If you’ve been around guns for very long at all, it’s safe to say you’ve likely heard of or handled a Hogue Inc. product. Long known for their overmolded stocks and handgun grips, they’ve branched out and have begun producing a much wider variety of products. Among them is the Hogue EX-T01 Tomahawk, an interesting deviation from what we’ve come to expect out of Hogue. Having been tasked with the enjoyable job of reviewing it, let’s take a look at the spec sheet and then cover my initial impressions.
Overall:
The length of the tomahawk is 14.125″ while the ‘hawk without sheath weighs .95lbs. With the paddle, that comes up to 1.45lbs.
The Body and Blade:
Crafted from S7 shock-resisting tool steel and cerakoted black, this hand sharpened edge is designed to last. The tang of the Hogue EX-T01 is dressed up in G10 glass based epoxy resin laminate scales. G10 is not only incredibly durable, but offers excellent grip as well. Take a look at the photos and you may notice behind the blade are two little holes. They are there to bolt on the optional spike, pry bar or hammer attachments. (Those attachments are sold separately so I’m not able to review them. But it’s certainly a function worth mentioning.)
Hogue EX-T01 Sheath:
This is also crafted from G10, with both a nylon waist band paddle and Tek-Lok™ mounting points for alternate attachments. There are two means of retention used here, magnets within the sheath keep the tomahawk close and the rotating section that matches the cutout within the blade’s head keeps everything where it should be until you want it out.
My Experience:
I took the Hogue EX-T01 out for a little walk on an overgrown forest trail, using it to clear brush and branches. Making a point of taking the tomahawk in-and-out of the sheath between each branch or rotting log to get as many draws as possible with it. Additionally, the paddle sheath is comfortable and the retention methods are effective. The blade is very sharp out of the box and hasn’t slowed down yet. The tomahawk is well-balanced, and although I’m no lumberjack I was able to get this to stick in a tree a few times when throwing it from a handful of paces.
Summary:
You’ll be seeing more of the Hogue EX-T01 in future articles. It’s convenient to carry, handy to use and sharp as a knife. There’s no doubt that this is a well made piece. This tomahawk runs $299 on Hogue’s site and should provide a lifetime of utility.
