Tactical tomahawks are designed and made for combat situations and self-defense, but most people use them as useful camping, hiking, hunting, and survival tools, or for work, food prep, and home and garden maintenance jobs instead.
Last update on 2023-07-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
We have picked the greatest tactical tomahawks you can buy in 2023, as well as some of the best breaching and throwing tomahawks so you can find the right one for your needs.
Tactical Tomahawk
CRKT Woods Chogan Tomahawk Ax: RMJ T-Hawk
If you prefer using a tactical ax without all the bells and whistles, then this bare-bones ax by Columbia River Knife and Tool is an excellent option for you.
It is suitable for work, for outdoor adventures, and will withstand a lot of wear and tear over time.
The Tomahawk has a hot-forged 1055 high carbon stainless steel blade, which is 3 inches long, and a hammer steelhead, which you can use to hammer in stakes, nails, and others.
The Tennessee hickory handle is simple yet very comfortable to hold.
This superb tactical tomahawk is 19.13 inches long and weighs 1 lb. 15.9 oz., so you can attach it to your backpack and easily carry it with you anywhere you go.
It is also a useful tool to have at home, as it can handle a number of home maintenance and gardening chores too.
It is a sturdy tool that comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
You can buy the snug genuine leather sheath for the ax separately to keep the blade and yourself safe while carrying and storing it.
SOG Tomahawk Throwing Ax – FastHawk Tactical Ax
The SOG Tomahawk Throwing Ace has a razor-sharp hatchet straight edge blade made of 420 stainless steel and is designed and built to swing fast and accurately.
One of the top tomahawks is 12.5 inches long and is a heavy-duty survival ax, yet it weighs only 19 ounces. This makes it perfect for portability and ease of use.
The tactical tomahawk by SOG has a 2-inch straight edge on the ax blade, a spike on the other side of the stainless steelhead, as well as an added checkered hammering surface on top of the handle, which makes it a versatile tool for all types of outdoor adventures and missions.
The tomahawk’s handle is made of sturdy and easy to grip contoured glass-reinforced nylon, and it has a lanyard hole so you can easily carry it or attach it to your backpack or other gear.
It is sold with a sturdy ballistic nylon sheathe, which has a loop that can fit on a 1.5-inch wide belt.
You can use it for throwing, chopping, piercing cans, hammering, and other tasks when you are out camping, hunting, mountaineering, and hiking or on another outdoor survival adventure.
M48 Ranger Tomahawk Ax with Lensatic Compass
This reasonably priced tactical tomahawk ax by United Cutlery has a cast stainless steel ax head with a 3.75-inch cutting edge and a spike.
The cutting edge of this tactical hatchet is razor-sharp and will retain its sharpness for months and even years of use.
Its wrapped handle is made of 30% reinforced nylon with a nylon cord wrap for a more comfortable and secure grip in all weather conditions.
For a price of under $40, you will receive this reliable and useful tomahawk ax as well as a snap-button sheath and a compass for your adventures in the wilderness.
You can use this sturdy tool designed and made by United Cutlery for numerous household chores, including meat and poultry butchery and food prep, as well as a camp axe, a survival tool, or for work and other outdoor uses.
CRKT Chogan T-hawk Tomahawk Carbon Steel
This cool-looking tomahawk axe by Columbia River Knife and Tool is a high-performance cutting, chopping, and throwing tool.
Thanks to its glass-reinforced nylon handle, it is lightweight and portable, making it one of the top tactical axes for camping, military missions, and outdoor adventures. The handle is curved and has grip coils and removable full-length checkered scales for a safer and more comfortable grip.
It has a high-performance single-piece SK5 carbon steel axe head and a razor-sharp edge, which will hold well over time. The other side is a hammerhead, so you can use it to set up the tent stakes too, as well as for chopping, making it an excellent camping axe.
It has been designed by one of the leaders in the business Ryan Johnson and is also available in a version with an ax and spike.
It comes with a form-fitting, MOLLE equipped Botaron sheath for the T-hawk head with a buckled strap.
The length of the tomahawk is 14 inches, and its blade is 2.93 inches. It weighs 1.54 lbs.
Gerber Downrange Tomahawk 30-000715
The Gerber Downrange Tomahawk is the most versatile of all the products on this list. It is actually a pretty serious survival and tactical tool which combines multiple tools in one.
The 3-in-1 breaching tomahawk can be used as an ax, a hammer as well as a pry bar.
The high-end tomahawk features a 420HC steel body with cerakote, which will never bend or break.
It has desert tan G-10 scales on the bottom of the handle for a safe and comfortable grip from any side.
This tomahawk is designed for getting through closed doors and drywall, and the hammer on the other side can be used to break through doorknobs, hinges, and locks.
On the other side of the tool, there is a sturdy pry bar that you can use to pry open anything, thanks to the cut-out handle in the axe head.
The multifunctional tomahawk comes with a high-quality MOLLE compatible sheath and is backed by a lifetime warranty from Gerber.
The length of the Gerber Tomahawk is 19.27 inches, and it weighs 1.9 lbs. without the sheath and 2.5 lbs. with it.
Estwing Tomahawk Ax – 16.25″ Lightweight Hatchet
The Estwing Tomahawk is a reasonably priced tactical tomahawk that has a simple yet highly efficient design with very few curves or bends.
The ax head is forged of one piece of US 1055 high carbon steel, which is powder-coated with black for added strength and to make it corrosion resistant.
The ax head is 7.25 inches in length and has a 2.5 inch long sharpened blade edge on one side and a spiked point on the other.
The handle of this full-tang tactical tomahawk has a vinyl coating that provides a comfortable and secure grip no matter the weather conditions, and which also helps reduce the vibration from the impact by 70%.
One of the leading tactical tomahawks is sold with a ballistic nylon sheath for easier portability and for protection.
This full-tang tactical hatchet is 16.25 x 7.38 x 1.24 inches in size and is one of the best bangs for your buck you can find in 2023.
Browning Black Label 320170BL Knife, Black Shock
The Browning Shock ‘N Awesome tomahawk is an excellent tool that is also a superb tactical tomahawk for camping, hiking, and other needs.
It is lightweight and is compact, so you can easily carry it with you on your outdoor adventures.
The size of the Browning Shock ‘n Awe is 13 (L) x 9 (W) x 2.25 (H) inches, and it weighs 1 lb. 12 oz.
The blade is made of 1055 Tool Steel with a black powder coating finish, and the handle is constructed from G10 and has comfortable to grip checkered scales.
The length of the blade is 2.625 inches, and it comes with a penetration spike which is curved downwards as well as a spiked pommel.
This beautifully designed tomahawk comes with an injection-molded plastic sheath to keep the edge sharp and also to keep you safe when you are carrying it with you.
Features to look for when you are buying a tactical tomahawk
If you want to buy the perfect tomahawk which will meet your needs and expectations, then keep in mind the following main features you should take into consideration when choosing the right one:
- The type and usage
Tomahawks come in 3 main types – for breaching, tactical, and throwing. Even though tactical tomahawks are originally designed for combat and self-defense, they are rarely used for this type of purpose. Instead, you can use a tactical tomahawk for your camping or other outdoor needs for survival as well as for work and for home maintenance and gardening chores too.
Because of their original purpose, tactical tomahawks are usually heavier than the throwing type. The breaching ones are the heaviest as they are meant to break through doors, walls, and other barriers.
- The shape of the head
You should choose a tomahawk which has the most suitable head shape for your needs. Some tomahawks have hammering surfaces, while others come with piercing spikes. Some throwing tomahawks have double ax heads too.
- The length of the edge
The longer the edge of the ax blade, the heavier the head will be. So, if you are looking for a portable tomahawk for backpacking and hiking, you may want to opt for one with a smaller edge and a lighter weight. If you want a tomahawk with a large blade and a lighter weight, you may want to opt for one like the Gerber Downrange, which has a cut-out hollowed large head.
- The handle
Since tomahawks are intended for one-handed use, the handles of these tools and weapons are usually no longer than 18 inches.
Longer handles are more suitable for chopping through or piercing through harder wood and materials.
The shorter handled ones are more suitable for the precise chopping of twigs and smaller branches for survival situations.
- The weight
The heavier the tool, the bigger its chopping power. But if you are going to wear it on your belt or your backpack for long distances, then you may want to consider buying a lighter-weight one.