand-crafted work that goes into this hawk is obvious.

That is what Gransfors Bruk does better than anyone else.

And this beautiful, traditional tomahawk is the best of the best.

Now all you have to do is take out a second mortgage to pay for it.

… Then glue your eyes to their website.

… Without blinking.

… Then wait.

… Then wait some more.

Specifications:

Weight: approx. 1.3 lbs
Blade Width: approx. 3″
Head Length: approx. 5.1″
Handle Length: approx. 18-3/4″

Frequently Asked Questions About Bushcraft Tomahawks

What Is Better, A Tomahawk Or Hatchet?

Tomahawk vs. hatchet is a touchy subject among outdoorsmen, preppers and survivalists.

Just get into a debate about it and you’ll find yourself going down the rabbit hole, fast.

So for the critics of tomahawks, why haven’t they been relegated to history’s scrap heap?

One simple reason. Because they are still useful.

And they have 2 critical features that cannot be ignored.

First, you can pop the head off the handle and use it as a hand tool for various tasks.

Can’t do that with an axe.

That’s the niche a tomahawk fills.

An axe chops and splits wood better. A knife performs cutting and fine work better.

A tomahawk may not do those tasks as efficiently, but it can do all those things an axe and knife can do.

It is multifunctional. That’s what attracts people to a tomahawk.

Second, it’s designed to be lightweight relative to the amount of work it can do.

And less weight allows you to travel further, faster and be more responsive.

Which can be very important factors in bushcraft and survival.

So the idea of using a tomahawk for survival and bushcraft shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly.

A lightweight tool that fits in a rucksack, has multiple uses, and creates redundancies will always get attention in the bushcraft and survival world.

Oh… There is one other factor about a tomahawk to consider.

Sometimes there are reasons to use a tool other than efficiency. There’s no denying that the tomahawk has a “cool” factor.

If you like it, then use it.

And there’s no reason to pretend that all of our choices need to be based just on practicality.

See other cutting tool options on our Survival Gear List.

What Is The Difference Between A Tomahawk And An Axe?

The key differences between a tomahawk and an axe (and hatchet) boil down to the weight, the handle, and how the head is affixed to the handle.

The smaller head of a tomahawk makes it lighter than the heavier head of an axe or hatchet.

The lighter weight certainly makes it more difficult to chop down large trees.

Because the lightweight head just won’t dig into the wood like a heavier axe head will.

An axe’s head is attached to the handle differently. An axe head is fitted tightly to its handle.

The attachment is made semi-permamant by driving a wedge through the top of the handle, expanding that portion of the handle.

That effectively creates a wider handle above the head, prevents the axe head from sliding off, and maintains a tight fit.

A tomahawk handle is usually made from a straight pole or branch that tapers from a smaller diameter end to a larger diameter end.

You simply slide the head along the handle from smaller end to larger end.

At some point, the handle diameter becomes too large for the head to slide any further.

That’s when the head becomes affixed to the handle through a friction fit.

The chopping motion of a tomahawk tries to force the head further up the larger handle, creating an even tighter fit.

Since it’s just a friction fit, you can easily remove the head and replace a broken handle in the field (or make a different handle length).

And a tomahawk’s head can be removed and used as a standalone tool.

You can use it for many different bushcraft and tasks like processing game, cutting branches for firewood, making stakes and ridge poles for shelter.

The tomahawk’s head shape allows it to be used as a wedge to split large pieces of wood.