Tomahawks have seen a big resurgence with military and tactical operators over the past ten years with the ongoing War on Terror. You’ve seen a slew of companies generally associated with tactical gear, as well as a number of custom makers, doing them. But who better to produce a hard-use axe than a company known for making quality tools for over 90 years? Estwing Manufacturing Company probably doesn’t need any introduction to readers of Tactical Knives. If you use tools, you know Estwing, and there’s a good chance you already have one of its hammers in your tool chest or its axes with your outdoors gear.
With the introduction of the Black Eagle line of tomahawks, Estwing makes a seamless shift from toolbox to tactical without skipping a beat. The needs for a tactical tool really aren’t that much different than those of a professional tool. Solid build, quality construction and good design are all areas that Estwing has excelled at for nearly a century. The Black Eagles take the already refined concept and just give it a few tweaks.
Tomahawk & Double Bit
The Black Eagle line consists of two styles of axe. The Tomahawk is in line with what most folks expect to see in a modern tactical hawk. It features a 2.5-inch cutting head and a 3-inch-long back spike along with an integral handle, all forged as one piece from 1055 special-bar-quality tool steel. There’s a triangular cutout in the head to help keep the weight down to 27 ounces. The handle is Estwing’s rubbery Shock Reduction Grip that’s been time-proven on the company’s hammers and outdoors axes. The Tomahawk’s overall length is 16.25 inches. The Double Bit axe uses two symmetrical heads with 3-inch cutting surfaces. It’s a heavier tool at 38 ounces and does not feature any lightening cuts. It also is a one-piece, forged tool steel axe and, at 17.18 inches, a little longer than the Tomahawk. It’s fitted with the same Shock Reduction Grip as the Tomahawk’s. Both axes come with simple nylon carry sheaths.
The Black Eagle line features three finish options for both axe styles. There’s a basic black model that features a black grip, a model in the classic Estwing blue with the traditional blue rubber grip, and a stacked leather handle model with a black blade and an eagle head adorning the axe. Both the blue and leather stacked handle models have polished edges with the Estwing logo polished in bright steel. Obviously the full matte black version is geared for tactical use, whereas the other two are suitable for outdoorsmen and recreational users. The nylon covers that come with the axes are solidly built and more than sufficient for safe transport of the tools. The Tomahawk’s cover comes with a belt loop on the back, whereas the Double Bit cover does not. With these covers, neither axe is particularly quick to remove and re-sheath, however, so if you were carrying one of these in a tactical situation and wanted to have quick, one-handed access to them, then you might want to consider getting some custom Kydex made for them.
For more information, visit Estwing.com.
