CS Hawks

H

Hawkchop

Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
13
Hi all,
I'm new to the board and to Hawk collection. I've got a SOG Fasthawk but I'd like to get a more traditional wooden haft Hawk. I've been looking at the CS line of Hawks, what would be the best all around Hawk for use in the field? I like the look of the CS Rifleman's Hawk the hammer post on the backside of the head would be just as good for pounding nails as skulls.

Thanks
 
Welcome to the boards:)

I have three CS hawks. My first was the rifleman like you mentioned. Great heavy duty hawk, but there is an accent on the HEAVY. I got a trailhawk soon after that, and its almost too light. It would be great for hiking, but the cutting edge is a little small. I bought these some 10 years ago and kind of put them on the back burner after I got into khukuris.

However, I bought a Cold Steel Frontier Hawk last week, and it's pretty dang cool. While it doesn't have a hammer poll on the back, it would be more than adequate for pounding in tent pegs or crushing something. I just liked the look of it and the cutting edge is plenty big for utility. Fun lil chopper for $30-ish and will probably end up in my truck as an emergency tool.

Now, something to know about CS hawks: They are almost kit-like in nature and need minor finishng to make them shine. First of all, the blade may be skewed to one side or another by a few degrees. Just cosmetic and remember it cost you $30 not $200 like a really high quality hawk.

Second of all, ditch the stupid set screw. Your hawk will arive with a loose head kind of jammed on the haft and secured with a 3mm allen head.

Remove that, throw it in the trash, and buy some sand paper to finish the handle. Sand it down a bit, shape the area where the eye wedges on the wood (remove all the splinters where the machine smacked the bit on too hard. Check it for fit, give it a finish if you like, and enjoy:)

I spent about 45 minutes on my new Frontier Hawk to fit it, give it a smoothing with bit of sanding, and a mahogany stain.

Then I spent about 15 minutes putting a totally unnecessary razor's edge on it;) Now all I have to do is craft a belt sheath for it, and it should last me a good long time.

Not bad:)
 
There are lots of reviews on YouTube about CS Hawks, this guy is one of the most practical. http://www.youtube.com/user/ZEUKI1

The Pipe Hawk seems to be that in-between size that many people like. As Steely_Gunz mentioned, the Rifle Hawk is a bit heavy for a Hawk (especially to carry) and the Trail Hawk is a bit light. The Pipe Hawk at 28oz is about 5oz heavier than the Trail Hawk and 8oz lighter than the Rifle Hawk and it has a functional hammer pole.

I will say that while the Trail Hawk feels a bit light, it is still a very good working hawk. And it should be remembered that a Hawk is not supposed to be a felling axe; it is a light all-around woodsman tool that can be easily carried.
 
I just ordered a Trail Hawk last night, I'm looking forward to its arrival so I start giving it some TLC before I take it into the field.

Steely_Gunz,
Thanks for the tips I"ll be sure to toss the set screw first thing. I've already got some sand paper and ebony stain on standby for the haft. I may also shorten the haft by a couple of inches and drill a lanyard hole. I've heard of some folks putting gun blue on the head after stripping the paint, but I don't know much about the process so I'll probably leave the head as is for now.
 
If the trailhawk end up too iight for you, keep it, and try the pipe hawk. For a larger hawk, you should check out some offerings by HB forge and Fort Turner.
 
Hawkchop said:
I've heard of some folks putting gun blue on the head after stripping the paint, but I don't know much about the process so I'll probably leave the head as is for now.
Click to expand...

It's almost foolproof. Clean the steel thoroughly and apply cold blue. Let it dry and buff lightly with steel wool. Repeat this process until it's as dark as you want it, then oil it.
 
Yeah I shortened mine a good 4-6". Makes for a much handier package. Stores well under the back seat of my truck:)
 
Thanks Timberwolf, do they sell cold blue at the local hardware store or should I be looking in the local gun shops??
 
I think the most common is Birchwood Casey Super Blue. It's at Sears, Academy, Amazon, gun shops, etc. Maybe hardware stores, I dunno. In some parts of the country the hardware stores kind of bleed over into gun stores, too.

The 3 oz bottle will do a LOT of steel for less than $10. I think the last bottle I got at Academy was around $5. I've done a hawk, a knife, and 2 machetes with about half the bottle.
 
I have the trail hawk and the spike hawk. The trail hawk is a very useful tool. Chopping, hammering, pulling. Also can double as a handle for a lid for boiling water. The spike hawk is really just a cool little hawk. Not much use for it as a tool other than a weapon. I like it, has a ginger cutting edge. Also the spike does lend it self to break up chunks of ice. And start a whole to dig for a latrine. I guess it is fairly useful. But out of the 2, I would bring the Trail Hawk every time. The rifle mans hawk has the largest cutting surface and weighs the oat, so your probably gonna get a little better performance from it. I chopped threw 3 1/2 inch limbs and kept going. Once you put an edge on it, they hold it pretty long..
 
I have the rifleman hawk, trail hawk and norse hawk
My favorite is the norse hawk and it is in my game bag for splitting pelvis on moose, elk and deer
 
I can't wait for my Trail Hawk to arrive, I plan to bring it along on some overnight hiking trips as a light weight camp tool. I've got the SOG Fasthawk which has a spike but doesn't strike me as a great around camp or on the trail Hawk. The composite haft wouldn't be easily replaced in the field and with a spike on it means you can't drive stakes with it. Any Hawk would make an excellent hand-to-hand weapon if the need were to arise, spike or no spike.
 
The trail hawk is indeed a good lightweight camp tool, mine chops rather well for it's weight. You can even just pack the head and use the head itself or a knife to fashion a handle for it, there's a few youtube vids where some guys do just that.
 
Liam Ryan said:
The trail hawk is indeed a good lightweight camp tool, mine chops rather well for it's weight. You can even just pack the head and use the head itself or a knife to fashion a handle for it, there's a few youtube vids where some guys do just that.
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That's exactly the reason I want one with me in the field. You don't have the option of fashioning a temporary handle if the original happens to break. That's the deal breaker for the composite handles on the tactical hawks. I read a review of the SOG Fasthawk from a soldier who had his handle break on deployment sidelining the Fasthawk.
 
I busted the handle on my trail hawk some years back. I actually liked the weight and shape enough that I just wrapped it in hemp twine and turned it into an ulu/pounding tool. It lived in my tool box for years. I'm just now getting around to making a new handle for it. However, it's been a fun and useful little tool without a handle.
 
I've heard of hunters processing kills with only the head of hawk like an ulu knife. Yet another great reason for the removable wooden handle as opposed to the composite jobs.

Has anyone heard of rust bluing? I saw a video on Youtube of a guy doing it to a hawk head but he didn't give good details on how to do it or what supplies are needed.
 
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