Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk

Hey guys. I just bought a CS trail hawk (still in the mail :() and I'm pretty set on a list of mods I'm going to do to it. I just have some questions.

1st:
Would hockey tape or para cord work better as a handle wrap? I'm a little biased towards hockey tape because it's easier to apply, lower profile, and would probably give a better grip (being rubber and all); but para cord just looks better. So is it worth it to go with paracord?
Also, any other suggestions for handle wraps would be appreciated.

2nd:
I plan on stripping the paint off the the head, but I'd like some form of corrosion resistance on there that isn't some form of paint. Blueing seems good, but I don't have the materials and it seems to be a bit of an in depth process. Any suggestions?

3rd:
Would I be able to melt beeswax onto the handle after I stained it? Or would that mess it up somehow?

4th:
Will I have to apply some form of glue or filling to the head when I slide it on? I know tomahawk heads have a friction fit; but being that this will be a fighting style 'hawk, I'd like to make sure the head is as tight as possible.

Thanks for the help in advance.
 
Pirate, don't be intimidated by bluing. 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. Buy Super Blue from Academy, Midway, Brownell's, etc for less than $10 that will do a large number of blades/guns ... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/284241/birchwood-casey-super-blue-cold-blue-3-oz-liquid

RE: paracord, most people want the advantage of having paracord available. Not that it's a better gripping surface. The fact is, the things you'll have to survive with are the things you happen to have on you. So paracord on the hawk means paracord you have with you.
 
I used baseball bat wrap on my pipehawk that I go camping with. It's so much nicer to use for extended wood gathering than when I had it paracord wrapped. The difference in comfort I think makes up for the lack of extra emergency cordage.

Lauer Custom sells Duracoat with a reusable aerosol spray bottle. You just mix the Duracoat up and spray on like spray paint and then let air dry (preferably for about a week). I've got about 7 coats on my pipehawk (they send you enough to do about that many coats for quite a few hawk heads) and after two summers of camping and hiking, it looks the same as the day I sprayed it on, and has kept everything rust free even with the hawk riding in the trunk of my car most of the time. And it comes in a crazy amount of colors so you can get creative.

And the best part is, you won't have to sand all the imperfections out of the hawk head once you strip the old paint, like you would if you blued the head. Duracoat needs a roughed up surface to adhere to but with enough coats dries smooth
 
Hello Bladeforums. Been viewing this thread and figured I would share as well. Here is my modified spike hawk. Mods include removing the spike to make a hammer pole, stripping and bluing the head, BLO on the handle, and a paracord grip. The handle was ground down a little so that the paracord would rest "inside" so I could take the head off and on. As of right now, this is probably the most used tool I have. I use it for everything (wood processing, game processing, etc).

The whole hawk:


Handle closeup. The wrap is gutted paracord with a ladder stitch:


Closeup of head:
 
Cs hawk 2.JPG CS hawk 1.JPG
I have been messing around with a friends Trail Hawk and finally got my own. I stripping the head, filled in the screw hole with JB Weld, lightly sanded and then cold blued. The handle was sanded and stained but is still a work in progress before I seal it. Basic sharpening but would like to reprofile the edge.


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I used a old piece of buffalo leather and made a sheath last night for the Trail Hawk.
 
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Hello Bladeforums. Been viewing this thread and figured I would share as well. Here is my modified spike hawk. Mods include removing the spike to make a hammer pole, stripping and bluing the head, BLO on the handle, and a paracord grip. The handle was ground down a little so that the paracord would rest "inside" so I could take the head off and on. As of right now, this is probably the most used tool I have. I use it for everything (wood processing, game processing, etc).

The whole hawk:


Handle closeup. The wrap is gutted paracord with a ladder stitch:


Closeup of head:

Nice! best thing that could have been done with that spike!
 
I gotta say, this thread has inspired me to get a Trail Hawk myself. Some really awesome mods you guys have done. Can't wait for mine to arrive.
 
Hey all, new to the forum. I have seen a lot of great hawks and I have gotten a lot of ideas. Here is the fruit of my labors, the left one is mine the right is for my wife. We cut down the tree they are on :)

Cold Steel Pipe Hawks
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Home made electro etching. Ideas from this guy --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wTNdgL2Uc
Krylon Paint, Salt water, paper towels & battery charger.
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I have been wanting to get and mod the Trail Hawk for a few years now and I finally pulled the trigger on it yesterday. Should be here by the end of the week to give me something to do over the weekend. Quick question. What grit sandpaper did you guys use for the handle and what grit for the head?
 
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Handle, 120 then 400.
Head, depends on what you want to do to it. Bench grinder to start in my case since I was removing metal, then 60, 80, and 120. If you want a higher polish you'll have to go a lot higher, 400, even 1000 and up.
 
Thanks for the response. It's supposed to show up this afternoon and I can't wait to get started on it!
 
Busy night! Stripped the paint, filed down the burrs, started a patina on the head using some apple vinegar, and sanded down the handle.
 
Just got my Trail Hawk. Can't wait to do some customizing but unfortunately the head on the hawk is very loose on the handle and if I take out the little screw, the head won't even stay on the handle. Any way this can be fixed or do I need to order a new handle?
 
Just got my Trail Hawk. Can't wait to do some customizing but unfortunately the head on the hawk is very loose on the handle and if I take out the little screw, the head won't even stay on the handle. Any way this can be fixed or do I need to order a new handle?

That might be the burr on the inside of the eye causing an uneven fit, try doing the file treatment to remove any and give the head a good whack to make sire you're getting the best fit. If it falls off the top end then you do need a new handle, but other wise I can't imagine why a standard head and handle won't fit snugly with a little fettling!
 
That might be the burr on the inside of the eye causing an uneven fit, try doing the file treatment to remove any and give the head a good whack to make sire you're getting the best fit. If it falls off the top end then you do need a new handle, but other wise I can't imagine why a standard head and handle won't fit snugly with a little fettling!

Thanks Samon.
 
So I went in with a few local buddies of mine and got free shipping on about 5 of these. I got one for myself and remembered this thread from a few years back. I took the sander to the paint and left just the low spots painted, deburred the eye, sanded the handle and got a good fit (was actually pretty decent from the factory). Then I hit the handle with the map torch and put 4 coats of oil on it letting it sit 8-10 hours between coats. Wrapped it with desert tan paracord and made a kydex edge guard and a molle type hoop for it.

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All in all I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Thanks for all the idea's posted here.
 
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