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New Hawk, Crooked Handle

M

MN_Condor

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2015
Messages
74
Hello everyone!
I just received my new H&B Forge Goshawk today. Overall, I really like what I'm seeing so far. The edge grind is a little rough, but it should sharpen out. Everything is about as expected for a hand forged tomahawk. My only issue is the handle. It seems to have warped somewhere along the way. I wanted to post it here to get other people's opinions or experiences with hawk handles. Maybe I'm being too picky. It's just a tool, after all, and the handle will eventually break and need to be replaced. What do you think, is this worth returning, or requesting a new handle?
Thanks!
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To my mind a side-bowed handle can affect your swing and create a potential safety issue so I'd request a new one. Although I have an H&B hawk that I love, but after one camping trip I replaced the hawk handle with a hatchet handle and it is much easier to use now.
 
You can heat the handle and clamp it a little past straight. The trick is to be sure the haft is heated slowly enough to penetrate to the center.
Steam works well but a heat gun will also do it with some patience. It needs to be clamped soon after heat is removed and allowed to fully cool I just leave them over night.
 
fishface5 said:
To my mind a side-bowed handle can affect your swing and create a potential safety issue so I'd request a new one. Although I have an H&B hawk that I love, but after one camping trip I replaced the hawk handle with a hatchet handle and it is much easier to use now.
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That's kind of what I was thinking. If it was a little curved front to back, it might be alright.
 
garry3 said:
You can heat the handle and clamp it a little past straight. The trick is to be sure the haft is heated slowly enough to penetrate to the center.
Steam works well but a heat gun will also do it with some patience. It needs to be clamped soon after heat is removed and allowed to fully cool I just leave them over night.
Click to expand...
I might try this, I do have a heat gun and some clamps. Thanks!
 
I agree with getting the new handle. So tired of receiving things, cheap or not that are not “as advertised”. I’ve owned a few H&B’s and all have been great. Maybe an oversight, but definitely worth bringing it to their attention. Let us know how the replacement works out.
 
MN_Condor said:
Just got word, they will be sending a replacement handle. I appreciate them stepping up and making things right!
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The handle they sent you was of straight grain running true and looked to be of high quality. I don't think this was a case of lacking quality control but rather just the nature of working with a natural product like wood that can and does move around at times especially with changes in humidity and temperature. It's just going to happen to a certain percentage of hafts.

Glad to hear they are doing the right thing as would be expected.
 
garry3 said:
The handle they sent you was of straight grain running true and looked to be of high quality. I don't think this was a case of lacking quality control but rather just the nature of working with a natural product like wood that can and does move around at times especially with changes in humidity and temperature. It's just going to happen to a certain percentage of hafts.

Glad to hear they are doing the right thing as would be expected.
Click to expand...
I agree, I'm sure it was straight when they turned it, and there's a decent possibility it was still straight when it left their facility and warped in transport, due to different climate, weather, changes in elevation, who knows. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, they've been at this for a long time at H&B Forge. I'll still try to straighten this one with the heat gun method above, because like you said, it's a good haft otherwise. If it was the trip that warped it, hopefully the new one shows up straight! If not, I'll accept my fate and make my own.
 
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