Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk

[HandAxeProMan]

Nice work and I love the design. Thanks for posting it.

[atomicjoe23]

Nice etch. . .I like it!

[pullrich]

One of the best norse hawks seen around here.

[chainring]

Very nice etch. What method did you use to create your stencil? Some kind of sticker paper?

[Ponsau]

Thanks guys,

For the etching I just covered the axe with masking tape, then drew the image on the masking tape using a predrawn image as a sort of carbon copy. The image on the paper is on both sides of the paper. When you draw over the image on the masking tape again it transfers onto the masking tape. Then I used a razor to carfully cut out the image along the lines. Then after I had the image cut out I of course pulled everything else off I didn't want painted. Then hit it with 3 coats of cheap flat black spray paint from wal-mart. Then I used the razor to carefully peel off the masking so I didn't ruin the paint. Afterwards I did the etching. I just finished the sheath today. I may make a belt loop or something, but its mostly going to be hanging on the side of my pack.

Oh and 3 coats was okay, but I did get a little pitting on the other side because the paint did bubble a bit, but it actually looks good and makes the axe look antiqued.

Justin

Pics w/ the sheath I just finished. Sorry they are from my cell phone.

[atomicjoe23]

Nice looking sheath as well. . .I like it, simple and straight forward.

[Liam Ryan]

I was never interested in a norse hawk until I saw that etch, one of the nicest hawks in this thread for sure!

[HandAxeProMan]

Liam Ryan is right. Definitely one of the nicest hawks and sheaths in this thread.

[Ponsau]

Wow thanks for the praise on the hawk. I was really glad I found this thread. I'd wanted to do something to it, and was glad I found this forum. I would have paid for the collective education I read on this thread! So thanks to all contributors. There are so many hawks on here I think are awesome.

[foecutter]

[Ponsau]

Nice foecutter. Did you do the routing near the handle? That looks great. I really like the spike hawk a lot. After I mess with the pipe hawk I bought I might buy one. Did you use a dremel to do that file work?

[foecutter]

thanks ponsau

[foecutter]

[pullrich]

Amazing how those file grooves dress it up. Well done!

[Redbusa06]

Did lil more work on mine today to the addage that, the smoother it is, the less rust can build. Even tho I'm intending to blue it, I figured the etch will stand out better as well.

Here it is wet sanded from 220-320-400-600-1500




The results of dunking the head and sand paper during the process. It was clean water when I started lol


Lil shoddy file work


And this is after buffing with green rouge and then rubbing compound

[HandAxeProMan]

Looks great. A lot of effort, but should be worth it.

[Redbusa06]

Looks great. A lot of effort, but should be worth it.

It wasn't too bad but hands did cramp up after awhile.

[ShawDAMAN]

Hey all, I'm about to get into this mini-craze myself and just wanted to thank everyone for sharing these inspiring mods too many to pick from, buy Bryfry, that pipe hawk is gorgeous.

[TheAznInvazn]

Basically read this whole thing from front to back, and ordered myself a Rifleman's Hawk!

After reading the comments on how some felt the TH was a bit too light, I figured that if the Rifleman's Hawk felt too heavy, I could lop off some metal


And I'm also a bit confused
In the beginning, I was reading about how hammer poles and spikes help to keep the hawk tracking straight when cutting/chopping, but there are people who have cut them down and say they have better balance.
Balance for cutting, swinging, or perhaps throwing?

In any case, I'm excited to be getting my hawk in (as a late christmas present to myself) and can't wait to get to work on it!

[pullrich]

Azninvazn the RM hawk benefits from the poll being lopped off and other parts ground some because it is a heavy brute that I think would be difficult to control in any application. Looks better with some steel trimmed off, too.