Hand Forged Tomahawk with Brass Tacks, 19 Inch Hickory Handle

Most of what an axe like this does is small work. Limbing a fallen branch, or splitting kindling down to a size that will light. This one runs 19 inches overall on a 1095 high carbon head, and the hickory haft carries a row of brass tacks up its upper half. Plain steel, dressed handle. That is the whole point of it.

Specification

The head

The steel is 1095 high carbon. The body of the head keeps its blackened forged finish and the bevel is polished bright against it. The head is 6 inches long with a cutting edge of 3.25 inches, so the bit stays narrow and the weight stays low on the end of a long haft. A narrow bit slices into green wood instead of wedging and stopping halfway. The grind is thin behind the edge and thickens back towards the eye. Carbon steel darkens with use and rusts if you leave it wet.

The handle

Hickory is what American axe makers reach for first. It flexes under a shock instead of splitting. The tacks are brass, hammered into cut seats until the domes sit level with the wood. The eye is friction fit. The haft tapers, drops in from the top, and no wedge holds it. Lift the head off and a fresh haft goes on in a minute. At 19 inches you can slide a hand up under the head, or drop back to the butt for reach.

The leather head cover

The cover is vegetable tanned leather cut to the outline of this head, so it closes tight with no slack. The edges are welted, with a strip of leather between the two faces. It is hand stitched through that welt. The face is hand carved with a floral and scroll design, cut into damp leather so it has depth you can feel. A brass snap holds the strap. It goes on dry, never over a wet head.

Who it suits

A plain head on a dressed haft pulls a particular buyer.

• Anyone wanting brass and carving without paying for pattern welded steel
• Buyers who need a present to look like one
• Campers who like a bit of character in their kit
• Owners who like plain carbon steel

What comes in the box

• The tomahawk on its tacked hickory haft
• The hand carved leather head cover
• A care card
• A box you can hand it over in

Every piece is different

Each head is forged and ground by hand, so the hammer texture under the black finish falls where it falls. The tacks are set one at a time, and the spacing on yours will differ from the photographs. Hickory runs from cream to light brown and no haft takes the oil the same way.

Looking after it

Wipe the head dry after use and oil it before it goes away. Put the cover on dry, never over a wet head. The haft takes boiled linseed oil, three to five coats over as many days, then once a year. Never varnish it. Never stand a loose head in water. Oily rags can catch fire on their own indoors, so lay them flat outside. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits, so a name and a date sits well. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Orders of 10 or more get it free. It usually goes on the head, below the tack line. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

How is the head held on? The eye is friction fit. The tapered haft slides in from the top and tightens under load, with no wedge.

Can I fit a new handle myself? Yes. The head lifts off and a replacement haft goes in from the top in about a minute.

Will the brass tacks work loose? They sit in cut seats with the hickory closed around them. A dry cloth brings them back.

Is it meant to be used or looked at? Both. It arrives sharpened, and the brass and the carving change nothing about the cut.

Will the head rust? It will if you let it. Dry it, oil it and store it dry, and you get a dark patina instead.

How long is shipping? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

If you want the same head with a bare haft, that is the plain hand forged tomahawk on ash. For a carved cover on a pattern welded head, see the Damascus tomahawk with a carved cover. The rest sit in tomahawks, in carbon steel axes, and in gifts for him.