Here is a question for you? Would you in your life build a Tomahawk with the handling characteristics of a hammer? I would not either. Not that it would affect the balancing too bad; it would just make the axe semi-awkward to use. That, in a nutshell, is how this tomahawk makes me feel. It has a good handle that makes it like a tool, but that is not always the best in something that may be a dedicated auxiliary to your firearm in hunting or home defense, as well as tool. This is not exactly the better choice out of myriad, but it is a choice from a company with a tool mindset about their products, which means rugged durability is an expectation.
Blade material: This is where it is tricky. The website for Estwing on their product specifications lacks any insight into the steel construction. So only conjecture can be employed as a result. The best guess I can give is tool steel because of the company being a tool maker, and all the products are being designed as such. The use of the term American steel is not very helpful as a description because it does not allow us to know the properties of the axe's steel in their entirety.
Length: The online specs put it at 16 inches in length for the entire axe, but there is a problem with that spec. The actual length of the axe, handle and all, is 15.5 inches. So, again, a factory specification that flies in the face of actual specifications on the product itself. The axehead measures at the 2.5 inch mark in terms of length, and, what seems to be a quarter of an inch in thickness. A powerful and rugged design that almost feels like a tank.
Handle: What seems like a dense rubber coating on the handle, built for shock absorption. Comfortable, and definitely compensates for the hand shock this thing can generate from use of it. How does it handle? Think hitting something with a sharpened hammer multiple times on wood, then you get the picture. Not a terrible axe, but not a great one either.
Sheath: Simple Nylon sheath for the axehead. Nothing to write home about. Two straps and a button is all.
Other aspects: The back tip is surprisingly useful for biting into wood. Mind you it is not sharpened, but it gets the job done in a surprising manner. Some tomahawks on the market opt for hammer instead, or make the spikes questionable in their functionality, but this axe actually makes use of it.
How to finalize my axe review? The axe that could, but not as good as the competition. I have seen tomahawks on the tactical channel outperform the Estwing by fair margins. This axe is one of the budget contenders depending on where you buy it, $30-$40 and sometimes more for leather and camo versions, that is mainly a serviceable axe. At one point, I will probably invest in a Chogan from CRKT, as it is the superior axe in almost every conceivable way. If this review tells you anything, it is this. If you are looking for a serviceable tactical tomahawk, get this. If you are looking for an excellent tactical axe, get a Chogan or Rangee T-Hawk. If you are looking for an excellent outdoor and hunting axe, the Woods Nobo and Chogan are the best of the bunch. What I am saying is buy this only if you need to scratch the itch, and as a collection piece. Other than that, about every other blade will do.