A pipe tomahawk dating to the early 19th century.

Tomahawk made by RMJ Forge

A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape split and cut Wood, Harvest timber, as a Weapon See Hatchet (novel for the Young adult novel. See Hatchet (film for the Horror film. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Virginian Algonquian word. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Eastern Algonquian languages constitute a subgroup of the larger Algonquian family, itself a member of the Algic family. Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials alike, and often employed as a hand-to-hand or a thrown weapon, much like the nzappa zap. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The Nzappa zap (also referred to as " Zappozap " " Kasuyu " is a traditional African Weapon similar to an axe or Hatchet It originally featured a stone head, but later iron or brass heads were the rule. The metal tomahawk heads were originally based on a Royal Navy boarding axe and used as a trade-item with Native Americans for food and other provisions. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)

The tomahawk shaft is usually less than 2 ft (0. 6 m) in length, traditionally made of hickory. The heads are anywhere from 9–20 oz (255–567 g) in weight, with a cutting edge usually not much longer than four inches from toe to heel. The poll can feature a small hammer, spike or simply be rounded off, and they usually do not have lugs. Stone tomahawk heads were typically made of polished soapstone, and ornately carved examples were used in some Native American rituals. Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a Metamorphic rock, a talc- Schist. These usually had a pipe-bowl carved into the poll, and a hole drilled down the center of the shaft for smoking tobacco through the tomahawk. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. There are also metal-headed versions of this unusual pipe. Pipe tomahawks are artifacts unique to North America: created by Europeans as trade objects but often exchanged as diplomatic gifts. They are powerful symbols of the choice Europeans and Indians faced whenever they met: one end was the pipe of peace, the other an axe of war.

In Colonial French territory, a very different tomahawk design, closer to the ancient Francisca, was in use by French settlers and Indigenous Peoples. The francisca (or francesca) is a Throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic

The tomahawk in modern times

Tomahawk throwing is a popular sport among American historical re-enactment groups, and some martial arts enthusiasts are attempting to revive tomahawk fighting techniques used during the Colonial era. Today's hand-forged tomahawks are being made by master craftsmen throughout the United States.

Traditional form tomahawk made by Steve Opperman

Modern-day Tomahawks have gained in popularity with the re-emergence of the "Vietnam Tomahawk" by American Tomahawk Company in the beginning of 2001. Modern-day Tomahawks designed by the late Peter LaGana included wood handles, a hatchet-like bit and a leather sheath and were used by select U. S. forces during the Vietnam war and are called "Vietnam Tomahawks". The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The wood handle "Vietnam Tomahawks" are still being produced today by Cold Steel. See Alfred Hutton for the 1899 treatise For the film see Cold Steel (film. The tomahawk was later redesigned featuring synthetic hafts by American Tomahawk Company and named "VTAC"'s ("Vietnam Tactical Tomahawk"'s) and are currently being manufactured by Fehrman Knives. SOG has also entered the field with its own version of the "Vietnam Tomahawk", the Fusion Tactical Tomahawk. The original "Vietnam Tomahawks" are rare and quite expensive.

Other "Tactical Tomahawks" makers include:

• Branton Knives in collaboration with "Walter Brend" with their "Brend Fighting Hatchet";
• K5 Tactical with his "Tactical Hammer Poll", "Tactical Spike", "Utility Hammer Poll" and the "Utility Spike";
• Ranger Knives with his "RD Hawk" and "Entry Tool";
• RMJ Forge with their "Eagle Talon" and the "Crash Axe"

Todays Hand-forged tomahawks and Modern-day Tactical Tomahawks are in use today by the U. S. Army and the U. S. Marine Corps.

The Tomahawk is a weapon employed extensively in Okichitaw, a Native American martial art. Okichitaw is a Martial art based on the fighting techniques of the Assiniboine and Plains Cree Indians intermingled with techniques derived from

The American Tomahawk Company's "VTAC" ("Vietnam Tactical Tomahawk") is in use by the US Army Stryker Brigade in Afghanistan, the 172nd SBCT Team based at Fort Wainwright, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, a Recon Platoon in the 2-183d CAV (116th IBCT)(OIF 2007-2008) and numerous other soldiers. The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled all-wheel-drive armored combat vehicles produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U Fort Lewis is a Census-designated place and United States Army post located in Pierce County Washington, United States. The National Stock Number is 4210-01-518-7244. ^[1]This design is enjoying something of a renaissance with US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as a tool and in use in hand-to-hand combat. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, ^[2]

References

See also

• Throwing axe
• Francisca
• Hurlbat
• Nzappa zap