Info on hawks

[wayne1967]

NWTF Longhunter, I'll hit you up on this post also. Were did you get your hawks?

 

[spudnut]

Anyway, it's modern in that it has an allen head screw/nut that holds the head on the handle real good, but you could modify that. Lookee here (video):

Did yours come with an allen screw? I had to sandblast the black finish off,A propane torch wouldnt touch it.

 

Alvah,

My experience with using hammer pole axes vs hammer pole hawks makes me lean toward the former. Hawk heads work loose and slip back down the handle when used for hammering. If you plan to use it for much of that like hammering in stakes, you are much better with a half axe that has a haft attached with a wedge. If you prefer to only occasionally split a cranium or throw it and hammer only a little, go with the hawk.

My thought is that I don't see the point of throwing a perfectly good tool that someone could pick up and throw back at me.

Sean

 

[Claude Mathis]

NWTF Longhunter, I'll hit you up on this post also. Were did you get your hawks?

http://www.shrewbows.com/shrewhawk/ :thumbsup:

 

[Ron LaClair]

My experience with using hammer pole axes vs hammer pole hawks makes me lean toward the former. Hawk heads work loose and slip back down the handle when used for hammering. If you plan to use it for much of that like hammering in stakes, you are much better with a half axe that has a haft attached with a wedge. If you prefer to only occasionally split a cranium or throw it and hammer only a little, go with the hawk.

My take on it is if a "hawk" is properly made to fit the handle you won't have a problem.

#1 A properly made hawk has a tapered eye to better fit the tapered handle.

#2 The downward motion used in hammering of chopping forces the head forward so it will tighten not backward to loosen it.

#3 A hatchet/ax with a wedge will loosen also...the wedge doesn't guarantee it will stay tight.

#4 The tapered handle of a hawk is easier to change if it gets broken.

I have a hawk that I've carried for 25 years. It's had the same handle since day one. ANY handle can loosen from the head. That is usually caused by not being used for a period of time and the wood drys and shrinks. About once or twice a year I set the head of my hawk in a pan of water for about an hour and it stays tight until It needs it again.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Setting the heads and handles of axes and similar tools into anti-freeze is supposed to cause the wood to swell, tightening it in the head, but not shrink back with changes in the weather. I've never tried it, as all my choopers heads are tight, but only read about it. It might be worth a try with loose handled tools. It shouldn't hurt.

 

[wayne1967]

Thanks. I've seen Mr. LaClair's hawks over on the Leatherwall bowsite. I didn't even recognize it.

 

Ron,

All my hawks have had tapered eyes. You're right that the inertia of the swing should tighten the head. It may be the fact that I live in a dry climate and the wood shrinks and swells so much, but every hawk I've ever had going back two decades has loosened and slipped after driving a few stakes, no matter how much I try to tighten it. One of those Cold Steel trailhawks was the worst about that. I just prefer a wedged in handle. To each their own. However, I will say your hawks look like they'd be better about this because the eye is deeper than many.

On the soaking, I have not tried antifreeze, but have found soaking in water makes things worse over time. I've been told it swells the cell structure, but also causes it to break down. Linseed works better for me, but still does the same thing only slower. I generally just wipe oil the handles occasionally and tap the wedges when needed to tighten.

Sean