Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk

I buy mine at the "Crazy Crow Trading Post" Lots of options, brass or plate, different sizes etc.
 
this is mine:

DSCF3816.jpg


I kept it simple, not just because I have little skill in doing mod's but because I'd cry if I spent hours making it pretty then making fugly in one day out in the rough! :D

I done the usual removale of the grub screw and clean up up of the inner parts and edge, then removed the paint and went over it with a flap disc on the angle grinder (did the same on the edge) and then used it at work to let it form its own patina/mess! :p

Picture014-1.jpg


For such a small, light weight tool it certainly cuts well, infact it spit out those chips like a bulimic!

A have a question though, about the cold steel pipe hawk. Have the new ones got solid pipe bowls? or are these mod's people are doing to them? I may likely get one if they've filled that bowly in, as I do alot of hammering in stakes!
 
Samon said:
this is mine:

DSCF3816.jpg


I kept it simple, not just because I have little skill in doing mod's but because I'd cry if I spent hours making it pretty then making fugly in one day out in the rough! :D

I done the usual removale of the grub screw and clean up up of the inner parts and edge, then removed the paint and went over it with a flap disc on the angle grinder (did the same on the edge) and then used it at work to let it form its own patina/mess! :p

Picture014-1.jpg


For such a small, light weight tool it certainly cuts well, infact it spit out those chips like a bulimic!

A have a question though, about the cold steel pipe hawk. Have the new ones got solid pipe bowls? or are these mod's people are doing to them? I may likely get one if they've filled that bowly in, as I do alot of hammering in stakes!
Click to expand...



No worries, the CS pipe hawk comes with the bowl filled in. Its basically a hammer poll, completely solid. The ones you saw where they were hollowed out were mods, made to make them actually smokable.
 
Dreamcatcher174 said:
No worries, the CS pipe hawk comes with the bowl filled in. Its basically a hammer poll, completely solid. The ones you saw where they were hollowed out were mods, made to make them actually smokable.
Click to expand...

oh.. I was so sure they came hollow and people filled them up?! so that particular model never had a hollow bowl?

Looks like I've got another project coming soon then! yay! :D
 
Hello,

I refinished my Cold Steel Pipe Hawk and made a leather sheath for it.

I cut grooves in the handle every inch to be used as a quick ruler and to give it a little more grip. Added a copper lanyard tube and stained and finished with Danish Oil and furniture wax.

I tried to get a rust-blue finish on the hawk head, but the rusting didn't take good and ended up pretty rough and uneven.

It sharpens up quickly and gets razor sharp.

Hawk01_zps2e4e1120.jpg


Hawk05_zps3e16072a.jpg


Hawk02_zps66416c62.jpg


Hawk04_zps494be190.jpg


Hawk03_zps592203c6.jpg
 
quick question, im sure its been asked before:

I've got some decent looseness/play in my axe head on my cs trail hawk. I'm very new to hawks and this is my first ever, total impulse buy. should i do something about it or this not really an issue?
 
Orange, I like how you left that rough finish on the head, looks cool.

G&B if it were me I'd rasp and sand the wood until it got a good fit.
 
GarnetandBlack said:
quick question, im sure its been asked before:

I've got some decent looseness/play in my axe head on my cs trail hawk. I'm very new to hawks and this is my first ever, total impulse buy. should i do something about it or this not really an issue?
Click to expand...

Garnet, what you have is a bad fit between the head of the hawk and the wooden handle. Owning a trail hawk myself, I'll tell you that CS makes the mistake of ramming the head onto the handle so hard it damages the wood. Because of this, if the hawk loosens at ALL, it looses any tightness with the handle.

If you're willing, I'd recommend this:

1. Remove the set screw. True tomahawks are held by friction, meaning a few hard pulls should make it stick. Plus, the force of swinging it will actually tighten it. The set screw only damages the haft and gives a rust entry point.
2. Remove the head, start sanding the handle. Like it or not, the top part is gonna be beat up. Sand it down to remove the damage (it's okay if the head is a little higher because of this. As long as you don't sand the end smaller than the head's eye, you're fine) Do this until the wood is smooth and even, so the hawk head can slide up with ease
3. take a file and deburr the eye of the hawk. Basically, just smooth the edges and inside. This will cause less damage to the handle, and will allow for a greater friction fit to the head.

Once all this is done, slide that sucker onto the handle give it a few good yanks (or hammer taps if you want) and you should be good. It may come loose very occasionally, but nothing a couple yanks can't fix. Plus, you have a secondary tool with the hawk head, and if the handle breaks, no worries, find a branch.

Hope this helps!!
 
orangehero said:
Hello,

I refinished my Cold Steel Pipe Hawk and made a leather sheath for it.

I cut grooves in the handle every inch to be used as a quick ruler and to give it a little more grip. Added a copper lanyard tube and stained and finished with Danish Oil and furniture wax.

I tried to get a rust-blue finish on the hawk head, but the rusting didn't take good and ended up pretty rough and uneven.

It sharpens up quickly and gets razor sharp.

Hawk01_zps2e4e1120.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice stuff here, I like the ruler Idea, gonna try that. Some file work on the head will really make it special, I have a feeling you have the chops to pull it off too.
 
I made mine JUST because of this thread. I love it. Short (12 inches) and light and perfect. That is a quarter for scale.....
TrailHawk1_zps44890ef5.jpg
 
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I always heard good things about the trail hawk. I received mine in the mail about the time I started checking this thread out. I'm stripping and smoothing the head but haven't even found the brass for it yet or decided on handle color. I just ordered a Norse hawk, frontier hawk, extra handle, Indian war club and a gunstock war club. I guess I've started a new obsession. I'll post pics as things develop. Thank you, (I guess) lol!
 
Here is my first but not likely my last try at modding a CS hawk. I went with a spike hawk, stripped the paint, polished out all the real nasty/ugly casting and grinder marks, rounded down the edges, did some ez file work with a set of chainsaw files, bearded the blade, soak and bake vinegar patinaed the head, sharpened the blade and made the last 2" of the spike nice sharp, kydex sheaths, full size handle that I tapered at the end and drilled for a lanyard and sealed with tung oil.
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