Stop worring about handles

ekillian

ekillian

Joined
Jul 5, 2005
Messages
193
Let me know what you guys think of these:


Tactical Hawk-Spike
P1010019.JPG


Tactical Hawk- Hammer poll
P1010023.JPG



Eddie Killian
eddie@k5tactical.com
 
Nice looking hawks, but I have questions:

What type of steel and heat treat?
Who made them?
Thickness?
Dimensions?

I also worry about the how the handle tapers at the head/handle juncture.
 
At a glance, I'd say you have my $$$ for that Spikehawk. I do have the same questions as J.Davey however :confused: I'm not worried about the handle taper though...
 
Sorry for the long thread:

I make them here in Ca. On HAAS machines. The joint is not heat-treated and stays "springy" I have used the head as a pry-bar during testing to pull apart split logs and move things that weigh much more than I do. No problems.
I do not suggest these kinds of uses and would not be able to warranty the Hawks should they be used as a lever under severe conditions. It is not THE ultimate cure-all. But it does what it was designed for very well. It is far more durable than many other hawk handle materials out there.
They are sharp before the powder-coating. A couple of minutes with a stone will make them razor sharp.

The Tactical Hawk-Spike is made from 3/8" thick 1050 high carbon steel. The edges are hardened, and tempered. But the handle is left unhardened for its shock absorbing ability.

The Hawk is powder-coated tan over its entire 16.5" length. The head is 7.5" long with a 3.5" Edge face. The beard also has 3 inches of sharpened edge for hooking moves. The spike is 3.5 inches long from the center of the hawk. The spike is an inverted Americanized Tanto shape and is sharpended all the way around. For a total of 9 inches of sharp edge.

The Handle scales are 6061 T6 Aluminum that has been MIL Spec Type III Hard Anodized with a greenish tint.

It comes with a proprietary Kydex sheath made for K5 Tactical by The SheathMechanic. The sheath is Jumpable, ambidextrous, and uses short Alice/MALICE clip attachments, making it MOLLE/Strike compatible.(Not included) And most important of all, it is MADE IN THE USA!

The only drawback is the sheaths are 3 to 4 weeks out for delivery.
.

Thank you very much for your comments and questions. They are important to me, and your concerns are definitley taken to heart. I want to make(and believe I am making) the best set of tomahawks out there at the best value. My plan from the begining, when I was penciling these out a year and a half ago is to make these in a way that they are affordable and available in quantity.
 
I'm an EW Instructor specializing in hawk/long knife styles, I can already tell you've hit the mark with the affordable part, if the quality's there too, you're going to be a popular guy (well, maybe not with ATC). Should I order through your website? I definitely want a sheath too. :D
 
Sheaths are included, so you will have to wait for delivery. But please set up an account at my site and purchase from there.

Thank you, :)

Eddie
 
ekillian said:
I have used the head as a pry-bar during testing to pull apart split logs and move things that weigh much more than I do. No problems.
I do not suggest these kinds of uses and would not be able to warranty the Hawks should they be used as a lever under severe conditions.
Click to expand...
The Tactical Hawk-Spike is made from 3/8" thick 1050 high carbon steel. The edges are hardened, and tempered. But the handle is left unhardened for its shock absorbing ability.
Click to expand...
Considering the thickness of the steel, prying should not be a problem. There are similar designs which are fully intended to be used for such work, such as the Entry Tools that Ranger Knives makes.

-Cliff
 
Cliff,
Thank you, for the support. I being the manufacturer have to take the most conservative stance I can.
Believe me, these are not sissy-fied and will do what you need them to. I built them to be used. They are not for the safe. I hope my beating around the bush gets the point across.
I may be new to the industry but I WILL/DO stand behind my product, I will do my best to satisfy any customer that does incur a problem with one during use.

I also stock spare parts at all times including sheaths(after they arrive)

Eddie
 
Interesting designs.

I can not speak to tactical aspects, but to be truthful metal shafts are not optimal for utility and wood craft use, mostly due to vibration and shock, as well as balance issues.

This is based on use with Estwing products, perhaps yours are different??

How does your handle transmit shock and vibration compared to a good wood handle?

How does the metal effect balance and accuracy compared to a good axe, say a Gransfors of the same size?

Of course, if your tools are for strictly tactical use my concerns are probably not valid.
 
You can greatly reduce vibrations by suitable hardening, a taper and reducing the softness. With wooden handles it isn't loading that breaks them, you can easily hang off a wooden handle, so prying isn't a problem. It is the impacts which dent the wood and cause fracture eventually, it is mainly a throwing issue, with some impacts in the neck from chopping/splitting which can be solved with a decent leather wrap.

-Cliff
 
The steel handle is certainly not for fine woodwork. I made it metal so it can handle abuse, such as direct handle strikes and banging around in the truck toolbox.
The aluminum scales actually do dampen some of the vibration, I also only hardened the edges and not the handle so the steel would absorb some of the shock.
In my mind, the greatest attribute of this one piece design is the fact that it will always be in one piece and ready to use. It may dent, or bend, but it will be an effective tool none the less.

Eddie
 
ekillian said:
...dampen some of the vibration
Click to expand...
You might want to look into an overcoat, form a grip with a material similar to what is used for the Swamp Rat grips.

-Cliff
 
I have done extensive testing with industrial neoprene. It works quite well accept, once it is on the hawk, it is on. It gets slippery if painted. And is very labor intensive to attach. I know that my hawks are not perfect. But I feel that they are very close as far as what you get for the price, and I built them to be easily customized.
A really thin layer of rubberized gasket material(found in rolls at the nearest auto parts store) under the scales is a great way to dampen the hawks vibration(if this is becomes a problem)
Someday, if these really take off, I may be able to offer them with a custom formed handle scale. Until then, cost prohibits me from doing that and still keeping my price down. I could skimp on the sheath, but those are important, and not as easy for the user to customize as the handle scales.

Eddie
eddie@k5tactical.com
 
The aluminum scales actually do dampen some of the vibration
Click to expand...

They should, possibly even better if the scales were bonded with an elastic and fairly soft adhesive (1-comp. polyurethane would be easiest).

TLM
 
I have now have a Final version of the sheath and am in full production, I will have them before the end of the month as promised. Then, Time to ship the orders!!!

Though I am biased, I don't think there is a sheath that is better in the industry. And they come standard with each hawk. I only have Dave at www.sheathmechanic.com to thank for making my design ideas happen.

Check it out.
K5-Prototype.JPG


Make it a great day,

Eddie
www.k5tactical.com
 
Can you actually use that sheath on the belt without undue hassle. I have fooled with a few axe sheaths and they are near impossible to sheath/draw smoothly.

-Cliff
 
Yes, I believe you can easily use this sheath because the handle does not have to pass all the way through the sheath. I designed it so that you can wear it on your belt, with a backpack or military pouches on vest or cold bulky weather jacket and still remove the hawk, out the bottom.

This type of removal also keeps the user from having to switch hands or handholds, as you are holding the handle properly to take it from the sheath and also to put it back is one-handed. No flaps to get in the way and no two-piece buckles that require two hands to put together.

A user can also mount the hawk high on the side of a pack or vest(even with or just below the shoulder) and still access the hawk with ease.

The hawk can also be carried "Patriot" style with a shoulder sling and carried under the arm.

The removable keepers with pulldots are easily fastened/unfastened with one hand. The opening of the sheath is flared to allow easy insertion of the hawk.

Sorry for the long thread,

Eddie
 
The sheaths arrived today :D

All existing orders are boxed and will be in transit starting tomorrow morning. :p

Make it a great day,
Eddie
 
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