tomahawk handle is loose

[Dan Fangle]

Use the good side of the force, always, especially when you are throwing your tomahawk. The force flows through all things, and binds them together. Maybe you could even use it to hold your tomahawk together.

 

[FV Rago]

Here is my throwing hawk. What I have done is to get a long strip of rawhide, soak it until it's soft. Then I plant the hawk head all the way at the top, then I wrap the wet rawhide around the handle and use two brass tacks to keep it in place.

I also wrap some sinew around the rawhide ends. Finished off with hide glue and hemp for the grip.

 

[John Tice]

This is a bit off topic from the original post, but in terms of Indians' skills at throwing hawks, particularly in combat, I've also read this in various accounts over the years. Below is a quote from the travel narrative of an Englishman named Isaac Weld who traveled extensively in lower Canada and New York in the mid 1790s. This is what he had to say:

“The expertness of the Indians in throwing the tomahawk is well known. At the distance of ten yards they can fix the sharp of it in any object nearly to a certainty. I have been told, however, that they are not fond of letting it out of their hands in action, and that they never attempt to throw it but when they are on the point of overtaking a flying foe, or are certain of recovering it. Some of them will fasten a string of the length of a few feet to the handle of the tomahawk, and will launch it forth, and draw it back again into their hand with great dexterity; they will also parry the thrusts or cuts of a sword with the tomahawk dexterously.
The common tomahawk is nothing more than a light hatchet, but the most approved sort has on the back part of the hatchet, and connected with it in one piece, the bowl of a pipe: the Indians, indeed, are fonder of smoking out of a tomahawk than out of any other sort of pipe. That formerly given to the Indian by the French traders, instead of a pipe, had a large spike on the back part of the hatchet; very few of these instruments are now found amongst them; I never saw but one. The tomahawk is commonly worn by the left side, stuck in a belt”

 

"... I have been told, however, that they are not fond of letting it out of their hands in action, and that they never attempt to throw it but when they are on the point of overtaking a flying foe, or are certain of recovering it. ...”

Exactly. The tomahawk was/is seen as a melee weapon, to be throw only in desperation. Throwing the tomahawk in 'competition' was developed by the whites. Throwing hawks and knives, as a long range, one-shot-one-kill weapon was developed by Hollywood. :grin:

 

[LaBonte]

George Catlin 1834:
"pipe tomahawks are teh most valued of an Indians weapons, inasmuch as they are a matter of luxury and useful for cutting his firewood, etc in time of peace: and deadly weapons in time of war, whihc they use in hand or throw with unerring and deadly aim."

There is also another citation from the late 18th Century that describes eastern Indians throwing them in time of war and practicing with them at other times.
There is also a cite from one of the mountain man rendezvous describing knife and hatchet throwing competition - look 'em up.....

 

There is also a cite from one of the mountain man rendezvous describing knife and hatchet throwing competition - look 'em up.....

We know there was competition at the rondys. My point was, nobody threw their knife away in battle, or took out a sentry from fifty yards away, that's a movie thing.

 

[tg]

I think the Franks and Norsemen of an earlier era were more prone to let fly their axes in battle, not that it was not done, but I can hardly imagine it as a main strategy, particularly from an NA historical view point their axes being of stone heads, seems like they would be more fragile and open to damage.

 

[Slake]

nice photo, F, and fine looking hawks