I had heard it was part of CS too, but I got curious and wanted to see where everything was made, and at the ATC site I didn't see anything about CS, but at the CS site they say it's theirs. Different logo though...

Interesting... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Horn Dog I was getting really confused. I did a search on google and found out the guy from the original ATC and Justin from Ranger knives are having a huge fight. Apparently they are both accusing each other of ripping the other off in a business deal. Personally from what I have heard about Justin I would give him the benefit of the doubt as everyone I know who has dealt with him speaks very highly of him.

My norse hawk seems a bit better than the old CS hawks but not nearly as good as the ATC's. There is nothing on the ATC sirte about their wood handled hawks at all. I would consider the new CS to be very much like the original trade hawks that were used on the frontier. They were made really cheap and brought over in huge bunches but with a lot of work and a bit of skill could be made into a very nice weapon. I bet Horndog could do some neat stuff to one?

american tomahawk company is a different business from cold steel. they have been in court over it for years.
Andy Prisco owns the actual ATC, which makes the military issue VTAC hawk.

Andy got the rights to use the name from the company's founder, Peter Laguna (i think i got the last name correct). Peter was the guy who designed and made the vietnam pattern tomahawk during, well, the vietnam war. Before he passed on, he passed the rights to make the original pattern, plus the company name, to Andy.
Cold steel also has used the name on their taiwan made versions of the nam hawk.
Andy,s company also made, for a number of years, the roger's ranger tomahawk. Some of these are given each year to the winners of the best ranger competition. I believe that Suzanne, who worked for Andy at ATC, now makes the forged wooden handled hawks at her own shop. bear mountain or bear forges? something like that.

So do you guys think this SOG hawk in 420 stainless will take abuse well? It seems a little more lightly built. I kind of like the design better than the CS Vietnam hawk, but I don't want one I couldn't go through a few walls with.

I like the SOG better than the CS veitnam hawk but much prefer the more traditional looking hawks. I would take the Ranger if I wanted a spike on one end.


So CS ,Ranger Knives and ATC are all suing each other?

My new CS norse hawk is actually surprisingly good. It does not need anything to use it just some mods for a more traditional look. The bevels and edges are a CS weak point but on this they are quite good. All it took was a couple seconds with an allen key to tighten up the head and it was ready for throwing or chopping.
It is also one of the best weapon hawks I have seen. Most have way to big a head to be fast enough. Even the CS Norse could be smaller. If you look at real period hawks the heads are much smaller. The Veitnam hawks would be awful ,they are much more like a fire axe.

Wait a minute, do all of the CS hawks have an allen key to tighten the head now? I knew the little trail hawk did. While I don't think that would be good for throwing per se it does solve one of my pet peeves of using a hawk as a camp or self defense tool....namely the head ending up down by your hand.

Grow stronger.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

My one hawk so far. I made the leather cover and decoration on the handle. It was a gift from a friend forged out of a ball peen hammer.


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Thank you!!!

Gosh that is a nice hawk. I saw another one forged from one of those ball peen hammers with the nice stacked leather handles.
Reeally the hammer would be a very good starter piece as they are the right size and shape,good steel and they already have a poll.

Thanks Unsub! It kind of gives me that Last of the Mohicans feel.... With out all the canon fire. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

That is REALLY cool. I can easily see me cobbling a smithing setup together when I get back to LA, where I have nothing to do but watch my booze ferment.