If you’re looking for an affordable tomahawk that can take a beating, fits comfortably into small spaces, and doesn’t add much weight to your load, then the SOG Fast Hawk Tomahawk is just what you’re looking for. To top it off, it looks pretty damn cool, too.
SOG and its products were inspired by the knives and tomahawks of MACV-SOG, a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert operations before and during the Vietnam War. In quick-response situations, a tomahawk like this one can be used to breach doors and windows. This is especially helpful in situations where there might be a fortified door, or when there isn’t enough time to set up an explosive charge.
They are excellent tools for breaking glass—particularly using the spike—and they are small enough in the hand that they can get that job done quickly and in tight quarters. Tomahawks can be used for chopping, splitting, digging, prying, or even cutting rope. Typically, anything that an edged tool can be used for, you can use a tomahawk for. It might not be the best option for any one of those jobs, but it will work in a pinch and it’s a tool that can do multiple jobs. That’s very beneficial to soldiers.
It is 12 inches long and weighs 12 ounces. The head is made of stainless steel and the handle is made of polymer. There are two bolts that secure the head to the handle. The Fast Hawk’s smaller scale makes it spin faster when you throw it. It is also easier to carry on a hike or ruck march.
The handle supports a 2.75 inch blade that is very sharp, as well as a hard spike at the opposite end. The hard spike is not sharp, and would not stick into wood unless you were to sharpen it. The spike is not designed to be a cutting tool, so its edge is not sharpened as such. The SOG Fast Hawk spike is made for puncturing steel, breaking rock, and would do well to provide plenty of damage in a self-defense situation.
The Fast Hawk fits in your hands very well, and the polymer handle has a good slip-resistant grip to it. It comes with a nylon sheath that is good, not great. The nylon feels a bit cheap. That said, the sheath does have a belt loop and grommet holes to run 550 cord through in order to make a field-expedient sling if you’d like to carry the tomahawk cross body.
All SOG products come with a lifetime guarantee, but you most likely won’t need to use it since this product feels very well-built. It is great for combat, breaking down doors, close-quarter fighting, and is a hoot to throw. The SOG Fast Hawk is also trusted and used by Rangers.
Army Rangers carrying the SOG Fast Hawk
