Any G-10 integral tomahawks out there? Update, there is now.

[foxx]

I've been making some training hawks, from different materials. Pine, plastic and a bamboo cutting board so far, but I have broken all of them. Pine and the plastic cutting board make for good trainers for sparring, they are light and can be made very smooth. I have not put an edge on any of these, I leave them thick, and just round off the corners. I also own two plastic training hawks, they are great for sparring, but too light to be used for self defense or serious hard practice.
The bamboo cutting board makes for a heavier trainer, too heavy. I think you could really hurt someone, it's quite a hard material, and a bitch to sand. Yet, if I go wail on a tree or fence post, it will break in less than five hits. I find that it's too hard, and just not tough enough.
What would an integral G-10 tomahawk be like? There are canes and escrima sticks made from G-10, and sold for self defense. So, how strong would a G-10 tomahawk be? Could I go full force on some wooden fence posts without breaking them? What if I were to put an edge on it, how well could that edge hold up to use in combat?
What are other materials I could use, other than steel? I already own real hawks, I'm just playing around with some alternative materials for trainers or even as a non-metal self defense weapon, sharpened or not. Carbon fiber comes to mind, but I think it would be way to light, and I can't afford to try to make that.

 

[JayGoliath]

Jwaj did one with ALU. G-10 shouldn't be too hard to make.

 

[rwn2000]

So, how strong would a G-10 tomahawk be? Could I go full force on some wooden fence posts without breaking them? What if I were to put an edge on it, how well could that edge hold up to use in combat?
What are other materials I could use, other than steel?

As a part time knifemaker, here are my thoughts on your questions:
So, how strong would a G-10 tomahawk be? Could I go full force on some wooden fence posts without breaking them? Anything can be broken, period. Having said that, G-10 is very tough and hard. It is also very heavy (dense). A hawk made out of 3/8" G-10 would be heaver than a bamboo hawk of the same thickness but a lot tougher.
What if I were to put an edge on it, how well could that edge hold up to use in combat? I use sharpened G-10 scraps for scrapers when stripping paint because it doesn't scratch steel. I don't think it would hold an edge for long on an impact weapon like a hawk. YMMV
What are other materials I could use, other than steel? Aluminum? or titanium?

these are just my opinions; they're free and probably worth about the same. You could make a hawk out of G10 fairly easily and sharpen it from 3/8" down to 1/8" at the edge for a sparring weapon and i think it would hold up to anything except full force impacts on a fence posts. However it will be lethal, IMHO. What did the fence posts do to you anyway?
Safety Advisory: G-10 makes very fine dust laced with fiberglass particles when you cut/machine/drill it. A respirator with a P-100 particulate filter is a MUST. You do NOT want to breathe this stuff. Some knifemakers use a wet-saw made for cutting tile to keep the dust down; this helps but does not replace the respirator.

randy


randy

 

[foxx]

Thanks Jay and Randy. For the tools and skill that I have right now, I could make one from G-10, and maybe aluminium. A trainer should just have a blunt edge, but maybe a last ditch, lightweight, self defense version could have an edge? I understand that using it could damage that edge.
I would want to start with at least a 3/4" thick sheet of G-10, so I could make up a trainer for my Winkler Sayoc, which is about 7/8" at the thickest part of the handle. That sheet would be pricy! For black, I could spend about $160 for a 12" x 12" x 3/4" sheet. I know I don't want to breath that stuff, same with the bamboo cutting board I was using, it's got lots of glue in it.
I just don't think I could afford to make one from Titanium, yet. It would be very interesting to try all three materials, I suspect that a Ti hawk, with some carbide on the edge would be very tough but light. Just imagine a Winkler fighting hawk made from Ti! What would that cost?

 

[jwaj]

Here's the one I made out of 3/16 Aluminum. It's an easy material to work with and durable.

Link to my short how to post:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Tomahawk-and-Knife?highlight=Winkler+trainer

 

[foxx]

Those look nice jwaj, very nice pair!

Here's one I made from plywood, it's next to the real one.



Here's one made from a bamboo cutting board, the camo one is the plastic cutting board, and the double ended one is pine, it's more of a joke item.

 

[jwaj]

you may be on to something with that double ended one

I've used wood and plywood for trainers in the past but break them too quickly.

 

[foxx]

I make em', I break em' as well. Thus the reason for asking aout G-10. If I make them as thick as I've been doing, aluminum would be pretty dangerous, but maybe G-10 would be too much for a training as well. I'll just have to make one, soon.

 

[JayGoliath]

and the double ended one is pine, it's more of a joke item.

For real? hahaha but i would imagine just how deadly it can be made into a solid one.
Speaking of which, Foxx, can you show us how you make one?
Would like to make one out of G-10 soon.

 

[foxx]

Sure Jay,
I do it the easy way. I trace out the shape I want, then cut it out with a hand held jig saw. A band saw would be better, but the jig saw works. Then, I use some emory cloth, a C-clamp or two, some wood files, and a sturdy table for the next phase. Again, a belt sander would be better, but I don't have one. The emory cloth comes in different grits, and is just a replacment for the belt sander. I use 80 grit then switch to 120, they cost about $9 for 30 yards.
I clamp the "hawk" in many directions to get access to what part I'm working on, and often use a "shoe shine" motion with the emory cloth. I wear gloves, and use a piece about 2' long. I'm really just rounding the edges, and making slight corrections for the jig saw's lack of precision. I've also folded it in half to make smaller notches or grooves. Certain areas need attention from a file, if you want any straight lines or edges, or even in tight spaces.
I'll use some 400 grit sandpaper, by hand, to get them smoother, or even wet sand at the end. Then finish with whatever you want, BLO, a stain, paint, etc..

It's seems like a great way to practice making handle shapes, except I'd rather have a belt sander, and a real shop to work in.

Jay, if you're making a Winkler style head, I've been thinking I may try to use a large drill bit in the tight curves. My jig saw can't cut very tight, but drilling a hole might be a faster way of getting a better arc? Each side of the head, the beard and under the spike, as well as the "hook" at the bottom of the handle are very hard to cut well. I'll try it on my next one.

 

[foxx]

Well, I've been working on this when I can. It's now a "hawk shaped object". A bitch to work would be an understatment. It's pretty heavy, yet feels good in the hand. My biggest challenge will be to attemp to copy Dan's work, by hand. I'd like to copy the handle, and then decide how thin down the head, if any. I want the weight and feel of the real Sayoc, this doesn't need any particular thickness of the head, just the weight. It will take me many hours to get this where I want it, then maybe a polish, IDK?