I like `hawks, always have. During the Bicentennial my job took me to New Hampshire and the First Congress Of New England Muzzleloaders, which covered all of New England and had competitors from other nearby states like NY. Tomahawk throwing competitions were a standard activity in all the matches and the Bull Of The Woods in `hawk (and knife) throwing --- not to mention the Caber Throw --- was Walter Cady from Massachusetts. Other top competitors were Cal Lissard (aka: Lizard), Jim (Big Moccasin) Bell, and Joe Prue to name a few. Walt Cady favored a `hawk patterned after the British Boarding Axe. Cal Lissard used an H&B Forge Squaw Axe and so did Jim Bell. I disremember what style of `hawk Joe Prue preferred. My favorite `hawk was, and still is, a hand-forged Squaw Axe I got from the Log Cabin Shop. It was forged with a tapered eye so the handle could be inserted from the top and got tighter with use. The H&B Forge `hawks are made the same way, as are all the hand forged ones I've seen. Standard tomahawk handles are sold by most muzzleloading suppliers and they'll fit any of the hand forged `hawks I have and take maybe 15 seconds to replace. No offense to rp77469, but I've never heard of fitting a handle on a throwing hawk by using melted lead. Even if it is tighter, it'll work loose as you throw the axe.
One source for very fine hand forged tomahawks is DeLaRonde Forge up in Colorado. They're not cheap, but good work rarely is. Joe DeLaRonde keeps trying to retire, but so far he's still at the forge. Put DeLaRonde Forge into your search engine and you can look over Joe's work.
Another source is Dixie Gun Works. In their early catalogs, Turner Kirkland claimed to sell a tomahawk that was a good copy of one that had belonged to his grandfather, that had been through two new heads and four new handles but was still in good shape. Or maybe it was his uncle? I don't rightly recall.
Turner's gone now and sadly, so is the ad.
The photo below shows some of my `hawks. The little one on the left is an H&B Mouse Hawk that was my son's when he was small. The second from left is that favorite of mine from the Log Cabin Shop, with a new handle fitted. I've lost track of how many it's had. There's a full-sized H&B `hawk and two versions of the Boarding Axe style, one which has a handle barely held together with electrical tape. Neither of the Boarding Axes would ever pass muster as "traditional" or "authentic."
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. Keep yr horn tip up.
Tanglefoot
One source for very fine hand forged tomahawks is DeLaRonde Forge up in Colorado. They're not cheap, but good work rarely is. Joe DeLaRonde keeps trying to retire, but so far he's still at the forge. Put DeLaRonde Forge into your search engine and you can look over Joe's work.
Another source is Dixie Gun Works. In their early catalogs, Turner Kirkland claimed to sell a tomahawk that was a good copy of one that had belonged to his grandfather, that had been through two new heads and four new handles but was still in good shape. Or maybe it was his uncle? I don't rightly recall.
Turner's gone now and sadly, so is the ad.
The photo below shows some of my `hawks. The little one on the left is an H&B Mouse Hawk that was my son's when he was small. The second from left is that favorite of mine from the Log Cabin Shop, with a new handle fitted. I've lost track of how many it's had. There's a full-sized H&B `hawk and two versions of the Boarding Axe style, one which has a handle barely held together with electrical tape. Neither of the Boarding Axes would ever pass muster as "traditional" or "authentic."
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. Keep yr horn tip up.
Tanglefoot
