Sidearms & Scatterguns Looking at an axe
- Thread starter Dustoff82
- Start date
RMJ is in my backyard. They live 300 yards behind me. Good people to boot. I have been to their shop and was able to demo one of there Hawks. Now granted, I am not an operator, and can't see me ever using one. But I tried to damage it every way I could and couldn't even put a scratch on it. If you are in the market, you can't go wrong with RMJ.
Eddie
Eddie
I've got one of these CUSTOM TOMAHAWKS. "warhawk" model. It's been awesome, haven't been let down yet. And the kid who builds them has a cool story.
http://i.imgur.com/UDDwKl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Dy6RIl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3bPjDl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UDDwKl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Dy6RIl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3bPjDl.jpg
The helmet that you're referring to as ".032 T6 Aluminum" is in fact a KEVLAR helmet (3/4 – 1" thick) and the spike easily penetrated the helmet. The blade wasn't used, proving that you didn't even watch the damn video but that hasn't stopped you from talking shit about that which you have no knowledge of.
You really should stop posting on this because you've proven how uneducated and downright stupid you are on the topic.
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Sigh... Really?
1) The heads on my axes aren't riveted on. They're held on by three steel fasteners, each of which is over 3/8" in diameter at the shank. The original fasteners were made by a competition mountain bike company, but they've since discontinued that product line. So now my fasteners are custom made right here in the good old US of A by the same people that make the fasteners for Strider Knives. They go all the way through the heads and handles, and are heat treated for maximum toughness. My axes have been in the field for over seven years now in some of the harshest environments on the planet and are used by all sorts of guys. In that time, I have experienced zero failures of any components on my axes. I'll say that again: Seven years, zero failures. I've never had one come back to the shop. If someone is really concerned about the head on their axe coming off, there's this stuff called Loctite...
2) I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like the axe you handled in Tulsa. When was that, and are you sure it was one of mine? Because I've never done that show. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to look at my website and identify for me which model it was that you handled.
3) Here are some pictures from the USASOC Sniper Competition at FT Bragg. I have wrecked cars with my axes. I have chopped up cinder blocks with my axes. Zero failures. Not sure when penetrating a steel helmet became the paragon for penetration ability with an axe, but mine will do that too. Those two guys in the pictures with me? They're from RMJ. I am friends with Ryan. You can ask him what he thinks of my builds. These pics are of my new modular axe system, the Maniaxe. American Kami Project Mayhem - a set on Flickr
4) On axe balance: It's a hunk of steel on the end of a stick, dude. By its very nature, it is unbalanced. I am not a huge guy (as you can see from those pics), but I have never had a problem handling anything I build. If a guy can swing a 24oz framing hammer or hump a bunch or gear and armor all day, one of my axes should be no problem for him.
I'm sorry if I sound like an asshole, but your post rubbed me the wrong way.
1) The heads on my axes aren't riveted on. They're held on by three steel fasteners, each of which is over 3/8" in diameter at the shank. The original fasteners were made by a competition mountain bike company, but they've since discontinued that product line. So now my fasteners are custom made right here in the good old US of A by the same people that make the fasteners for Strider Knives. They go all the way through the heads and handles, and are heat treated for maximum toughness. My axes have been in the field for over seven years now in some of the harshest environments on the planet and are used by all sorts of guys. In that time, I have experienced zero failures of any components on my axes. I'll say that again: Seven years, zero failures. I've never had one come back to the shop. If someone is really concerned about the head on their axe coming off, there's this stuff called Loctite...
2) I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like the axe you handled in Tulsa. When was that, and are you sure it was one of mine? Because I've never done that show. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to look at my website and identify for me which model it was that you handled.
3) Here are some pictures from the USASOC Sniper Competition at FT Bragg. I have wrecked cars with my axes. I have chopped up cinder blocks with my axes. Zero failures. Not sure when penetrating a steel helmet became the paragon for penetration ability with an axe, but mine will do that too. Those two guys in the pictures with me? They're from RMJ. I am friends with Ryan. You can ask him what he thinks of my builds. These pics are of my new modular axe system, the Maniaxe. American Kami Project Mayhem - a set on Flickr
4) On axe balance: It's a hunk of steel on the end of a stick, dude. By its very nature, it is unbalanced. I am not a huge guy (as you can see from those pics), but I have never had a problem handling anything I build. If a guy can swing a 24oz framing hammer or hump a bunch or gear and armor all day, one of my axes should be no problem for him.
I'm sorry if I sound like an asshole, but your post rubbed me the wrong way.
K5 Tactical hawks are nice. I chopped up a little wood with mine today. Super rugged and has a pry bar at the end. K5 Tactical |
My comment was in reference to the following comment by you, when speaking of a helmet, and somewhere in the conversation we went from talking about penetration of a helmet to the tail rotor of a chopper. It has nothing to do with reading comprehension, troll.
I have nothing to backpedal on or about. It was the November 2011 Tulsa Arms Show that I handled it and whether or not it was one of his hawks or axes, I couldn't tell you one way or the other. For all I know, it could've been a copy/counterfeit but it stood out in my mind because the design was unlike anything I had seen before with the head looking like the A55/A56 model Kami.
Now, you can run along and fuck yourself, or if you'd like I can drag my bag across your chin. Either way, I'm done explaining myself to someone like you.
I remember seeing quite a few axes when I was doing some contract support type stuff for JSOC. Winklers were definitely the flavor of the year for the Navy guys, as well as some of the Army guys, with some RMJs and others thrown in the mix. You can't really compare AF PJ's and regular team guys (SEAL teams, SF, Marine Recon, etc) to Tier 1 SMU operators (TACDEVRON, ACE, CIA SAD, etc). Their missions are completely different in a lot of ways. That said, I'd go with a Winkler, but they aren't cheap. It depends on what your budget and needs are.
Chad
Chad
I don't know anything about the axes/hawks presented in this thread outside of the reputation, and the quality of steel, but I felt the impulse to respond. In a historical sense the head is a perfectly viable target, and isn't small at all. Even if fully protected by a helmet, and I didn't realize penetration of such armor was necessary out of the simple fact the brute force can/could/will knock a person unconscious. If it can do that then most certainly the strike could kill them as well. Humans can be pretty tough creaters but our head, and neck aren't meant to take extreme levels of trauma.
I don't have any experience in the field in an operator sense, but I can tell you through martial arts training hitting the head is no problem. Hell my instructor is making us target pressure points on the head which can be the size of a quater doller, and we have to learn how to do that under stress. With training you will be amazed at the physical feats a person can accomplish. Oh and a side thought....if a soldier of today can hit the ping pong paddle of their AR rifle under stress then...how in the blue hell can't they hit the head of a person with a small axe? Lack of training I suppose.
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There are several flaws in your theory. In an average boxing match, MMA, and other types of sport fighting, more head shots are missed then body shots. Why? Because its easier to defend a smaller area then a larger one. Its also a fast moving part of the body. I have a little experiance in Aikido not quite 30 years, 5 years of Taekwondo when I was younger. No expert by any means but have learned enough to realize that a head isn't always the best target. Now add armor to the smaller faster target and your chances are even slimmer and with greater chance of deflection. Now add in combat stress and adrenline, none of which makes the odds better. Remember you don't have to kill everyone in combat, wounding takes more men out of the fight then killing does.
If I exhaust the ammunition from my primary weapon, secondary weapon, all the crew served and other supporting weapons, thrown every last grenade, broken my bayonet and buttstock and have exhausted every last round from the casualties surrounding me, I'm not going to be thinking about breaking out a tomahawk for more hand to hand; I'm going to be thinking it was a good day to die. Fix bayonets, fire the FPF, drop all remaining on my pos, it's been an honor gentlemen, now attack attack attack.
In this day and age a tomahawk is a handy breaching tool with a cool factor that makes for fun fantasies, that's all. Anybody that thinks otherwise has been watching The Patriot and Last of the Mohicans too much. Welcome to the real world of modern warfare, the the PS3 version.
As for wounding versus killing? In a close combat situation, who is going to be caring for those wounded enemy? Them? Hell no, that just became your wounded that your Corpsman/Medic is handling and your CASEVAC coming in to haul them out.
In this day and age a tomahawk is a handy breaching tool with a cool factor that makes for fun fantasies, that's all. Anybody that thinks otherwise has been watching The Patriot and Last of the Mohicans too much. Welcome to the real world of modern warfare, the the PS3 version.
As for wounding versus killing? In a close combat situation, who is going to be caring for those wounded enemy? Them? Hell no, that just became your wounded that your Corpsman/Medic is handling and your CASEVAC coming in to haul them out.
True...because no one ever runs out of ammunition or finds themselves in a situation where a gun is the wrong tool for the task and a knife simply won't do.
Your average person doesn't.
Ok I'm going to put in my two cents again. If we are to understand and use an axe in combat we should at least draw on historical data. This isn't meant to be a training video on how to use an axe in modern combat, but it will help dispel any myths of its usage.
The Axman Cometh
Conquest-The Axman Cometh Part 1 - YouTube
Now I know people like to watch UFC, but I personally want to learn from the best.
Raymond Daniels vs. Damian Caldwell
WCL - Raymond "The Real Deal" Daniels vs Damion Caldwell - YouTube
Martial arts has been around a very long time fellas, but there are some thing you have to remember. The study of weapons isn't any different than studying you pistol, or rifle. The major difference is you need practice on top of practice, practice, practice, and some more practice. Even the most difficult techniques can be applied in a stressful situation.
I like that one OP. I have never understood the reason for carrying an axe with a spike on the rear. If I wanted to carry a weapon, it will be a gun or a bow, I have no need of a tool to spike things here and there. I would rather use the back side for a hammer of sorts.
The spikes have a use to them when tooling out a loophole through a mud wall to shoot from.
I like my Kestrel Feather enough I ordered another RMJ but this time went a bit different and going with a Jenny Wren.
Yes a hawk is different than an ax. The Kestrel has its purpose and the Jenny Wren its place too. Two totally different pieces of kit.
Yes a hawk is different than an ax. The Kestrel has its purpose and the Jenny Wren its place too. Two totally different pieces of kit.
