New to tomahawks....

[Bob]

I just put an order in the mail for a Buck Hawk from Fort Turner. My first 'hawk and I'm really looking forward to getting it.
I'm looking for any ideas on sheaths, mods, whatever to personalize it. I plan to actually use it for chopping (I'm not a thrower - yet at least) so any mods would be to enhance it's utility or appearance. What's a good, safe carry mode for a 'hawk?
Thanks for your ideas.
Bob

[JeffG]

In the past I have personalized  'hawks with copper or brass furniture tacks, leather lace wraps and feathers.  If you have an artsy daughter, see what she can do with craft paints, animal silouhuettes,hoof prints, etc.  Good luck .  JeffG

[Bob Hurley]

When I started doing 18th century living history a few years back I took an instant dislike to tomahawks. Didn't chop well, handle too skinny and long, it tends to turn in your hand as you work. Everytime I tried throwing, I couldn't get out of my head what my Daddy would have said to me if he'd seen me throw "a tool".  :-)

Turns out that I just didn't understand the tool. You don't muscle a hawk, you use the long handle and head speed to generate force, just like a golf club. That also keeps the blade lined up much better than if you muscle it. I keep mine razor sharp, and it will walk through the poles and small logs it was designed to cut. I found that my desire for a hammer poll was based on modern camping needs of driving stakes, I don't need it otherwise and I quit carrying polled hawks. I've also developed a strong preference for the narrow bladed hawks like those traded to the Indians, they bite deeper and cut quicker than the wide ones for me.

I carry mine in my pack when wearing modern clothing, in 18thC clothes I carry it stuck through my sash in the back with the head on my right side. Either way it has a small leather edge guard fastened with a small thong around the back of the head. The guard is just to prevernt getting cut by grazing the edge, it's not made of heavy sheath leather. Works great.

Just my two cents,
Bob

[JeffG]

Bob Hurley, it appears that you understand 'hawks, nice job explaining, too.

[canaanhunter]

I have a question about my new hawk.  How do you keep the hawk from coming loose from the handle?  My hawk slips down the handle after every throw.

[JeffG]

For general use, you want to be able to "take down" your 'hawk and that's ok.  If you are going to throw it, put the head into a bucket of water and let the handle swell into the head.  Don't violate the integrity of the handle with wedges, screws, nails, etc...

[quigleysharps4570]

If you want ideas to personalize it go to www.lchansen.com he's got some real nice hawks that might give you some ideas. He also sells sheaths.

[Will52100]

You didn't say what kind of "hawk you've got.  Most have a slip fit type handle, like a pick axe, the harder you work it the tighter it gets.

The best thing is to finish the eye of the hawk fairly smooth if it's rough, don't change the angle or the head could slip off the end.  When I say smooth, I mean around 80-220 grit ish, or a smooth file finish.  

Then sand the handle conture to match the inside of the eye, just a little at a time till it fits snug.  

Then take a wood or rubber mallot and beat the crap out of the head end of the handle with the head in place to drive the handle tight on the head.  This is best done with the wood as dry as posible so it doesn't shrink latter.

I've had good results from liberal coatings of minneral oil-unsented baby oil is just minneral oil.  And I've also pressed the head on and boiled head and all tung oil and that while time consuming seems the most stabile way.

The bigest thing is a good fit between head and handle, and a fairly wide eye so it doesn't work back and forth to loosen up.

[ButlerFord45]

Then take a wood or rubber mallot and beat the crap out of the head end of the handle with the head in place to drive the handle tight on the head.

 :oops: Hey Will, would you issue a "spew alert" before making comments like this?

I was doing good, just reading along, gleaning from the how-to technical part then this pops up!!

Good thing I've got one of the plastic covers on my keyboard!!

[Will52100]

:-D Sorry 'bout that Butler!  I would think that hammering the handle in place would be self evident, but after having to show a hand(who's been working offshore for a couple of years) how to load a simple cartrige grease gun I thought maybe I should go into detail just in case!

[ButlerFord45]

No problem, I'll just start wearing a bib.

[Bob]

Well, I've had the hawk for a while now, and no changes to appearance yet. I did re-profile the edge and it now shaves hair. I bought it from Fort Turner and really like it. Hardness seemed about right when I was re-profiling. The cutting edge is 1095 steel with a softer steel forge welded where the handle fits. The handle fits really well, not at all loose.
I think I'll leave alone for now and try to come up with some type of sheath or edge cover. Any ideas on that?
Bob

[IronMonkey]

I just used my tomahawk today that I got off ebay.  Boy is that sucker fun.  The only two complaints are lack of a sheath or safe carry and I need to do something to increase the grip on the handle.  My forearm is way tired from trying to hang on.  I whacked through 5" of ash limb without a real problem.  Going to have to see about getting a sheath or something figured out.  Too bad I have no money or skill working with leather.  Daniel

[Bob]

I thought about a sheath and just ended up making an edge guard. It protects me from the edge (shaving sharp) but has no provision for belt carry. I decided that I would just shove it in my belt and so far am happy with that. I also have thougt about the grip problem and so far haven't come up with a solution that I like. If you do, please post it.
Bob

[Will52100]

For an enhanced grip you can do a couple of things, one is a leather wrap on the grip area.  Either thin apolstry type leather full wrap or a raw hide type braid, anougther thing you can do is decorative carving like the one Mel Gibson used in "the Patriot", anougther posibility is brass tacks.  On the tacks I would sugest pre drilling the holes slightly undersize and keep the tack shanks fairly short to keep from weakening the handle overmuch.  My personal favorite handle style is like the "Patriot" handle, it's got carving for looks and grip, and a pistol type end to help hang on to it.

[Bob Hurley]

I just used my tomahawk today that I got off ebay.  Boy is that sucker fun.  The only two complaints are lack of a sheath or safe carry and I need to do something to increase the grip on the handle.  My forearm is way tired from trying to hang on.  I whacked through 5" of ash limb without a real problem.  Going to have to see about getting a sheath or something figured out.  Too bad I have no money or skill working with leather.  Daniel

Daniel,

I'd guess that you're "muscling" it too much. Just give it a firm but gentle swing using the length of the handle to generate speed (don't stiff-arm it, use your wrist, too), and concentrate mostly on accuracy. Try it again, this time make an effort to make a full swing but with very little force behind it. It doesn't take much of a blow with a sharp hawk to knock a big chip out of a limb. I do the same thing now and then, and when my forearm starts tightening up I know to back off the force level - but by all means when that happens stop and rest your arm for a while (you can always do some other camp chore for a few minutes).