Gear Review: SOG Tomahawk

(Yes, those are my Oakley's on top to give some scale)

I read a story a while ago about how there were new 'tactical' Tomahawks that were gaining popularity with Special Operations soldiers.  I like paying attention to the gear that soldiers buy, if it weren't worth it's weight than they wouldn't carry it.  Figured it was worth a look.

Online reviews led me to the SOG Tomahawk.  I don't particularly care for the 'SOG' stamp, but in this case it looked to be the best option and was around the same price.  $30-40 on Amazon depending on the seller.

I haven't had a chance to field test this tool yet but it has very solid construction, is fairly light weight, and the head is all one solid piece.  All in all, it looks very well made and would handle pretty much any job with ease, from chopping wood for a fire to using it to pry or break as the need arises.

Also, it would make a handy weapon against any Zombies.  I'm a fan of the genre and recently read a book where a tomahawk like this one was one of the main character's favorite anti-Zombie weapons.  Laugh all you like, it's a very versatile tool.  From the very sharp blade on one side to the very solid spike on the other, this is ready for some heavy duty work.

The only complaint that I have with the SOG Tomahawk is the sheath.  Maybe it's meant for some "tactical carry" capacity that I'm not familiar with but, as is, I don't see a very practical way to carry this thing (other than just tossing the whole thing in a back pack).  The above picture, in the middle of the sheath is a vertical belt loop, and those bottom rivet-looking things are the buttons that snap to secure the head in the sheath.  So, if you slide this on your belt the whole haft is bouncing against your legs as you walk, then to remove it you have to undo the snaps on the bottom to free the Tomahawk.  This doesn't seem very practical.

I guess you could use the belt loop to secure it to your pack somehow (then the haft would be bouncing against the pack with every step), but that doesn't seem much more useful than just lashing it or putting it in the pack.

Overall this is a very cool tool and I'm excited to take it with me on my next outing.  The sheath thing is a fairly minor issue, I'm sure there are plenty of super cool after-market sheaths for it, or you can just tie it to your pack like I did.  For the price, the SOG Tomahawk strikes me as a really good deal.

Oh, and before I forget, the SOG Tomahawk is not intended to be a throwing weapon.  I might try giving it a toss anyway, just to see what it's like.  Or I might have to get my hands on this baby:

The SOG Battle/Throwing Ax...  MUHUHAHAHAAHHAAA!!!