Throwing balance

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Joined
Mar 9, 2000
Messages
752
Dear Sirs-
Since polishing a hawk would reduce the weight of the head, would it also be necessary to shorten the haft to keep the throwing balance equal? Or this just shaving hairs, so to speak? If one were to take either the Ranger Light Infantry or the Spike and polish the head, how much would the head be reduced ,weight-wise?
Thank you,
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Um . . . Ad . . . there ain't no "Sirs" here.
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First off, even if you affected the throwing balance it probably would be a matter of stepping forward or back one step from your usual throwing position, so I doubt you'd find it a big change.

Second, I suspect taking an ounce or two off the head wouldn't affect throwing much at all (though I've never tried it). The reason I say that is that how hard or easy it is to start or stop something from rotating around an axis depends on the balance of weight on either side and how far that weight is from the axis point. The head is going to be no more than 2-3" from the natural axis of the hawk, whereas the end of the handle might be 15" away and so its weight contributes disproportionately. If you took off an ounce at the head I doubt you'd see a difference, but if you added an ounce at the handle I bet it would matter.

That's just a theory based on what I know about mechanics, so don't take it as gospel.

Andy or the rest of the fellas may have experimented with this. I'd like to know if my supposition bears out in real testing.
 
Thanks for the reply. You guys have me dreaming about tomahawks these last few nights. I'm not getting to sleep. Seriously, I'm saving my pennies right now for a hawk with a satin polished head. I just keep going round in circles on which one to get. This will be my first (and probably not the last). As such, I want it to be special. Most of the guys here seem to lean toward the Ranger Spike, and this just might be the way to go.
 
I've got tomahawks coming at me from every direction, including a RR Spike from Bladeart and one of the first-run Vietnam's. I think the Light Infantry is too much for me . . . That's the sort of hawk you need for demolition work! But maybe I'll post a review when I get my others.
 
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