Windlass Steelcrafts 'hawk any good?

[Ookami]

I have seen the regular pipe hawk design from Windlass on many websites and was underwhelmed until I found one with decent pics, which made me kind of want it:
http://www.teraasekeskus.com/tuotteet.asp?osasto=tomahawkit&ID=3641
It is the one w/o the weeping heart cutout.

So here's my questions:

• Are they any good? Heat treatment, steel, fit and finish?
• Do they use reasonably tough wood for the handle?
• Is it really forged (vs. cast)?
• Initial sharpness is interesting, but not that important, I can fix that myself, but does it take and hold an edge?
• Smokable is also not that important (I am a non-smoker), but would be a nice for street cred.
• Can it be used for serious wood work? I won't go and smash pad-locks, cinder blocks, or the fuselage of downed aircraft.

Also how does it stack up against other pipe hawks in that price range (<$100)?


Ookami

 

[Ravaillac]

I don't know that particular hawk but windlass is an indian maker that isn't particularly know for the quality of their work.
As far as I know they produce mostly very average period repros and movie props.
In doubt, I wouldn't consider them as user grade.

 

[Kenny H.]

I don't know that particular hawk but windlass is an indian maker that isn't particularly know for the quality of their work.
As far as I know they produce mostly very average period repros and movie props.
In doubt, I wouldn't consider them as user grade.

They're well known in the sword community for making very heavy and not so great looking beaters, beater meaning they can take a serious beating without breaking. As for the hawk it looks like a smoking pipe not a user.

 

[Ookami]

Seems like getting a hawk in this style under $100 is a pipe dream.

Well I guess it is the new CS Pipe Hawk, then...


Ookami

 

[Doug C]

What heat treat ?

windlass is an indian maker that isn't particularly know for the quality of their work.

^^^
Enough said.

Doug

 

[theoriginalderek]

I have two windlass pipe hawks. One has the cross hatching on the handle, which is walnut, and the other is the bleeding heart pipe hawk. Both hawks are fully functional, in both smoking tobacco, and taking down trees and limbs. I'm pretty hard on my tools, I use them and display them. Keep in mind that Cold steel has it's share of faults too. I'll post pictures of my hawks when I get the chance.

 

[leebrewer]

Check this out: http://www.buffalogapoutfitters.com...op.aspx?sfid=110172&c=0&search_text=pipe+hawk.

The CS Pipe Hawk is a Poll Hawk.

 

[Ookami]

@theoriginalderek: I'd be more than interested to see 'em pics.


Ookami

 

[theoriginalderek]

Apologies for the wait

The Bleeding Heart and Standard Tomahawk pipes.

Hawks and the 1850 Bowie.

Standard Pipe Bowl and Head.

Bleeding Hawk Pipe.

On Atlanta Cutlery/Museum Replicas, I've had very good service with them. The products that I've bought have been very well made and strong. I've used both hawks in sectioning trees and bushes of moderate and reasonable size. The 1850 Bowie, when I first bought it sharpened, it had a hairline crack near the spanish notch. I returned it and AC quickly replaced it with no problems or questions asked. I've heard too many complaints about how a tomahawk or axe handle was longer near the head, etc. or not exactly as pictured, ...just sand or modify the damn thing! It's not uncommon to have variance(character) in a item like this. The tomahawk heads will rattle sometimes, depending on the humidity in the air. I've remedied this with a bit of masking tape wrapped around the location of the head. If you do it right, the tape will be unseen and the head will be tight. Just remove the head, wrap a bit, and reattatch it.

In my expierience, the steel used for the knives and hawks has been very exceptional. The blades hold an edge VERY well, even the hawks, after chopping for a good while. $60-$70 for a hawk is not bad at all. I'd rather an Indian made blade, from the quality I have seen here, than a hawk made in China from A.G. Russell selling for $100, which is a stainless steel:yawn:.

The fit and finish are not bad at all, you may want to dress it up a bit here and there as I did. They both smoke black cavendish very well. This is a mass production product so understandably attention to perfection in detail is questionably put into consideration, hence the price tag of $70. The carbon steel heads have been machined, ground, and decorated with piercings and motifs. The mouth piece inlays on the Bleeding Heart Pipe are made from aluminum, not the mouth piece itself which is carbon steel, it has been fitted with two steel pins, it never has given me any issues. Two of the aluminum inlays have came lose on mine, and it was easily fixed with a bit of good epoxy.

Overall I like my hawks and feel no loss whatsoever with the price I paid for them both. They serve thier purpose and then some! Hope this helps

Note: Windlass is the Official supplier of the Gurkha Knife for the Kukri!