It is really sharp. It seems to be balanced quite well for a cheap hawk. Even a novice can use this hawk and make it stick! The loss of one star is for the sheath it came with. After only a few uses, the hawk cut some of the stitching on the case which now makes it incredibly difficult to remove from the sheath. I think a kydex sheath would be a much better option. I have now made a leather sheath for it. Overall I would recommend for anyone to purchase at this price point.

The blade / business part is sharp. The issue I have is the handle. You know how some hatchets or tomahawks seem to have a slight curve, or larger knob at the end..the way a baseball bat does?

Well with this thing, unless I choke up I feel like it will just slip out of my hand, unless I am wearing some type of leather gloves or something. The handle is some short of plastic I believe, and quite slick even though it is ridged. And I wish it were thicker. Its pretty thin. So that too makes it harder to grip.

Also the sheath that came is crummy. I cut my hand trying to remove the tomahawk from it because it would stick someplace inside. I replaced it with a sheath that cost almost as much as the Hawk itself.

Just my opinion. I would rate it as average.

I hesitated to buy this because of the smaller size, so I bought the full size F01- T first. After training with the 01, which I really like, I noticed my wrist fatigues faster than I like, so I wanted something lighter so I can train longer.
My first impression is that this is perfect as a hand to hand / CQB weapon. It is fast in the hand, heavy enough for good penetration, but balanced enough to not be "head-heavy" like most tomahawks and axes. This means faster recovery after striking, more like a big knife. I'm looking forward to testing it on a pell and hanging post to see how it handles hard strikes. For the price, I have no problem beating it to death and buying a new one, as long as it performs well.
I think it will also work good for kids / smaller adults as a camp tool, if they can't control a full size axe yet. I will update this review after testing it, since I have only have time to practice once.

I first bought the SOG hatchet to put in my car in case of emergencies, thinking the back would make a good glass breaker. After that, it sat in there for over a year before finally seeing any action.

The hatchet head is embedded with two screws into a poly handle, keeping the thing light weight, with the weight centered just below the head. The blade is a shallow grind, but extremely sharp. We used it to chop through the roots of a tree stump we were removing from a friend's yard. The axe was small but sharp enough for us to deftly cut through the exposed roots, letting us pull the stump out more easily.

The axe comes with a head cover that buttons closed to prevent it from slipping off. Apart from that, it would be good for splitting wood (using a wood baton to hit the flare just under the head) - I'm sure it can handle some light batoning, and save the blade and finish on my esee and becker blades.

If you are looking for tacticool with a side of utility, go ahead and get this. no wood, black phosphate finish on this steel means you'll be set for years to come. My only concern is if the screws will begin coming loose, however they're still solidly in place after chopping through tree roots... so here's hoping they'll last a few more years.

God, I just want to start throwing this thing against a tree stump. I live in a complex with a tiny patio, so the chances that I completely miss my own fence and bury into some kid's thigh is about even money. But there is hope: with newer strains of drug resistant viruses (both natural and artificial) emerging at an exponential rate, a scenario where the dead once again walk the earth to consume human flesh may be less science fiction and more science fact than the government would like us to believe. I have included a visual of one such application for this product should that "unfortunate" future come to pass.