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Why Cold Steel!?!?Why??

K

knifecollector73

Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
425
Yesturday i got a cold steel riflemans hawk and i decided to throw it today. I was throwing it at about two rotations away and it stuck perfectly but then this happens. I'm kinda mad it broke. I knew it was inevitable, but so soon?!? I suppose im gonna need tips on how to make another handle now. Any advice is awesome and very appreciated.
thanks
C3C5AD69-B314-4153-BA07-16DFA59950AC_zpsxak2e6he.jpg
 
wow...I haven't seen a hawk handle split like that before.
I've managed similar results by hitting one hawk with another one!
Give our customer services team a call at (805) 658-0180 - they may be able to help
 
That's very odd. I've broke a lot of handles over the years but none from cold steel. All the cold steel handles I've used seemed high quality, and have never broke. you can always just order more from any of the numerous sites online, or try and make your own like you said.
 
Wood does that.

I would not blame CS unless there is a true defect in the wood.
If not.
Otherwise chalk it up a one of many more to happen
 
That is what is known as grain run-out, where the grain is running diagonal to the line of the handle. You want grain that runs all the way from the top to the bottom of the hawk. It's probable there was also some defect in that ring of the grain that contributed to the problem.
 
It broke with the grain. And I hate to buy something that could be made. Has no one else split one like this? It was probably about my 20th to 30th throw. I did email cold steel almost immediately.
 
It's rather easy to make one. You can take a big branch/trunk/whatever or a block of wood. Draw the inside radius of the head on top of the wood and start carving. If you come to the end, let a wider end holding the head in place, just like the original one. If you have to use fresh wood, you can dry it over a fire before.
 
I used an old sledge hammer handle for my first. It worked quite well. All you need is a draw knife (or any kind really) and patience.
 
I chopped down a thin maple yesterday thinking i might make handles out of it when the time came. Didn't thinkit would be so soon. What kinds of wood would y'all reccomend for a handle?
 
I'll add elm or almost any of the oaks to the list of woods. Careful though, not all hardwoods have the qualities you want in a striking tool.
 
When you're going to toss wood handled things around it may be time to disregard sawmill slabs from large trees that have mostly flat oriented grain. That grain runout break (from the photo) is only part of what happened here. What you want to get is a round of branch or small trunk with circular grain that goes full length of the haft. Something like Elm/Ironwood/Apple/Hickory that can withstand a great amount of shock (ie compression/torsion/shear). I know I carry no weight amongst the 'Tommy' crowd but I've been gov't licensed as a carpenter for 25 years and have been using wood handled tools for much longer than that. I happen to have an air-dried round stick of Blue Beech (super hard and strong type of Ironwood) on hand and if you PM me and cover the postage I'll send it to you free of charge to experiment with.
Let me know how that goes. And betcha you don't ever manage to break that one.
 
I've only recently got into making my own handles, but from what I can tell you, patience is key. Take your time, and use as many tools as you think you need. I personally did it with a draw knife, rasp, my mora for some fine detail, and sand paper. Check the fit of the head often, I checked seemingly every half inch but you probably don't need to be that precise. I kind of cheated by using an old sledge hammer handle, but it had a great grain and I couldn't refuse. I have a piece of maple drying now for when I hammer out my next 'hawk out of the forge to experiment with, I may do an "in progress" thread for that.
 
300six has a great offer. Here in Ga there's plenty of ironwood near the creeks. Looks like Cold Steel is willing to work with you as well.
 
Cold steel may still replace it, but that's no reason to not have extras or shorter handles or ones that i can fix up right nice. (stain and wrap with paracord or leather)
 
Don't get handles from Cold Steel. Try House Handle or Crazy Crow Trading Post website or make your own from hickory, ash, or other durable hardwood.
 
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