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WABUKAN Arsenal · Axes · Americas

Tomahawk

A single-handed axe of the Indigenous peoples of North America, like a hatchet on a straight shaft, used as a tool and as a hand-to-hand weapon.

Tomahawk
Tomahawk WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

tamahaac (Powhatan); pipe tomahawk; hatchet

Origin and history

The tomahawk was created by the Algonquian peoples and spread to the nations of the South and the Great Plains. Before contact, heads were of stone, sharpened by knapping and pecking, or of bone or antler, bound to wooden handles with rawhide. European traders brought iron and steel heads, originally based on the Royal Navy boarding axe. French colonial territory used a design closer to the Frankish francisca, and in the late 18th century the British Army issued tomahawks to colonial regulars.

Martial arts that use it

Seen in traditional practice, historical reenactment and demonstrations; no art page on WABUKAN yet.

Construction

A straight shaft usually under 61 cm, traditionally of hickory, ash or maple, and a head of 260–570 g with an edge rarely longer than about 10 cm. The back of the head (the poll) can be a hammer, a spike or simply rounded. Modern versions are often drop-forged alloy steel, heat-treated so the edge and spike are harder than the middle.

Basic techniques

Training

Axe training starts with grip, stance and footwork, then the basic cutting lines practised slowly in the air or on a padded target with a wooden or rubber trainer. The hooking and blocking uses of the head and the haft come next, in paired drills at controlled speed.

Safety

Use wooden or rubber trainers for partner work and keep live axes for solo cutting under supervision. Check that the head sits tight on the haft before every session, keep a clear space of at least two weapon lengths and never swing towards people.

Legality (general information)

Swords, knives and other edged weapons are regulated very differently from country to country (and sometimes from region to region): owning one at home is often allowed, while carrying it in public, buying it under a certain age or importing it may be restricted or banned. Practitioners usually transport them cased, out of reach and straight between home and dojo. This is general information, not legal advice: check the law where you live.

Did you know?

From the 1800s, pipe tomahawks had a pipe bowl in the poll and a hollow shaft for smoking. Made by European and American artisans for trade and as diplomatic gifts, they summed up every meeting: one end a pipe of peace, the other an axe of war.

More weapons

Dane axe Tabar (tabarzin) Shepherd’s axe (valaška)

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Tomahawk