Review from Borgar on the ETA Scout Tomahawk: 1/31/2018
Greetings!
My name is Borgar, and I’m a Norwegian fellow. Now, you might find yourself asking why this is a reasonable thing to add in a review of this given product, and, naturally, you are right to be curious of such a thing. However, the reasons for me doing so is simple:
A) It shows that I am willing to buy something from half the world away to get a proper tool.
And B) that during my research of the (possibly) best tomahawk on the market, I ended up with picking Self Reliance Essentials.
I spend quite a lot of time out in the woods and mountains, and so when I first decided to acquire a different tool than the one I had previously, I wanted to get something that would last me for quite a few years of hard use. And so I ended up with this very product.
When I first found Jared’s website and his tools I sent him an e-mail with quite a few questions concerning the making of the product, why he used that specific type of steel, and a lot of other tedious questions that I would have liked to have answered. He answered all of them thoroughly and with what I interperated as pride in his work, and he even made a few videos that he posted on Youtube in order to explain a few things properly, as well as putting a tomahawk through a process of abuse and tests. We corresponded for about a month before I actually made the purchace, and the way that Jared responded to my constant pestering made me truly believe that he cares for his work as well as his costumers. In this regard, as a craftsman who runs a business, I trust him completely.
Now, on towards the tomahawk itself….
When it first arrived I was almost surprised as to how big it actually was. Naturally, I knew what it was that I ordered, but it still is something completely different to hold it in your own hands compared to just reading about it and looking at pictures of it. That aside, I really liked what I saw. It is beautifully crafted, and the only flaws that I could see at the time, as well as now, are the natural “scratches” that comes with the crafting and treating of this type of material. Polished to a sheen, with a simple, yet elegant handle with some paracord wrapped tightly around it. A firm grip that has yet to fail me. The edges themselves came razor sharp, and I could easily shave my arms with them. Well, only tried that with the axe edge and the top edge, but they both worked like a charm.
I’ve had the tomahawk for just over a year now (got it by the end of December in 2016), and it has seen it’s fair share of usage, yet the edge holds surprisingly well. Granted, I can no longer shave with it if I so desire, but the edge is still sharp enough to chop, cut and slice. Miiight still be able to shave with it if I apply pressure, but I have no intention of testing that… A few months back I helped a kindergarten build a natures playground (a playground in the woods, using only natural materials like trees and branches and rope), and I brought the tomahawk. Chopping down small trees simply became a dream as it cut deeper than any of the other tools that people brought, and when it came time to remove the bark from the trees (in order to avoid rot to set in quickly) I used to edge on the top to remove it. Thick heavy pine trees, and I barely needed to apply any pressure at all, it was almost like slicing through butter. Eventually I had to let people around me borrow it as work went a lot faster with whoever handled it. It became the envy of the entire playground. This is by far the best tool for this kind of work I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.
Granted, the 1095 steel can almost be said to be outdated by more modern types of steel, but Jared reassured me that the heat treatment given to it has made it immensely stronger than it would have been without it, and I must say that I agree on it. As said earlier, shown both in the videos he made, as well as my very own personal testing/abuse over the last year and so, this is a strong material. The way it still holds a keen edge after the amount of work I’ve put it through, as well as the lack of damage it has recieved overall, I have yet to see anything that has done any better. The SRE logo has faded and the paracord is worn and darkened, as well as a few stubborn and lingering specks of dirt left from the last round of chopping (a bit of a lazy cleanup on my half, I’ll admit that) are the only damaged aspects that I can see on it. This is a remarkable tool. Highly recommended. The only companion better than this on a long journey is a faithful and loving dog. But in much the same way, if steel is treated properly, it will never betray you.
I hope that this review was of any help, and if you have questions feel free to ask them to me at borgar_aa@hotmail.com
Take care.
Borgar