How to get burn rings in my hawk??

brewcitymike

brewcitymike

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
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I'm planning on buying a couple of Cold Steel hawks and modifying them, and the one thing I really ant to add are burn rings down about 1/2 the length of the handle. I can think of some possibilities on how this is dine but would much rather hear from anyone who has done it themselves or at least knows a for sure method in which it can be done. I appreciate all the help you can give me. I thought of wrapping the areas in between the burn rings with some form of tape but I assumed it would just melt off sitting over the fire. Any ideas???...
 
I've never done it, but what about wrapping wire around where you want the burn rings, and leaving enough free wire to hang into the fire? The metal will conduct heat and SHOULD, if my theory is correct, leave you with precise rings burned into the handle. Then, when you're done, you can pull it off and quench it to cool the metal before removal.

Again, I have no idea if it will work, but it makes sense to me that it would.
 
Okay, man I may be WAY off in how I thought it was done. I thought that you covered the area you didn't want burned and then suspended it over a fire to slowly burn and darken without actually catching fire. Then any exposed sections would have the rings...I'm patrolling the trail hawk mods thread for some help as well but nothing so far. but I only read like 5 of the 80 or so pages.
 
The old way was to heat up an old file or other suitable piece of iron/steel and use it to brand the haft.

Nowadays folks often use a propane torch to burn 'em in.
 
Wood burning iron or soldering iron/gun. Or Propane torch with small tip.

It all depends on what you want it to look like.

Practice on scrap wood first to see which technique produces what you want.

For a knurled look, heat up an old hoof rasp and let the large teeth burn into the wood a bit.
The possibilities are almost endless.

Have fun!
 
I have a cheap butane pen torch that throws a small flame. Hold it away from the handle and fan back and forth till it begins to darken the wood to your liking. Rotate the handle as you go. I then lightly sand, stain with leather dye, linseed oil afterwards.
 
Are the burn marks purely for looks, or is there is functional purpose like "fire hardening"?
 
Daniel L said:
Are the burn marks purely for looks, or is there is functional purpose like "fire hardening"?
Click to expand...
I would say for looks only, maybe a camo job. I use to do the same thing to may blackpowder rifle ramrods. Keeps things looking a little more interesting.
 
I do mine for fire hardening, grip and aesthetics.

The heat also helps draw-in the linseed oil when applied hot.

There is another way, but it's more involved.

Wrap new rawhide in whatever pattern you want and hang the whole thing sideways over a low heat, smoky fire for 4 to 6 hrs.
Turn it every 15min or so.
This cures the rawhide and makes patterns in the wood if and when you take off the rawhide.
 
I read muzzleloading magazines and saw an artilcle once that gun makers, to get a similar look as curley maple wood, would wrap a fuse around a wood stock and light it. as the fuse burned around the wood it would stripe it.
I have never tried it.
 
I usually do it with a propane torch, but just for fun I once did it with a welding machine.. Wrap a piece is heavy wire (1/8" ) around the haft in a spiral. Attach the ground to one end and the stinger to the other end. The wire will turn orange hot real quick. Turn the welder off..... Don't try this at home.... You could burn yourself...
 
I have always just used a blow torch. Pretty amazing the designs you can get with one and a little practice. The fuze idea does sound like a good one, could give a uniform pattern. Can often be found at gun shows and hobby stores (for model rockets).
 
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