TomaHawk BowDrill

[Spey]

I would be interested in any constructive comments on the subject of tomahawks & firestarting. A tomahawk has been, and will continue to be a primary kit tool.
Video link below for illustration purposes.

I enjoy processing wood, throwing, & in general the simplicity of the tomahawk when combined with a small knife. With the head removed from the haft, the head is itself a wonderful tool fully capable of producing a replacements handle if needed. I have found an 18" handle on this size/weight head to be the ideal pack-sized hawk. It throws 1/2 rotation up to two full rotations with accuracy. With the additions of a simple sheath, handle texturing for additional grip (both full grip and chocked grip) and file-work to the head (securement of cordage in bow-drill work), a simple belt-loop for hip carry and attachment to my day-pack - I find this particular hawk is nearing completion.

I have come up with a fire board cutout that produces lots of dust quickly, allowing dual-coal production as a backup failsafe (well, nothing really failsafe, but redundancy in bow-drill coals when firestarting seems like a good thing if it's kept simple). One improvement that I struggle with is keeping the fire-board flat onto the backer-board. I initially began with a PipeHawk, but have found that in some positions I tend to sometimes strike my ankle when running the hawk as a bow-drill. I am finding I prefer a pole-less (no hammer pole) head preferable. I am about to start a second generation of this hawk to include a hardened/tempered flat on the backside (but no pole).

[video]https://youtu.be/MK0A0rUQN2Q?list=PLKO2m4TQ_9r4TtiI449zwgjDfYYKk1vt Z[/video]

Regards,
Christopher

 

[druid189]

very nice. I have done the bowdrill many times before but never with a hawk or hatchet.....never even thought of that ;;smacks forehead;; - nice!

....but also, I never "split" my coal. I always had super-fine shavings of fatwood to ignite, sometimes saddle fungus [when I could find it] or birch bark. It's good that you do and for the reasons you said. I've had many a time where I worked a bow for almost an hour [really damp and/or rain conditions] and not gotten a fire from a coal. Two coals double the chance of achieving fire. I should try that, thanks for the idea.

 

[Spey]

@druid189

Thanks for the positive comments. Pleased you found something useful here

I too like using harvested FATWood. Amber of Loki (the trickster & God of Fire).

If you have not yet tried this, fuzz some FATWood. By this, I mean use backside of knife that will throw sparks from a firesteel (90° edge) to scrape some fuzz (left attached to one corner of a small piece of FATWood with one or more corners finely feathered. The "fuzz" will go off with the slightest amount of persuasion from a spark or wood-dust-coal.

Also, I forgot to mention in the video, use one-two fingers to tension the bow string (if goes slack while running the spindle).

Regards,

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Clever idea using the 'hawk as your bow! Thanks for sharing that.