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Recommendation for 1st throwing Hawk ?
- Thread starter ][rIdIum
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 1,385
www.hbforge.com . I have the Shawnee and it is a reasonably priced "starter" hawk. They make a Squaw model if you want a smaller thrower.
For more bucks, www.2hawks.net . His Competition thrower is outstanding.
Some guys also get the Cold Steels to work, but I don't like them as well as the H & B products.
For more bucks, www.2hawks.net . His Competition thrower is outstanding.
Some guys also get the Cold Steels to work, but I don't like them as well as the H & B products.
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- Dec 12, 2001
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- Joined
- Mar 28, 2002
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- 111
There seems to be a lack of axes in the UK, but for something that is indistructable at a half not bad price and easy to get hold of think about the Gil Hibben Pro-thrower !.
PS welcome fellow Brit.
PS welcome fellow Brit.
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 1,385
I've got one of the Hibbens and you are correct that it is entertaining to throw. However, if you ever attend any sort of throwing competition, it won't fly (so to speak).
Hi, Ragnar of Ragweed Forge here.
The local Society for Creative Anachronism folks have been taking up knife and hawk throwing in a big way, so I've gotten to watch a lot of people learn to throw. Far and away the most popular are the cast hawks from Allan Foundry. They are tough enough for throwing, hard enough for minor camp chores, and consistent in weight for matched sets. The most popular models are the various French francisca styles which date from the time of the Roman Empire, and were used up through the American Colonial Period. (I just lost an eBay auction for an original found in Oklahoma.) I throw the "Lady Hawk", but think I actually prefer the Flared French Hawk which wasn't available at the time I took the Lady Hawk. There is also a Viking Belt axe if you wanted something a bit more English and less French.
Next in popularity are probably the various cheap Pakistani and Indian imports. It's probably heresy to even mention them on this forum, but they do work fairly well for throwing (not much else), and cost next to nothing. Unfortunately they usually come with a brittle Asian hardwood handle that can be expected to break almost immediately. By the time you factor in the cost of the your first replacement handle you're getting near the price of a Cold Steel Norse or Frontier. These are much better hawks and would probably be a better investment.
The Cold Steel hawks have a stouter handle in relation to head weight, so they are harder to break. They are also easier to hang on to if you use the hawk for other purposes. The edges are often quite blunt and can usually benefit from a bit of filing. I expect somebody in the UK sells
them, which would save the expense of international Post, Duty, customs hassle, etc.
Have fun!
-R
www.ragweedforge.com
The local Society for Creative Anachronism folks have been taking up knife and hawk throwing in a big way, so I've gotten to watch a lot of people learn to throw. Far and away the most popular are the cast hawks from Allan Foundry. They are tough enough for throwing, hard enough for minor camp chores, and consistent in weight for matched sets. The most popular models are the various French francisca styles which date from the time of the Roman Empire, and were used up through the American Colonial Period. (I just lost an eBay auction for an original found in Oklahoma.) I throw the "Lady Hawk", but think I actually prefer the Flared French Hawk which wasn't available at the time I took the Lady Hawk. There is also a Viking Belt axe if you wanted something a bit more English and less French.
Next in popularity are probably the various cheap Pakistani and Indian imports. It's probably heresy to even mention them on this forum, but they do work fairly well for throwing (not much else), and cost next to nothing. Unfortunately they usually come with a brittle Asian hardwood handle that can be expected to break almost immediately. By the time you factor in the cost of the your first replacement handle you're getting near the price of a Cold Steel Norse or Frontier. These are much better hawks and would probably be a better investment.
The Cold Steel hawks have a stouter handle in relation to head weight, so they are harder to break. They are also easier to hang on to if you use the hawk for other purposes. The edges are often quite blunt and can usually benefit from a bit of filing. I expect somebody in the UK sells
them, which would save the expense of international Post, Duty, customs hassle, etc.
Have fun!
-R
www.ragweedforge.com