Few bladed tools have the diverse uses and coolness factor of tactical tomahawks.

Just looking at one puts a person in the mind of Native American warriors roaming the plains, on the hunt. That is how cool tomahawks are – they’ve been around for centuries.

And if consider a battle ax a direct ancestor of the tomahawk, then the history goes back even further still. Ancient stone ax factories have been uncovered across Europe, including England, Ireland, Poland, France and Italy.

So why have one today? Because a tomahawk remains as versatile as ever.

A Brief History of Tomahawks & the Tactical Tomahawk

By the time Europeans arrived in North American, they found the tomahawk a common tool used by Native American tribes on the East Coast (and later, as European settlers spread, in the West). The name comes from the word tamahaac, a term used by the Algonquian tribe in Virginia, according to the book “Tracks That Speak: The Legacy of Native American Words in North American Culture” by Charles Cutler.

Cutler also wrote that early tomahawks came in a wide variety of forms, depending on the tribe. All had long handles, but the blades came in different forms. They ranged from deer antlers to sharpened stones. Europeans even started making their own version of tomahawks, including the popular pipe tomahawk, which had a hollow handle and a pipe bowl opposite the blade.

Tomahawks continue to be made today, with tomahawk throwing now part of many knife-throwing competitions. Professional reenactment groups also use tomahawks, as well.

The KRUDO KHatchet

In the spirit of the ever-evolving tomahawk, Krudo Knives owner Louis Krudo fashioned what he feels is “the only tactical tomahawk you will ever need.” The Krudo KHatchet covers all the bases for a tomahawk and does so in a beautifully designed package.

The 15 ¼ inch tomahawk comes with a 3 ½ inch blade, all fashioned from a single piece of quarter-inch steel, and is fitted with custom-made G10 handles. Because of the design, the KHatchet can be used even if it remains in its sheath.

Uses include:

  • Hooking
  • Prying
  • Hitting
  • Close Quarter Personal combat tactics (when the business end is out of the sheath, obviously)

In another words, it’s the type of versatile tomahawk that can be used both for camping and outdoor work, as well as in combat situations.

On the Krudo Knives website, Krudo said he gave the KHatchet a unique design because he “wanted to create a one-hand axe that would be different, in part, from the typical tactical hatchets. Not only in design shape, but most important in its tactical application, sheathed and unsheathed.”

If you find yourself looking for a unique bladed tool that has a variety of uses and comes with an interesting history, a tactical tomahawk might work for you. Not to mention the fact that it’s just cool.