Why are hawk handles straight?

Daniel L

Daniel L

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Nov 2, 1998
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1,978
I've always wondered why hawk handles are generally straight (or is that the definition of a tomahawk?), rather than like the shape of most hatchet handles that have some curvature (sorta animal leg shaped) and possibly sculpting/flaring towards the rear of the handle to assist in grip retention and power transfer.

I suppose a straight handle releases better for a throw, but for the primary purpose of doing some chopping, isn't a curved / shaped handle better? Or do I just need to get a stronger grip? :)
 
http://www.coracle-craftsman.com/index.php?page=tomahawks

Richard J. Taylor said:
...As hawks are designed to be thrown their handles lack the heel of a conventional hatchet or hand axe. As a skilled regular user of various edged hand tools I have never found straight axe handles to be a significant problem with practical application in the wilderness provided they are thick enough. Also unlike most conventional axes, hawks are shafted downwards like a pickaxe with the whole shaft having to pass through the slightly tapered eye of the blade until it fits snugly with a tap against a tree....
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here's mine

h1.jpg


h3.jpg
 
There is a feed store down the road from me that has been in business for over fifty years. There is a bucket that has a collection of handles in it, all of which are for sale. The lady at the counter told me that some of the handles had been in the bucket for over 20 years. I grabbed a bunch and replaced the stock handle on my CS Lagana. It is dangerous to hold; it makes one want to scream at the top of ones lungs and charge into a crowd and start reducing numbers. Fortunately I live far from crowds...
Picture1305.jpg
 
The eye of a tomahawk is formed with a different type of drift than a hatchet or ax. A tomahawk has a larger eye, more egg or teardrop shaped. This allows the handle to slip easily in from the top of the eye and wedge itself into the eye without having to use an additional steel or wooden wedge . The top of the hawk handle is wide enough so that the head will wedge up tight during use without slipping off. The advantage of this method is that if you break a handle doing whatever, you can pretty easily shape a new one in the field with your knife or the hawk head itself. A typical curvy hatchet handle doesn't tend to be able to slip into the eye as easily as a straight one, if at all.
 
762 shooter said:
There is a feed store down the road from me that has been in business for over fifty years. There is a bucket that has a collection of handles in it, all of which are for sale. The lady at the counter told me that some of the handles had been in the bucket for over 20 years. I grabbed a bunch and replaced the stock handle on my CS Lagana. It is dangerous to hold; it makes one want to scream at the top of ones lungs and charge into a crowd and start reducing numbers. Fortunately I live far from crowds...
Picture1305.jpg
Click to expand...

Now I like that!!!

I've always complained the VT handle was too short. What finish is that? DuraCoat?

I better go down to the hardware store and have a closer look at some handles....
 
The 'hawk head and haft seem to work together nicely as a system. Like others mentioned, this configuration makes it easier to fabricate and install a makeshift handle in the event of breakage, but one thing I didn't see mentioned is the benefits in handling.

Not necessarily because it's straight, but because the stereotypical 'hawk handle tapers smaller towards the grip, it makes it "handier" to move. This is probably more noticeable on a 'hawk versus a modern hatchet that typically has a heavier head on a shorter handle. The tapered haft means more of the mass is clustered towards the head, giving a greater difference in the mass from one end of the implement to the other. Here's a relevant quote from Russ Mitchell on swordforums:

My experience comes from swords and axes, but particularly axes. If you want to make a long-handled axe sing sweetly in your hand, you taper the shaft so more of the weight is out by the head... aka make the balance "worse." A long-axe with a tapered shaft handles MUCH more quickly in the hand than one with a uniform shaft...

Where the difference in moment occurs seems much less important to me for handling as that the weapon clearly possesses a moment differentiation, rather than having it be fairly uniform like a stick or crowbar.
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the possum said:
Not necessarily because it's straight, but because the stereotypical 'hawk handle tapers smaller towards the grip, it makes it "handier" to move. This is probably more noticeable on a 'hawk versus a modern hatchet that typically has a heavier head on a shorter handle. The tapered haft means more of the mass is clustered towards the head, giving a greater difference in the mass from one end of the implement to the other.
Click to expand...

Personally I found the opposite to be true. I have the CAS Iberia Franscesca hawk (old style) which has a long tapered handle and while the momentum swing was nice I always felt the thing was going to fly out of my hands. Once I wrapped the grip for some bulk and put a lanyard on, it was awesome.
 
the possum said:
The tapered haft means more of the mass is clustered towards the head, giving a greater difference in the mass from one end of the implement to the other.
Click to expand...

Daniel L said:
Personally I found the opposite to be true. I have the CAS Iberia Franscesca hawk (old style) which has a long tapered handle and while the momentum swing was nice I always felt the thing was going to fly out of my hands. Once I wrapped the grip for some bulk and put a lanyard on, it was awesome.
Click to expand...

It seems like you're experiencing improved grip rather than any significant shift of mass toward the handle-end of the hawk. The best both worlds with your set-up: Weight forward of the tapered hawk handle with excellent grip!
 
Daniel L said:
Now I like that!!!

I've always complained the VT handle was too short. What finish is that? DuraCoat?

I better go down to the hardware store and have a closer look at some handles....
Click to expand...
That is a very special paint. It is sold exclusively at most hardware stores and was purchased for this project at a place called Home Depot. You have probably never heard of it. I believe that 'camoflage' was somewhere on the label. Good luck!
 
all handles - tomahawks, hatchets, axes - were once straight. the curved handle became popular among the loggers in America to reduce strain - a curved handle has some spring in it and dampens the shock of a chop. Of course a curved handle is ultimately weaker since the grain does not run continuous through the handle (unless you've carved your own handle from a piece of naturally curved wood).

see: http://books.google.com/books?id=Xh...=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA19,M1
 
I like a hawk with a straight handle because it is easier to hit what your aiming at. The hawk is designed for light weight so it needs a little head on a long handle or mechanical advantage. A curved handle gives even more mechanical advantage but also makes it harder to aim and also makes it a lot harder to use the poll as a hammer.
 
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