Hey, I'm new to this. I'm rehanging a CS trail hawk on a new maple handle. I'd like a more traditional looking wedge but not sure what people recommend. Should I saw and put in a maple wedge or go with a steel one? Also does anyone add a bit of epoxy or is that heresy? I'm trying to walk a line between the look of the hawk and safety. Thanks for helping out.
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recommended wedge method for a tomahawk?
- Thread starter Skidoosh
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LEGION 12
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Because of the way that hawk has a tapered top pretty much it can't come off , might slide down if you don't have a good fit but it shouldn't come off .
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If you shape the handle carefully enough that it holds well as a slip fit, use whatever wedge appeals to you aesthetically. The hawks I have from CS don't have much, if any, taper in the eye, so spending the time to fashion a good fit on the haft has been important. I wouldn't epoxy the head on if you plan on using it much, handles are fairly disposable compared to the heads. I shape until the connection feels solid, rough up the contact area a bit, and give it a coating of silicon caulk before I seat it fully. With the excess wiped off and a day to cure, it plugs the head on pretty decently and cleans off a lot easier than epoxy when it's new handle time. And throw the set screw away, too, if you haven't already.
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If rehanging it on a wedged-style handle rather than slip-fit, a diagonal kerf will expand in two axes rather than one. Most slip-fit heads are tapered in every direction while wedge-fit eyes typically only taper side to side. For this reason you sometimes find hoes or adzes with a diagonal kerf and wedge to expand the end of a slip-fit handle that had shrunken slightly with age and use.
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I did a traditional saw kerf and hardwood wedge on a tomahawk I have had since I was a kid and it has held solid for 11+ years. I don't throw it but it has seen a great deal of chopping and limbing over the years. I didn't use and glue or anything else.