Tomahawk ax: types and photos

Very often in modern cinema you can see this or that cold weapon. Knives, daggers and even exotic Japanese swords to the modern viewer have already bored. Movie fans want something new and more spectacular. What could be better than such a mystical and at the same time formidable weapons, like an ax tomahawk?

With this one name in the imagination of the man in the street there are pictures of Indian wigwams, the exotic life of the freedom-loving people, surrounded by beautiful wildlife. And of course, bloody and very fierce battles. But no matter how realistic the film was made, it remains only a director's invention, a product, although it is demanding from a demanding viewer, but far from real life. The tomahawk ax has its own real history, which does not quite coincide with the cinematic.

History of the appearance of weapons

The word "tamahaken" first appeared in the life of Indian tribes. Initially, it was used to refer to "what is being cut" - an object that looks like an acutely stained stone attached to a short stick, which was used in Indian villages both for military and for peaceful purposes. "Tamahaken" as a result of the English pronunciation gave a new word, which is now known to everyone as a "tomahawk." The ax, which, according to historians, was used by indigenous Americans in peacetime as a smoking pipe.

The first steel axes

The English, whose settlement was located side by side with the Indian tribes, were the first to see a tomahawk. The ax was used by Indians on hunting and in close combat. Europeans have suggested that this tool will become more effective if it is not made of stone, but steel. Thanks to the British, the first iron axes were delivered to the American continent, which later became the most popular commodity.

Improved by the Europeans tomahawk ax in the natives of America began to enjoy special demand. Europeans changed it to furs, produced by Indians. The production of these axes was put on stream.

Over time, a certain technology has been created that allows to significantly speed up and reduce the cost of production. It consisted in the fact that the tomahawks were made of an iron strip twisted around a steel bar, the ends of which were subsequently welded together to form a blade. But there was a more expensive option - between the welded ends of the steel strip of the master clamped hardened steel plate. In such axes, it was a blade and performed a cutting and chopping function.

The products were mass produced in Europe, mainly in France and England, and were imported to the local aborigines. Previously, this tool was used mainly in economic needs and in rare cases - hunting. After the modernization of the Indian battle ax, the tomahawk became a formidable weapon used by the British marines.

Tomahawk application: start

Europeans, examining the Indian ax, realized that for melee it is more convenient and effective than a knife or spear. This is due to the design feature that the tomahawk possessed. The Indian had a short handle, used as a lever. This made it possible to use this weapon to a weakened or wounded soldier. The length of the handle allowed to wield a tomahawk in a crowd or in one-on-one combat.

On the basis of the existing design, the Europeans, having replaced the sharp stone with iron, created their essentially improved combat weapons. It began to be actively used during boarding and close battles. It was also used to defeat the target at a distance. Throwing ax Tomahawk has become an effective weapon, hitting the target at a distance of up to twenty meters. At the same time, the military art and the Indians themselves were trained. They acquired professional skills, which enabled them to conduct military operations using a tomahawk. The ax became an element of combat and hunting equipment. It was used if it was necessary to finish off the shot animal.

Convenience in use has made the tomahawk (ax) very popular with the local population. The photo below shows the features of the external design of the product.

On the nature of damage caused by an Indian ax

Investigated by archaeologists excavations in the territories of Indian settlements indicate that the skull, collarbone, ribs and left forearm are the most susceptible to damage from tomahawks. According to the nature of the damage to the skull of the corpses of the soldiers who died from the tomahawk, the opinion was formed that the blows with an ax were applied from the top downwards along an arcuate trajectory. Damage to the clavicle, obviously, was made in those cases, if a slashing blow to the head did not reach its goal. The injuries of the left or right forearm were less common. In all likelihood, they could have been produced when a person covered his head. The second technique used by the warriors of that time was an arc-shaped chopping blow to the hull. It was applied along a horizontal trajectory. In such cases, the ribs were damaged.

Types of Indian Tomahawks

• Celt . It is one of the first models. In its form resembles a similar tomahawk made of stone. These products did not have special holes, which help to put the working part on the handle. The blade was inserted into the shaft with the help of a sharpened shoe. This Indian tomahawk was widely used in the period from the 16th to the 17th century.

• Celtic with a point. The blade of this Indian top hat has the shape of an elongated triangle passing through the shaft so that one of its sharpened corner is located on the back of the ax, forming a point. The design of the tomahawk gave the impression of a steel sheet splitting the shaft. To fix it securely, special bindings were used.
• Missouri type . This Indian tomahawk was used until the 19th century. Was distributed on the territory of the Missouri River. The working part of the ax was placed on an ordinary hatchet with a pro-echo. The blade was not hardened and was huge. Its surface had various slits and holes for decoration.

• Tubular type . Tomahawks of this type are the most common. A special feature of the tubular ax is the presence in the shaft of a special through channel, which extends along the entire length of the handle. The tomahawk has a special cup for the tobacco. The hole located at the top was covered with a horny, metallic or wooden stopper, which at any time could be pulled and used as a smoking pipe. The blade of the hatchet was decorated with engraving. Tomahawk had a smart appearance and was often used as a gift to establish diplomatic relations between the Indians and European settlers.
• Epponent type . The cutting parts of these axes could have different shapes and sizes. Handles at the base often decorated with decorative processes. The blades were removable. If necessary, they could be removed and used as a knife.
• Peak tomahawks . These are products, the training part of which was equipped with points and hooks. A similar form arose from boarding axes. Peak tomahawks were widely used by settlers for economic work. This option was widely popular among the Indians, who eventually began using it as a weapon.

• Tomahawk hammers . These products, like tubular tomahawks, were widely used in trade. Especially in demand they used shooters-colonists and Indians. But the difference between tomahawk hammers and tubular variants was that the first part of the hose had hammers. Their design was not as elegant as tubular, so they were not used as diplomatic gift items.

• Trading ax . The product does not have a graceful shape. The obu, which has a rounded shape, was used as a hammer. Handles of these axes are inserted from the bottom of the props, and in some models - from above. Since this version of the ax was predominantly used by women, it was called "tomahawk squaw." The sizes of trading axes were different. Small dimensions were comfortable to wear behind the strap. Therefore, the products are also called "belt ax", or "bag". This product was used for trade between North America and Europe. In the Indian villages the trading ax was used as a household tool and as a combat weapon.
• Tomahawk is of halberd type . Toporik consists of a chopping part and a long handle, at the end of which there is a long bayonet hammered into it. This model was manufactured from a monolithic steel plate, preferably of a broad arc or semi-circular shape. The obuch was equipped with two additional points. In some models, metal spikes or semicircles for tobacco are inserted instead of these flat points. The head of the halberd ax can be dismountable and fastened to the top of the product on the thread. Fastening of the handles can also be performed using thread, mainly in cases where the ax handle is made of wood. If the handle is metal, then it can be a single whole with the top. For the manufacture of handles, brass was also used. In such models of halberd axes, the apexes were inserted into special nests in the handle, and fastened with rivets.

Tactical weapons

Combat axes, which were equipped with American soldiers, in our time have undergone a thorough modification. There were modern and more advanced versions of tomahawks. Since these products were intended not only for combat missions, they were called tactical.

The tactical axes and tomahawks were in high demand among American soldiers during Operation Desert Storm. Not having at hand a compact and convenient device for breaking doors, the soldiers were forced to carry with them huge fire axes. Tactical hatchets are much lighter and more maneuverable, besides, besides their main task (the chopping), they perform a number of additional functions. They can knock down padlocks, press doors, smash windows in cars, etc. In a combat situation, such an ax is considered indispensable, especially when it is undesirable to use firearms. Similar situations can arise if the battle is conducted in the vicinity of flammable and explosive substances, pesticides.

Especially popular tactical axes and tomahawks are used in special units of the United States of America. In the Soviet Union, these models did not take root. The military command of the USSR initially planned to arm the personnel with tactical hatchets, but eventually it was considered that it would be too expensive. An analogue to the American tomahawks in the Red Army was a sapper blade, which, in the opinion of the Soviet leadership, is no worse.

Modern versions of Indian Tomahawks

In our time, combat and tactical hatchets are made of solid sheets of metal. Such a product is cut from the metal sheet according to the drawing, subjected to further processing on machines and has a monolithic structure. There is another way, which consists in cutting only the chopping part of the ax. Tool steel is also suitable for it. Handle is made separately. It is best if it is made of polymer material, as this can significantly reduce the weight of the weapon.

Tactical M48

The cutting part in such product, as the tomahawk ax of the M48 Hawk, is made of 440c stainless steel, which is to be further processed in the factory manufacturing as a black coating.

The length of the ax is 39 cm, the length of the blade is 95 mm, and the thickness is 2 cm. The M 48 Hawk is a reinforced polypropylene product, to which a cutting part is attached using power bolts and a steel reinforcing rim. The length of the handle is 34 cm. The tactical hatchet weighs 910 grams. The kit includes special nylon sheath.

Advantages of handicraft production. The better forged tomahawk?

It is not difficult to make an ax with your own hands. The product will turn out to be truly qualitative, as a classical ax should be, only if it is produced in the forge. It can be forged as a standard ax, necessary in the farm for carpentry, and a very aesthetic exclusive tomahawk.

It can be used as a gift, souvenir or interior decoration. For their technical characteristics, forged products are much better than cast factory ones. This is due to the peculiarities of the crystal lattice of metals, the structure of which can be changed during forging. As a result, the tomahawk itself, made in the smithy with changes in the crystal structure, withstands force and shock loads, the blade of such a tomahawk remains sharp for a long time. The operating life of forged axes is much longer than that of factory products.

Buy Tomahawk Ax in Novosibirsk

Axes, tomahawks and blades in any city of the Russian Federation can be purchased through an online store. Usually on specialized sites tools with delivery across all Russia within the optimum terms are on sale. Courier delivery is ordered at a convenient time for the client. Or you can pick up the goods yourself by contacting the order issuing point.

The prices of goods under the order - from 1300-1800 rubles. Up to 30 000 rubles. and more.

In Novosibirsk, you can make an order by calling the following numbers:

• +7 913 372-06-78;
• +7 913 952-68-04;
• +7 383 38-08-149;
• +7 953 76-27-740.