Is it better to have the haft protrude, as on the Rangers?

A

Ad

Joined
Mar 9, 2000
Messages
752
Dear Sirs-
Are the Rangers' hafts a stronger design than the Vietnam's because they protrude above the steel? What are the pros and cons of each? Also, is there a reason why the Rangers and the Vietnam use different steels? What are the pros and cons of the steels?
Again, thank you,
Ad
 
Welcome to the forum, AD.

Andy and others will probably be able to answer most of your other questions, but I can tell you what little I know.

The RR hawks' handles are dropped through the eye top to bottom. The inner aspect of the eye tapers top to bottom one or two degrees, as does the swell at the top of the handle. When the handle is dropped through the eye and pounded in place, the broader part of the handle presses into the eye and the compression of the wood against the steel keeps it in place. This is my favorite way of handling a hawk, 'cuz it's easier to replace (IMHO) and the head tends to tighten on the handle with use (I think you can picture why). If you don't press it in well, or if the eye isn't properly tapered, the head can slide right down the shaft if you throw & hit handle first. Which of course you will never do
wink.gif
.

The LaGana hawk uses a system where the cross-section of the eye is sorta hourglass-shaped. The top of the handle is NARROWER than the rest of it (unlike the system above)and is pushed into the eye from the bottom. Then a wedge is driven into the handle at the eye, swelling the top of the handle around narrow part of the hourglass-shaped eye. Andy explained that the Vietnam design's eye is too small to use the same system as the RR. I've had hammers and hatchets with this design, and everything depends on the wood of the handle in my experience. Cheapos with bad wood, or wood that wasn't treated well, seem to get loose and rattly. Never had them fall off, though.
I have a good hammer that's seen plenty of use over 5-10 years and it's solid as a rock.

With the quality these guys are going to build in, I expect either one will last a nice, long time.

THUNK!
 
Good questions Ad!

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Are the Rangers' hafts a stronger design than the Vietnam's because they protrude above the steel? What are the pros and cons of each?
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The Ranger Hafts are stronger than the Vietnam Hafts because they are about three times the size. The handle attachment of the Ranger Hawk is a 1 degree drift, where we press the handle down from the top, allowing the tapered handle to match the tapered eye. It is also a period form of handle attachment, and the Ranger Hawks are a period offering.

The Vietnam Hawk, while a bottom-UP attachment, is not weak by any means....we still taper the eye and wedge the handle wood from the top, offering very similar construction. The Vietnam Tomahawk by design however, is too small to support a 1 degree drift method, which is why we press the handle in from the bottom, just as the originals were in the 60's, and then wedge the handle wood in our tapered eye, which we call a "Step Lock". It is extremely strong.

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Also, is there a reason why the Rangers and the Vietnam use different steels? What are the pros and cons of the steels?
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Yes.....the Ranger Hawks are hand forged from two steels and the Vietnam Hawk is drop forged from one.

The 1060 steel used in the Vietnam Tomahawk is the same steel which Peter LaGana, the original designer and manufacturer, used in the 60's. We are being true to the design.

Both Hawks are made from excellent high carbon spring steels, offering tremendous shock resistance with our heat treating process.



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Andy Prisco,
Co-Founder, Manager
American Tomahawk Company
877-557-5200
http://www.americantomahawk.com
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Hey Doc! Just saw that you responded when I uploaded mine! Thanks for input....you are right on with your information!

------------------
Andy Prisco,
Co-Founder, Manager
American Tomahawk Company
877-557-5200
http://www.americantomahawk.com
----------------------
 
About the steels . . .

The RR hawks are made so that a mild steel body is split, a plate of 1095 is inserted between the halves, the whole thing is heated to 3 degrees past hotternh**l and forge-welded together. Knives & swords made like this are called san-mei (three layers). The sandwich construction melds the toughness of the softer, mild steel outside with the edge-holding ability of the 1095 in the middle. In old times when steel was at a premium, this (&other ways) were used to conserve steel- most of the hawk was iron and the edge was steel.

If you're new to chopping tools/weapons you may not understand what differential hardening means . . . The idea is that you harden the edge so it will retain an edge, but you leave the rest of the steel soft to absorb impact and add toughness. Which is why a good tomahawk will go through two dozen handles and three owners if you don't grind the edge to shreds on a grinder or sander.

[This message has been edited by DocPat2511 (edited 05-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by DocPat2511 (edited 05-27-2001).]
 
Thank you for the replies. The more I understand what's going on here, the more I am inclined toward the Light Infantry model. I am a desert rat and do a camp out in the Mojave desert from time to time. I would probably be pounding tent stakes much more frequently that driving a spike into some bad guy (I assume that is the main purpose of the spike). It sounds like the Light Infantry is still one hell of a battle instrument with great CQB and throwing capacity, if need be.
 
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