Customizing another new tomahawk

[Shiloh1944]

I have over the last 4 or 5 years customized a number of Cold Steel tomahawks. This is my latest. I still have to blue/brown it and redo the haft so it is a project still in progress. I am also customizing a Condor but I am currently waiting to get the Makers marks welded up because they are stamped very deep right in the middle of both sides of the bit face.

 

[necchi]

Wow, Nice. I guess I haven't even looked at Cold Steels offering for years. I didn't know they have so many different models now and the prices have dropped so much!
Thank's for sharing,, very nice clean work your showing us!

 

[Brokennock]

I've "defarbed" as much as I can that same Cold Steel hawk. Their hawks are very tough, take a great edge, I use mine quite a bit. In retrospect, I do wish I used the "trail hawk" model instead though. I wanted some type of hammering surface opposite the cutting edge and thought I wanted the greater cutting edge of the "pipe hawk" model. Now, I'd sacrifice the cutting edge to save weight and bulk.

Your work looks great so far, I didn't polish mine that much. Did you use any chemicals to get that black coating/finish off?

 

[jrmflintlock]

Nice Work! I had stayed away from cold steel Hawks, and I don't even know why but saw some cool customized versions and decided to buy one. I went with the trail hawk for the size and weight an then took a little bit off the underside of the blade to give it more of a "Hawk beak" like the pipe hawks. I really love the way it came out! Still need to clean it up some more and brown it but I love the way it throws and its great on the trail! I'll try and remember to snap some pix of it tonight!

 

[Shiloh1944]

I had some folks express they thought my hawks were too fancy. They said they look too much like a ceremonial piece instead of everyday use, so I tried to tone it down a bit from previous tomahawk projects. I couldn’t help myself though and did the one brass wire inlay around the bowl on the hammer pole end of the hawk. The haft isn’t the one I am going to use. I just stuck it on there for pictures. My premium curly Maple haft hasn’t arrived yet but hopefully in a day or so.

 

[Shiloh1944]

These are some from the past. I am also currently customizing a Condor hawk but not sure if I think they are any better than Cold Steel and they are twice as expensive.

 

[necchi]

Cut's Hurt?

 

[Brokennock]

Nice stuff. How did you deal with the hole in the side for the set screw Cold Steel uses to help secure the head to the handle? I notice you don't show that side. Method for factory black coating removal?

 

[Shiloh1944]

You can either weld up the set screw hole, leave it, or over lay it with brass. If you friction fit the haft properly to the hawk head the set screw is totally unnecessary. It can be left out or screwed in if you want it or as I said welded up or overlayed so it cannot be seen as with this customized Cold Steel frontier hawk.

 

[Shiloh1944]

Here is the one I just finished that I originally began this thread with. I finally received and fit the premium curly Maple haft I had special ordered.

 

[Brokennock]

Very nice.

 

[Grumpa]

In a word...Beautiful! You have made the proverbial "silk purse from a sow's ear". I love the way you undercut the head to lighten it, while retaining the full cutting edge. I am reaching for words here, but the articulation you added to the pipe bowl and the outside edges of the eye greatly enhance the architecture of the whole head. The premium curly maple is a fitting enhancement.
Form and function, grace and...beauty. Well done!

Thank you, for sharing.

Richard/Grumpa
PS: Your other heads are remarkable, too, but this one is just outstanding.

 

[Shiloh1944]

Thank you for the kind replies.

I tried on this last customized Cold Steel hawk to hold back on the embellishments. I had some express they thought my customizing was somewhat over the top and made the hawks look more ceremonial than common use even though they are all fully functional. I have used them not only with camp chores but have used them to aid in field dressing and quartering big game.

With regard to the embellishments sometime my imagination gets the best of me.

Anyway, thanks all.

P.S. Brokennock, I forgot to tell you that I either draw file, belt grind, or sand the black coating off. I use to try using a paint remover, but it didn't do that good of a job. I just leave it on now and remove it as I progress through the customizing process.

 

[Brokennock]

Thank you for the kind replies.

I tried on this last customized Cold Steel hawk to hold back on the embellishments. I had some express they thought my customizing was somewhat over the top and made the hawks look more ceremonial than common use even though they are all fully functional. I have used them not only with camp chores but have used them to aid in field dressing and quartering big game.

With regard to the embellishments sometime my imagination gets the best of me.

Anyway, thanks all.

P.S. Brokennock, I forgot to tell you that I either draw file, belt grind, or sand the black coating off. I use to try using a paint remover, but it didn't do that good of a job. I just leave it on now and remove it as I progress through the customizing process.

Yup. I tried chemical strippers and none I tried helped much. Mostly used the wire wheel on my bench grinder. But I didn't polish mine out as much as yours. Fancy is fine, as long as it's functional too.
If I could buy a Cold Steel Trail Hawk fancyfied like some of yours for a reasonable price I'd probably do it. I know the steel is good and the Cold Steel heads hold up well.

 

[necchi]

As long as we're talking belt sanders and wire wheel bench grinders,,
All BS aside(?)
A pneumatic 1/4" die grinder with scotch-rite pads makes short work of bringing a shape and polish to properly cast high carbon steel.
I made my earlier comment(s) not only to Shiloh's works,, but my surprise that Cold Steel has come this far in the quality of their goods.
Once the casting marks are rubbed off, spit and 600 grit can make a good carbon steel bright.

Shiloh1944;
Did ya use cold blue for the finish?

 

[smo]

How about using Naval Jelly to remove the factory finish?


Very nice work by the way.

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

Here is the one I just finished that I originally began this thread with. I finally received and fit the premium curly Maple haft I had special ordered.

View attachment 4321 View attachment 4322

Shiloh,
Well Done!!
An inspiration!!

The Sicilian

 

[Shiloh1944]

Brokennock, I believe this a one of my customized Cold Steel trail hawks I did several years ago.

smo, no, Naval jelly does not work.

necchi, I have used cold blue before but the last several I have done I have used Berchwood Casey's browning agent. I heat the hawk head in the oven to about 230 degrees before applying the bluing/browning agent, It does a much better job than just applying it to cold metal.

 

[Shiloh1944]

Recently I purchased a new tomahawk to customize. It is a Condor Tool & Knife Indian hammer pole. After purchasing and customizing the Condor tomahawk I do not think it is a better hawk than the Cold Steel hawks I have used in the past especially when it is twice the price. Also, extra work is required to weld up their maker’s mark which is stamped very bold and deep in the middle of the bit face and in trying to hide their name which is laser engraved in the middle of the haft. I could purchase a curly Maple haft to replace the original one, but they are $20.00 plus which would drive the cost up even further. The little advantage of the slightly higher-grade carbon steel used in the Condor (1060 vs 1055) over the Cold Steel I personally don’t think for a tomahawk is that beneficial. In my opinion the Cold Steel holds just as good an edge. I will say the Condor is fitted to the original haft better than the Cold Steel but that is a fix easily remedied. They both have the set screw that you can either eliminate or leave depending on your preference.

 

[jrmflintlock]

Shiloh1944, where do you get your nice handles?

I would like a Curly Ash one for mine.