GERBER Downrange Tactical Tomahawk Multi-Tool Axe

Once again, Gerber knocks it out of the park with a truly top-shelf tool. What do I like about it? Almost everything. From the head to the end of the prybar is one solid piece of steel, and it’s beefy, but not too heavy to add to your ruck. The integrated handle cut-out in the head works great without compromising the integrity or effectiveness of the tool. You can still grip the handle, even with the sheath on, and you can use the hammer end of the head without removing the sheath as well. The scales on the handle are super tough, and also easy to grip even when wet or when wearing gloves or mittens. What do I not like? With this product, Gerber did not live up to their usual standard when it comes to the mounting system. It’s advertised as “MOLLE.” While you can easily mount it to a standard MOLLE panel, the straps are floppy nylon webbing, not standard stiff MOLLE straps, which means that it tends to flop around a lot more than I would like. The two points where it’s intended to be mounted to a MOLLE system are so far apart that it would be rare to find a MOLLE loop panel (on any piece of kit) large enough to securely mount both points. There are two leather snap loops that hold the tool onto this mounting system, and they don’t seem like they’re going to last long. I do like the rigid pocket that holds the end of the pry bar in place though. Lastly, the end of the snap strap that holds the sheath in place is too short to grip while wearing gloves, which makes quick removal of the sheath difficult. One final thing- many reviewers mention that it doesn’t come factory-sharpened; keep in mind that a tomahawk is a splitting tool, not a slicing tool, so it works as a wedge, not a blade, and isn’t intended to be extremely sharp. If you want yours sharp for some reason, it would be very easy to put an edge on this tool, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Overall, I’d love to give this tomahawk ten stars, but the shortfalls with the mounting system can’t be overlooked. If you can deal with that part, or customize your own, then look no further, this is the tool for you.

Building

This Gerber Tomahawk is the best survival & (or) Tactical Tomahawk I have ever owned. The design is outstanding, The tang is thick and the G20 handle scales are wonderful. I personally was looking for something that would give me a good weapon for self defense in any situation, but especially for survival purposes. The other side of it was finding the best hatchet or axe to use for multiple tasks. with this tool you can brake in or out of some place, you could assemble and dissemble an entire camp site with this tool, dig holes easily (I have done this a few times now). A big deal for me was finding a tomahawk I could easily use two hands on as well as use single handedly at my differing availability, Gerber has provided that product. I also have the small Bear Grylls hatchet from Gerber, coupled with this which fits and stays in my survival/camping bag, theres nothing I can’t get done. Big jobs and small, they both do incredible work and make my most my tasks short lived obstacle’s in comparison with to many other products.

When they designed this hawk it was designed with breaching in mind so it was built to stand up to abuse, right off the bat this is the first and one of the most important details. It is a FULL TANG tomahawk, (so don’t pay any mind to the review commenting on the loose axe head, apparently a rip off or totally different product), and it has a wonderful weight balance, although it has a good size to it you are able to comfortably choke up on the head for fine wood work. The butt flairs out a bit, slowly, as you move from the axe and hammer head down to the nail puller on the end of the crow bar. Lets say this little jammie packs the punch of a regular wood axe in the package of beautifully crafted tomahawk that makes you makes you feel safer just having. One that includes Gerber’s full lifetime warranty, which they have a phenomenal track record with. I am a loyal Gerber customer. I have many, many products and to this day, at age 22, I can’t say any one has ever let me down. But to be fair it took me close to two months of watching reviews, looking over pictures and reviews of this product, the Boker “Tomahook”, and CRKT’s T-hawk, not in that particular order. But this girl came out on top. The Gerber Downrange Tomahawk, She’s a BEAST. I also own or have owned the SOG Fasthawk both smaller and larger sizes, Bear Grylls Gerber Hatchet, Easting hatchet, coleman camp hatchet, Fiskars/Gerber wood axe full size, and the Schrade survival tomahawk (not the one with fire starter but a crow bar similar to the reviewed tomahawk). The only one’s that are good at all are the Gerber’s, all three are perfect for their intended purpose, the Schrade tomahawk is a great substitute if the gerber downrange is too expensive in all honesty, SOG’s are good for throwing but not at all a survival option in my opinion.