- Joined
- Nov 9, 2007
- Messages
- 2,124
Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk
- Thread starter CitizenQ
- Start date
I got this as a fathers day gift from my daughter and decided I would play around with it to make it look a little better and here are the results.
I sanded the handle and filed the inside of the eye on the head so that they would fit together better and what a difference in the fit after a little bit of filing and sanding. Then I used a brass wire wheel on a drill to remove the black paint which took all in 5 minutes, I then made a few small file marks on the top edge and then some cold blue and the head was done. I stained the handle walnut and hit it with steel wool then wrapped a piece of suede under the head and that's it.
I think it looks tons better than the pale white handle with the cheap looking black paint.
I sanded the handle and filed the inside of the eye on the head so that they would fit together better and what a difference in the fit after a little bit of filing and sanding. Then I used a brass wire wheel on a drill to remove the black paint which took all in 5 minutes, I then made a few small file marks on the top edge and then some cold blue and the head was done. I stained the handle walnut and hit it with steel wool then wrapped a piece of suede under the head and that's it.
I think it looks tons better than the pale white handle with the cheap looking black paint.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2014
- Messages
- 772
So I got a Norse Hawk. Haven't done much to it besides stripped the paint, sanded the handle and wrapped it with a bit of cord to cover up the screw hole in the back. I think I'll eventually stain the handle and maybe shorten the top.
Great thread. I recently got a tomahawk (CS Spike) after reading James Fenimore Cooper's Deerslayer. Wish I hadn't waited so long. As others have said, the handle fit was more than crappy (they "mashed" it on) and that black glossy paint. Wow, that has to go! After stripping what to do? I have used patinas (vinegar, mustard, etc), on a number of knives in the past but I wanted to try something different. I came across a discussion of peroxide & salt-based rust bluing over on the Bushcraft website:
http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php/16456-Rust-bluing-A-tutorial
Basically, you heat hydrogen peroxide to boiling (standard brown bottle pharmacy 3% stuff), add salt (I used Kosher so no additives) until the peroxide is supersaturated (no more salt disolves). Add metal to be "rusted" (man does it rust, it will freak you the F out!!!), take out and brush to even out areas, place back in H2O2/salt bath and redo rusting, take out and brush...Repeat until there is a nice even rust. Then you boil the rusted metal in distilled water and it magically turns "black/blue" (the chemistry of the magic is: Ferrous Oxide (red rust) is converted to Ferric Oxide (black/blue rust) by the application of heat for the geeks in the crowd). You can go back and repeat peroxide/salt --> distilled water until happy with coating. See pic below for progression on how this looks:
Finish out with some fine steel wool. I'm pretty happy with how the bluing turned out. Will see how durable and rust-resistant it is. Here's a couple shots of the finished 'hawk. I stripped the handle, fitted it to the head, stained with dark walnut and put on a few coats of tung oil. I tried my hand at using a needle file on the set screw hole, was pretty fun. I now have a whole new respect for some of the metal work I see here...
I have also read some questions about how the CS Spike looks vs the CRKT version (Woods Kangee). Since 2 is 1 and 1 is none, I also got a CRKT
Here's a couple side by side shots:
The CRKT is much heavier and is better assembled/fitted. The CS is much more agile in the hand (quick swinging and does OK at fine work). The CRKT seems to be a bit better as a chopper. Will have to play around some more with them.
http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php/16456-Rust-bluing-A-tutorial
Basically, you heat hydrogen peroxide to boiling (standard brown bottle pharmacy 3% stuff), add salt (I used Kosher so no additives) until the peroxide is supersaturated (no more salt disolves). Add metal to be "rusted" (man does it rust, it will freak you the F out!!!), take out and brush to even out areas, place back in H2O2/salt bath and redo rusting, take out and brush...Repeat until there is a nice even rust. Then you boil the rusted metal in distilled water and it magically turns "black/blue" (the chemistry of the magic is: Ferrous Oxide (red rust) is converted to Ferric Oxide (black/blue rust) by the application of heat for the geeks in the crowd). You can go back and repeat peroxide/salt --> distilled water until happy with coating. See pic below for progression on how this looks:
Finish out with some fine steel wool. I'm pretty happy with how the bluing turned out. Will see how durable and rust-resistant it is. Here's a couple shots of the finished 'hawk. I stripped the handle, fitted it to the head, stained with dark walnut and put on a few coats of tung oil. I tried my hand at using a needle file on the set screw hole, was pretty fun. I now have a whole new respect for some of the metal work I see here...
I have also read some questions about how the CS Spike looks vs the CRKT version (Woods Kangee). Since 2 is 1 and 1 is none, I also got a CRKT
Here's a couple side by side shots:
The CRKT is much heavier and is better assembled/fitted. The CS is much more agile in the hand (quick swinging and does OK at fine work). The CRKT seems to be a bit better as a chopper. Will have to play around some more with them.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2013
- Messages
- 2
I got a trail hawk after seeing this thread, so here is my submission. I took an angle grinder and some files to it and then used it for cerakote practice before I did some 80% ar lowers. The handle got the torch treatment. The sheath is just a basic kydex deal I made.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2007
- Messages
- 7,622
Great idea, I like it!!
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2010
- Messages
- 50
I've had my pipe hawk for a few years now. Did a paint strip on it and blueing.
Dark walnut stain on the handle.
My new fave hawk is my frontier hawk.
My spike hawk is going to be cut to a hammer pole.
Still have more stuff to do to them.
I wanna try some reshaping and file work.
Dark walnut stain on the handle.
My new fave hawk is my frontier hawk.
My spike hawk is going to be cut to a hammer pole.
Still have more stuff to do to them.
I wanna try some reshaping and file work.
Dave from State Farm
Basic Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2011
- Messages
- 4,668
This was my first attempt at a TH mod.
Stripped and etched the head using the bleach/blue method. Next attempt I'll leave it in a little longer. Then I got some needle files and used the triangle one on the head. The handle was burned, then red mahogany minwax stain, then minwax poly coat. I have a brown leather sheath and skirt being made for it now by another member.
Stripped and etched the head using the bleach/blue method. Next attempt I'll leave it in a little longer. Then I got some needle files and used the triangle one on the head. The handle was burned, then red mahogany minwax stain, then minwax poly coat. I have a brown leather sheath and skirt being made for it now by another member.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2010
- Messages
- 50
Did some leather work on my frontier hawk.
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2008
- Messages
- 949
Did some leather work on my frontier hawk.
Looks great
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2007
- Messages
- 7,622
I have been playing with the idea of modding another hawk. I am just not fond of the idea of stripping the head with sandpaper. I have looked at some paint strippers but not sure what would work. Does anyone have experience with nitromors? I have read it doesn't pack the punch it used to be, maybe because of EU regulations and all.
Got one of these right when they came out.
Cold Steel viking hand axe, which I mounted on a shorter hickory hawk handle finished with Tung oil. Deer skin grip with a couple turks heads knots
The blade came pretty dull but has gotten to a almost hair popping edge with a little elbow grease.
That axe is a thing of beauty. i am going to have to get one of my own.
- Joined
- May 16, 2010
- Messages
- 9,347
Modded Frontier
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2007
- Messages
- 20
This is not nearly as nice as some of the stuff on here but I thought I would show you my pipe hawk.
I stripped the paint and sanded to get out the worst of the casting pits. I did some filework on top and around the screw hole. I got a lot of inspiration for this from some of the pictures from this thread. I cut the head off of a machine screw that fit the set screw hole and lodged it in.
My girlfriend is a metalsmith and she had some old gold solder that someone had given her years ago. It took several applications of soldering with two torches to finally get all the voids mostly filled. The solder kept flowing down into the set screw hole and filling the voids around that machine screw head. (I'm glad we didn't have any money in that gold solder!)
After each application of solder I had to file the excess off and check my progress. The one dark spot in the upper right of the "sun" was where I filed through the gold and hit the steel screw head. I should have set it a little deeper into the hole but it still looks pretty good!
I blued it with cold blue.
Thanks to everyone for this great thread.
[/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
I stripped the paint and sanded to get out the worst of the casting pits. I did some filework on top and around the screw hole. I got a lot of inspiration for this from some of the pictures from this thread. I cut the head off of a machine screw that fit the set screw hole and lodged it in.
My girlfriend is a metalsmith and she had some old gold solder that someone had given her years ago. It took several applications of soldering with two torches to finally get all the voids mostly filled. The solder kept flowing down into the set screw hole and filling the voids around that machine screw head. (I'm glad we didn't have any money in that gold solder!)
After each application of solder I had to file the excess off and check my progress. The one dark spot in the upper right of the "sun" was where I filed through the gold and hit the steel screw head. I should have set it a little deeper into the hole but it still looks pretty good!
I blued it with cold blue.
Thanks to everyone for this great thread.
[/IMG]
Last edited:
Here's my first attempt (and first post). Not the most original, but I was mainly just interested in how hard these are to modify, as I want to build one for my soon-to-be Eagle Scout nephew. And I was surprised at how easy it was! Anywho...
After stripping the paint, I hand-filed the head, and blued it with some Birchwood Casey. Then I used a dremel to notch the handle. Then I stained the notched part dark walnut and the smooth parts in red oak. I might add some jute to better secure the head at some point.
After stripping the paint, I hand-filed the head, and blued it with some Birchwood Casey. Then I used a dremel to notch the handle. Then I stained the notched part dark walnut and the smooth parts in red oak. I might add some jute to better secure the head at some point.
Last edited: