Tomahawk ( axe ) A tomahawk ( also referred to as a hawk ) is a type of axe from North America , traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft . The name came into the English language in the 17th century as an adaptation of the Powhatan ( Virginian Algonquian ) word . 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 . 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 . Etymology . The name comes from Powhatan " tamahaac " , derived from the Proto - Algonquian root " * temah - " ' to cut off by tool ' . Algonquian cognates include Lenape " təmahikan " , Malecite - Passamaquoddy " tomhikon " , Abenaki " demahigan " , all of which mean ' axe ' . Composition . Pre - contact Native Americans lacked ironmaking technology , so tomahawks were not fitted with metal axe heads until they could be obtained from trade with Europeans . The tomahawk ' s original designs were fitted with heads of bladed or rounded stone or deer antler . The modern tomahawk shaft is usually less than in length , traditionally made of hickory , ash , or maple . The heads weigh anywhere from , with a cutting edge usually not much longer than four inches ( 10 cm ) from toe to heel . The poll can feature a small hammer , spike or simply be rounded off , and they usually do not have lugs . These sometimes had a pipe - bowl carved into the poll , and a hole drilled down the center of the shaft for smoking tobacco through the tomahawk . 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 were symbols of the choice Europeans and Native Americans 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 European francisca , was in use by French settlers and Indigenous Peoples . In the late 18th Century , the British army issued tomahawks to their Colonial Regulars during the American Revolutionary War as a weapon and tool . Modern use . Tomahawk throwing is a popular sport among American historical re - enactment groups , and new martial arts such as Okichitaw have begun to revive tomahawk fighting techniques used during the Colonial era . Tomahawks are also a category within competitive knife throwing . Today ' s hand - forged tomahawks are being made by master craftsmen throughout the United States . Modern tomahawks designed by Peter LaGana included wood handles , a hatchet - like bit and a leather sheath and were used by select US forces during the Vietnam War and are referred to as Vietnam Tomahawks . These modern tomahawks have gained popularity with their re - emergence by American Tomahawk Company in the beginning of 2001 and a collaboration with custom knife - maker Ernest Emerson of Emerson Knives , Inc . A similar wood handle Vietnam Tomahawk is also produced today by Cold Steel . The tomahawk was later redesigned featuring synthetic shafts by American Tomahawk Company and named VTACs ( " Vietnam Tactical Tomahawks " ) and are manufactured by Fehrman Knives . SOG Knives Inc . has also entered the field with its own version of the Vietnam Tomahawk , the Fusion Tactical Tomahawk . Original Vietnam Tomahawks are rare and expensive . Tomahawks are also useful in camping and bushcraft scenarios . They are mostly used as an alternative to a hatchet , as they are generally lighter and slimmer than hatchets . They often contain other tools in addition to the axe head , such as spikes or hammers . Many of these modern tomahawks are made of drop forged , differentially heat treated , alloy steel . The differential heat treatment allows for the chopping portion and the spike to be harder than the middle section allowing for a shock resistant body with a durable temper . Tomahawk Throwing Competitions . Today , there are hundreds of rendezvous and events that host tomahawk throwing competitions . These events typically require mountain man style dress . The tomahawk competitions themselves have their own regulations concerning the type and style of tomahawk used for throwing . Requirements such as a minimum handle length and a maximum blade edge ( usually 4 " ) are the most common tomahawk throwing competition rules . Military application . 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 Grafenwöhr ( Germany ) , 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 VTAC was issued a National Stock Number ( 4210 - 01 - 518 - 7244 ) and classified as a “ Class 9 rescue kit ” as a result of a program called the Rapid Fielding Initiative ; it is also included within every Stryker vehicle as the “ Modular Entry Tool set ” . 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 . Modern Tomahawk Fighting . There are not many systems worldwide , which teach fighting skills with the Axe or a Tomahawk to civilians . Since the axe is becoming more popular again in movies ( e . g . : ; Bullet to the Head ) the interest in Tomahawk and axe training within the Martial Arts has grown . Tomahawk Fighting Concept is focusing on the Tomahawk or Axe as training weapon . Principles , skills and applications are created and adapted for the special characteristics of the Tomahawk . Manufacturers . Current tomahawk manufacturers include :