my new throwing knife......

[S.Kenton]

So I got a new throwing knife as well as a new Hawk for Christmas..
the hawks head won't stay tight..and the screws that hold the leather grips, on the knife,are stripped..lost 2 out of 3 already..just practicing throwing it for 2 hrs.Anyone else have an issue with TOW's throwing Knives? TOW will be receiving a call from me tomorrow. :cursing:

 

[justtim]

Put the head of the hawk in water and let it soak. The wood dries out and it gets loose. Not Track's fault, they all do it. As for the knife, buy extra screws 'cause eventually you'll bugger them up anyway. I'd be more concerned how they throw.

 

[The Kansan]

Put the head of the hawk in water and let it soak. The wood dries out and it gets loose. Not Track's fault, they all do it. As for the knife, buy extra screws 'cause eventually you'll bugger them up anyway. I'd be more concerned how they throw.

Better yet, invest in some heavy duty copper rivets and replace the screws and you won't have to worry about it at all.

 

[S.Kenton]

I might try the rivet fix for the knife..the hawk will dry back out I fear..might try another handle?
Called TOW today..they said that the hawks heads are all cast the same..therefore all the handles for that particular hawk should fit. I honestly don't see how..theres 1/8 of a gap in the front of the handle when installed in the tightest fit.

 

[Cascade Pete]

Lemon oil will last longer than water, and waterproof the haft. Let the water dry out and then apply liberal amounts of lemon or other furniture oil. It will swell and stay swelled...

 

[RC]

i always soak my hawk,,an axes in used antifreeze,,,an yup they'll dry out...an can't remember ever seein a competition where someone's handle didn't come loose...soak them 3-4 times a year,,fer couple days at a time

.my knife handles are riveted with rivets from tow...

 

[justtim]

Yep, me too. Wood dries, it's a part of life. My splitting mauls and axes need soaking now and then too.You could opt for a hawk with a tapered eye and tapered handle but something about a hawk handle coming off at bad times bothers me.Most any good old hardware store will have copper burs and rivets. Peen the end down , file it smooth and go with it.

 

[mazo kid]

....they said that the hawks heads are all cast the same..therefore all the handles for that particular hawk should fit. I honestly don't see how..theres 1/8 of a gap in the front of the handle when installed in the tightest fit.

I would try for a better fit to the head. That, or use a steel wedge to tighten up the handle to head.

 

[Leon Renaud]

All their cast heads are the same BUt those import handles are not!get a new handle or make a new one. Don't water soak your hawk or ax handles or any tool handle you ever want to stay tight! Soaking will expand the wood fibers while wet which crushes the fibers against the tools socket,Once the wood dries out again it will shrink back to the origonal size BUT now the outer fibers are crushed and will not expand again so the handle will be even looser than before. You would have to remove the handle and steam the ouitside to again expand the crushed fibers same as you would raise a dent in a piece of wood furniture. A loose handle on a throwing hawk is a blessing as long as the head end is large enough to wedge in the head with say 1/4 inch or more sticking past the head of the hawk ,A missed throw will in most cases just cause the handle to pop loose and break. "Fix" that handle solid and chances are first time you miss and hit on the handle you'll break it! As for the throwing knife get some small washers of your choice and a piece of rod and rivet the scales on screws in a throwing knife will always come loose and don't use "cutlers rivets either the ones that have male and female halfs that drive together they will also end up coming loose in a throwing knife or any handle subject to vibrations like an ax etc.What you want is a large surface head on both sides of the handles thats why i say use washers with a piece of rod peened over them on both sides use a light hammer and tap gently you only want to expand the very tip of the rod over the washer heavy hammers and heavy blows will just bend the pins before you get a satisfactory flair to the ends.Since you already have screw holes in your knife that would dictate the pin size just get washers to match.
Leon

 

[Leon Renaud]

I tried to edit this but didn't do it right .
It should read that a non fixed handle on your hawk is less likely to break hitting on the handle will let it pop loose before breaking but they should still be large enough that when wedged tight into the head atleast 1/4 to 1/2 inch is extended beyond the head.

 

[S.Kenton]

I'll probably end up getting a new handle for the hawk...I've already buggered it up pretty bad..As for the knife..I went to Lowes and got the exact same screws that TOW had in the knife, this time I used a THREAD LOCK to keep them from loosening up... we'll see what happens.
Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[necchi]

The handle for the Hawk needs to be fitted. They all do.
Start with a rasp and get it to fit the head all around and the full leagth of the head.
NO SOAKING!! If you fit it right you don't need too.

Leave at least a 1/4" of the handle above the head, Don't saw it off flush. The wood compresses as it ages,