Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk

Are y'all still at this? Good! This is all extremely interesting & informative. But is the CS Trail Hawk the only readily commercial tomahawk worth modifying? Or is it just the one that most of y'all like the most?
 
Couple reason folks like the CSTH. It can multi task well, easy to modify and best of all... it's cheap.
 
CitizenQ Hello, How do you wrap the handle of the Hawk? and can I do my Sog Fustion?
Thanks Mainewoods.....
 
This thread's been very informative, I thought I'd post photos of my first Tomahawk, still a work in progress.
It's a Cold Steel Norse hawk. I added some filing to it.
I really liked the patina look that some of you have shown so I soaked it for a few days in apple cider vinegar, just the look I wanted.

For the haft I sanded it down, used a torch to add some tiger stripes followed by 3 coats of walnut stain.
It's still a work in progress as I need to finish it with a few coats of Tung oil.

Not done yet, but I think this will look good when finished.

And finally, here is the norse head with a couple of knives I've made.
(I've only made a couple so far, so they're far from pretty, but functional)

I'll post photos when it's completely done, thinking of adding some leather wrapping or possibly paracord.
I definitely see many more hawks in my future. :D
 
I need to buy a belt sander and start getting into this for sure. I want to make a smaller belt hawk, so I'm thinking about buying the norse, chopping the handle, and grinding the edge back by an inch or an inch and a half. There's not alot of metal between that big swept edge and the eye, has anyone broken their Norse hawk head in day to day use?
 
Hello,
I live in Australia. I wish to buy two CS trails hawks to customize with my son as a project. I placed an order with CS but it never happened, they said their computer had a problem with the order. Can anyone recommend a shop that has no problems selling and posting to Australia. I have RAT and BUSSE products that made the trip without any problem.
cheers
DC
 
DC AFG said:
Hello,
I live in Australia. I wish to buy two CS trails hawks to customize with my son as a project. I placed an order with CS but it never happened, they said their computer had a problem with the order. Can anyone recommend a shop that has no problems selling and posting to Australia. I have RAT and BUSSE products that made the trip without any problem.
cheers
DC
Click to expand...
There are a bunch of sellers on Ebay who ship internationally.
I bought A CS machete from seller belote last year without any problems, they sell hawks as well.
There is another seller moosecreekgear who sells hawks as well.

I usually only buy from U.S sellers who ship using U.S.P.S.
U.P.S and Fed-ex tend to charge large brokerage fees ($50) on packages coming into Canada from the U.S.

With U.S.P.S there are no brokerage fees.

Of course things may be completely different in Australia.
:)
 
Did some file work and added a few tacks...
PICT0165.jpg

PICT0167.jpg

PICT0166.jpg
 
I love modifying Trail Hawks.
Here is my first spike hawk.

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I used a one brick forge for heat & makeshift rail road track anvil for pounding on.

Johnbar
 
Just got my first C/S hawk and she throws and cuts like a charm,not sure if I would/should remove or reduce the hammer head ?.
 
Thanks for the kind words about the spiked hawk.
I made this and a couple more ( different shape spikes ) earlier this year.
More pictures to follow.
I may make some for sale in the future, but for now I am busy with another project.
Just wanted to share.
Johnbar
 
DC AFG said:
Hello,
I live in Australia. I wish to buy two CS trails hawks to customize with my son as a project. I placed an order with CS but it never happened, they said their computer had a problem with the order. Can anyone recommend a shop that has no problems selling and posting to Australia. I have RAT and BUSSE products that made the trip without any problem.
cheers
DC
Click to expand...

G'day DC AFG, for Australian buyers google "Kilmarnock Forge" they are based in Orange I think. I have bought from them twice and both times they were helpful and the delivery was fast.
 
johnbar said:
Thanks for the kind words about the spiked hawk.
I made this and a couple more ( different shape spikes ) earlier this year.
More pictures to follow.
I may make some for sale in the future, but for now I am busy with another project.
Just wanted to share.
Johnbar
Click to expand...

Please tell us about the techniques used to mod that TH head JohnBar.
 
I'm double posting this idea because it's such a good idea I want to preserve it for Trail Hawk Moding posterity...

I still can't get the idea of a haft cap/end cap out of my mind. I used a 1" copper plumbing end cap for this walking stick I made and it seems to function well. The walking stick is round so it was easy to make a good fit and I used Gorilla Glue to secure the end cap onto the walking stick.

Then I tried to hammer another 1" copper plumbing end cap to fit the tear drop shape of a CS Trail Hawk haft. I had a pretty good fit going, then I got carried away with perferQtionitis and I ruined it. The 1" copper plumbing end cap was pretty mangled by the time I was done. :(

I'm searching for a way to form a 1" copper plumbing end cap into a teardrop shape so that it slips over a CS Trail Hawk haft with a good tight fit.

Anyone have any ideas?

HaftEndCap01.jpg
 
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