Cold Steel Hawk Heads Slipping

J

jaysmith

Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Messages
18
Has anyone had luck in reducing the amount of slippage with the Cold Steel tomahawks?

If so, how did you manage that?

Thanks,
J
 
It's normal for those. A lot of people use wedges. If it's just a little loose you can drop it head first into a bucket of water until it swells & tightens. If you have it around you can use kerosene which doesn't evaporate as quickly.
 
Get a file and work the eye and handle till you get a good fit. Soaking in linseed oil then pressing or pounding snug also helps.
 
I tried shimming wooden match sticks between the head and the handle. It worked until I used it and then it got loose again. I'm thinking about going with the Gorilla Glue or just laying down some buck for GB French trade hawk.
 
...head and handle separation on the CS trailhawk [at least] is the nature of the beast, especialy if you are throwing the hawk. Before I discarded the CS trailhawk, I had some luck using sandpaper to smoothly fit the taper of the handle to the flaring of the eye. I rap the top of the handle on a dense surface to drive the head onto the handle then reverse the motion to remove the head. Look for where the top edges of the eye are gouging wood and sand there with the flaring taper towards the top in mind. Replace the head on the handle, tap it into place, remove and repeat inspection and sanding until the eye edge is only shaving a tiny bit. This works until you run out of handle above the top of the head. Then you start with a new handle. If you get a good fit before you run out of handle, you can soak the handle in kerosene or water but I like an whole handle linseed oil treatment best. The custom sanding to fit is the best reason the head stays on. Since I don't have a press to install the handle, I pound the head onto the handle with repetitive authority. The only hawk of the dozen I've been throwing the past year that hasn't had head handle separation is an H&B Shawnee. All the rest have but only during throwing and then only when I don't get the throw right. Under rotation will drive almost any head off the handle. You really should be able to make a good head to handle fit with patience and sandpaper. Since I've been throwing I've accepted that handles are disposable. I keep plently of spares on hand. Hope this helps. ptn
 
What I do is use a round file and remove the sharp edge from the inside of the the eye on top so that it doesn't bite into the wood. Then fill the hole left in the handle by the set screw w. J.B. Weld and let harden. Shave off and sand smooth the areas of the handle cut by the sharp edge of the head. Remove the set screw. Beat the handle onto the head as tight as you can get it and re-install the set screw. Mine is rock solid and does not move at all, did three of them this way.:)
 
My Cold Steel hawk doesn't slip much, but the cheap one before did before I wedged the head on. Then it never slipped at all.
 
bladefanatic29 said:
Can anyone tell me where I can get a Perang machete.
Click to expand...
If your question doesn't coincide with the thread you post it in, you should make your own new thread to ask your question instead of "hijacking" someone else's thread. Just some forum courtesy.

To answer your question, no, I don't.
 
I had good luck using some rags of thin cloth (old sheet).

you just wrap the handle once where the head belongs and slip on the head. be careful not to just push the cloth off the handle.
if you were successful in getting the head in place without removing the cloth just give it some raps with a mallet or wooden hammer to tighten the head.
you can trim any cloth that sticks out afterwards, so be sure to use plenty of the cloth.

the cloth will increase friction keeping the head in place.

Ookami
 
id go for fitting the head as close as possible and then filling the space with some of that silicone sealant stuff that mechanics use ...hard to get off once its on and a bit flexible too
 
pinetree said:
When you guys say wedge, do you mean the old classic wedge down the top of the handle?
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Yes, and no.

Although using a wedge made of metal or wood to force an expansion into a tighter fit with the metal is a solution, but it really depends on the shape of the eye. What I did was use a thin piece of leather, adn place it along side the handle as it fits into the eye. It worked quite well.

Then I decided to wedge it like someone would wedge an axe, the classic wedge as you call it PineTree, and it really won't slip now, but I miss being able to remove the handle. I think if I do another I'll just use the leather and wrap the handle and head with some rawhide.
 
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