Pipe Hawk

[Highbinder]

Anyone got a functioning one?

After seeing a couple of awesome tomahawk threads (one over on buschraftusa whicis 11 pages long wowza) I really want one. Love the stylings and the origin of the pipe tomahawks and had the crazy idea of converting one myself. Is that even possible?

Either way I quite like the CS hawk and may just get one >_>

/e: Saw the Gransfors hawks, mmmmm, but way too dear!

A little bit of searching turned up this one, if you scroll down to the camp and trapper hawks

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Not exactly tomahawks but i love the look of these... Japanise axes/hatchets and the price isn't too OTT.

http://www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de/category/dickcatalog/Japanische-aexte-60_64/detail.jsf

Might just treat myself in the new year, TBL.

The cold steel ones look rather fetching too!

 

[Highbinder]

The japanese hatchet from that site looks nice, 400g head so not too heavy either. However this is just beautiful. I want.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Strangley enough... Thats the one i was Ooogling

63 euro's is 'livable' and i think the postage was only around 5 euro too.

Hmmmm!

 

[Highbinder]

Well the other lighter version is even less. Slightly smaller head and length but that's a good thing for me I think. Where's my bank card...

 

[Martyn]

Anyone got a functioning one?

After seeing a couple of awesome tomahawk threads (one over on buschraftusa whicis 11 pages long wowza) I really want one. Love the stylings and the origin of the pipe tomahawks and had the crazy idea of converting one myself. Is that even possible?

Either way I quite like the CS hawk and may just get one >_>

/e: Saw the Gransfors hawks, mmmmm, but way too dear!

A little bit of searching turned up this one, if you scroll down to the camp and trapper hawks

Just finished pimping a CS Trail Hawk (removed the set screw, removed the sticker, removed the paint, re-profiled the edge and gave it an acid etch and polish). They are great tools. I think possibly more versatile than any other axe format. They are particularly handy in our nervous country as the head can be slid off and stored inside your pack and the handle (now just a stick) can be carried separately. They are also cheap as chips.

Watch this for some great ideas...

[video=youtube;6pvv97vPLHk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pvv97vPLHk[/video]

Very, very useful tool.

 

[Highbinder]

Yeah thats' the video that made me want to pick one up! I think the only reason I haven't yet is I can't find anywhere in the UK that stocks them!

 

[Martyn]

http://www.coldsteel-uk.com/store/Trail-Hawk-Tomahawk.html

 

[Highbinder]

LOL I didn't realise you could buy directly from coldsteel. Doh.

Theres a great thread over on bladeforum showing peoples trail hawk mods, this one is my favourite so far:

 

[topknot]

I've been looking at the CS hawk to , Might just treat myself in the new year to one.

Topknot

 

[Martyn]

LOL I didn't realise you could buy directly from coldsteel. Doh.

Theres a great thread over on bladeforum showing peoples trail hawk mods, this one is my favourite so far:

That's nicely done, except the leather collar kind of messes with the "take-down" versatility of the axe IMO. I looked at the thread on BF and some are very nice, but a lot are obsessed with paracord handle wraps and camo paint jobs and wotnot. Just pointless decoration. Keep It Simple!

 

[Highbinder]

I agree, some of the hawks are ghastly IMO. But we're on a bushcraft forum so I'm sure we draw our infuences from different sources to them. The leather wrap looks like it'd be easily removed, if you loosen the lacing it should just slide off.

 

[Martyn]

I agree, some of the hawks are ghastly IMO. But we're on a bushcraft forum so I'm sure we draw our infuences from different sources to them. The leather wrap looks like it'd be easily removed, if you loosen the lacing it should just slide off.

Yeah, probably so, it just strikes me as a bit of a faff and a bit unnecessary - it does look nice though.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Watching the video above.... I'm really starting to like these. And the concept of easliy removing the head really appeals to me.

They look really versatile, and no doubt a great carving axe without the weight of some of the alternatives. It would be interesting to find out what sort of edge they keep.

TBL.

 

[Tengu]

I would like one very much but have decided to downsize my uncontrollable axe collection first.

 

[Highbinder]

I read that they have to be reprofiled as the Cold steel one is bunk supposedly. Think it'd be easy to do?

 

[bb07]

I had one but gave it away to my son.They are nicely made and not too bad cost wise,but I decided to stick with a regular hatchet which I find more useful.
It is very portable with the handle removed as was said above,and definitely are a handy little thing.Mine sharpened up enough to shave hair but I never used it enough to find out how well it would hold an edge.
I also dispensed with the setscrew.I found that it wasn't necessary if time was taken to fit the head to the handle better.Once the head made full contact with the handle it would tighten up nicely with use,yet still come off easily with a sharp rap.

 

[Martyn]

Here's mine as it is at the moment. Just stripped, etched to give some patina/rust protection and re-profiled with a convex edge....

Need to do a little more work on the edge, although it's pretty good as is and pretty sharp, also need to linseed oil the handle, it's just raw at the moment. Not terribly pretty, but very functional. It wont ever out chop a GB small forest axe purely because the cutting edge on the hawk is only 2.25 inches, but that long handle makes it very powerful (providing you are accurate) which more than makes up for it's diminutive size and lack of heft. I love the way I can just pop the head off the shaft. A very useful and packable tool, I like it a lot. It's certainly a lot lighter and easier to carry than a SFA, but which one I will ultimately prefer, I dont know. At the moment, I'm liking this. The one big negative is that it doesnt come with a sheath. Not a massive problem for me as I have a couple of sides of veg-tan leather and the tools to make one, but could be an issue for some.

Weights on my kitchen scales (axe + handle, no sheath)...

CS Trail Hawk = 1lb 6oz (625g)
GB Wildlife Hatchet = 1lb 4oz (565g)
GB Small Forest Axe = 1lb 14oz (850g)

CS Trail Hawk (axe head only) = 11oz (310g)
Interestingly, the head of the hawk is about half the total weight of the axe, so if you wanted to save yourself 110z or so, you could carry just the head and make a handle for it when you get to somewhere you are going to need it.

 

[Martyn]

Oh and for comparison to a GB Small Forest Axe and GB Wildlife Hatchet...

 

[marcelxl]

I have the Trail Hawk and I am enjoying it, alot more fun too!

A couple of questions for those in the know or have already modded theirs,

What is the best way of stripping the paint from the head?

What is the best way of re-profiling the edge?

Also, could you explain the etching for rust protection please?

Thanks in advance

Marc