Mod'ing The CS Trail Hawk

Now that I think I have the posting figured out, here are the rest of my Hawks.
Thanks for looking.
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One last post, I forgot my CS Viking axe. If your interested in the Handle (haft) design, it is an old gunstock makers trick of wrapping the wood with a cotton or hemp twine and them flame burning it, in my case I used butchers cotton string the kind used to wrap a roast with.
thanks for looking and I'll stop flooding the site with my stuff.
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Hey guys, I bought a CS Tomahawk and Riflemans hawk.
I'm want to do the mod thing. I've stripped both heads and cold blues them. As far as the handle go, and I'm sure this is very controversial, how much to cut off the handles if any. I figure I might tear down and backpack one or the other as well as throw them.
Any thoughts from you all that have been down my road?
 
Uncle Timbo said:
Hey guys, I bought a CS Tomahawk and Riflemans hawk.
I'm want to do the mod thing. I've stripped both heads and cold blues them. As far as the handle go, and I'm sure this is very controversial, how much to cut off the handles if any. I figure I might tear down and backpack one or the other as well as throw them.
Any thoughts from you all that have been down my road?
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Uncle Timbo, I don't know which tomahawk you have other than the Rifleman's but I think either the trail hawk or the pole hawk would be a better choice for backpacking than the Rifleman. The Rifleman as I'm sure you know is considerably heavier than any of the other hawks of CS. I think the stock haft length to be fine, the longer the better for me, longer = more momentum=greater energy from that light head. Applying your personal art work is what makes it fun and yours.
 
Thanks Rudymoe. I guess my other is a Trail Hawk. It's the basic one that everybody modifies.
The Rifleman is just too big period. The head is too heavy for my liking. I know what you mean about being too heavy to pack. I'm considering cutting the head down some to reduce it's weight. I wonder if anybody has ever done that?
Also, thanks for the advice about the haft length. I guess I'll leave them alone for awhile and see how I like them. A guy can always reduce their length later. It's VERY HARD to add length back!
 
Uncle Timbo said:
Thanks Rudymoe. I guess my other is a Trail Hawk. It's the basic one that everybody modifies.
The Rifleman is just too big period. The head is too heavy for my liking. I know what you mean about being too heavy to pack. I'm considering cutting the head down some to reduce it's weight. I wonder if anybody has ever done that?
Also, thanks for the advice about the haft length. I guess I'll leave them alone for awhile and see how I like them. A guy can always reduce their length later. It's VERY HARD to add length back!
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Uncle Timbo, I think I saw a guy on YouTube that cut the hammer pole of and re contoured the back; but still a beast I'd say. As for the haft, you can get replacements on Ebay for around $10. I like the trail hawk best for packing as it has a pole hammer and is just a great minimalist all round tool.
 
I use the CS Plainsman's Hawk, which I've posted on this thread previously. It's the little brother of the Rileman's and was the only other tomahawk CS offered once upon a time. Its dimensions are the same but instead of the peace pipe poll, it has a flattened surface. Still heavy, it wouldn't be my choice for a light backpacking setup, but I don't bring any axe or hatchet on such trips, anyway. I use the 24" handle CS sells and it has been a good tool, not too heavy whenever carrying a tomahawk, hatchet, or small axe is called for.

If you grind the extended poll from your Rifleman's you will drop some weight and it will still handle well. You could also come up from the bottom and give it something of a beard to take more weight off. That would look good and still handle well, I think. They lend themselves well to projects like this. But don't quit at just the extended poll, but take it down enough to give it a hammering surface.

Looking forward to seeing it!

Zieg
 
Thanks guys and Zeiggie, I wouldn't look forward to seeing it if I were you or me. It'll prolly come out functional but pretty? Eh?
 
You'll do fine! It's a drop forged tool, and it's already rough as tools go, so have at it. If you have an angle grinder, it will be good.

Zieg
 
I would not use "Cold blue" I would buy an old sauce-pan that the head will fit in and fill the sauce pan with Stump Rot-em (Potassium Nitrate) from the hardware store) and heat it until it all melts in a sheltered, but well sheltered spot and put the glass beaded or wire brushed head into it. it will turn black without the nasty Selenium Salts. When you are all done and the stuff is still molten toss in a single charcoal briquette! (the resulting reaction is fun from a distance, not so much close up, so you might not want to do this)

Seriously though a single drop of sweat can cause a smell steam explosion that can spatter molten salt for a suprising distance, and adding anything flammable can result in an explosion!

Potassium Nitrate is a powerful source of oxygen.

this technique executed a bit differently can easily remove the remains of a broken haft from a used flea-market axe head with suprising ease.

Put the head in your pot and cover with nitrate and put it on the heat
(a battered garage sale Coleman stove is about perfect for this)
 
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I am new to this website and found this forum while browsing the site. I began modifying CS hawks about 10 or 15 years ago. I began doing it because I wanted one similar in style to the tomahawk used by Mel Gibson in the movie “The Patriot” but could not afford a custom one. I have probably done around 26 to 30 different CS hawks over the years and a little over a year ago decided to do a few other manufacturers hawks. I have done a Condor pipe hammer poll and most recently a CRKT hammer pole both of which are heavier than CS’s except for possibly the CS Rifleman hawk. I don’t care much for the Condor although it is made of slightly better tool steel than either the CS or the CRKT. They stamp their makers mark very deeply into the hawk bit face and it must be welded up before you can make the hawk look decent. That isn’t a big deal unless you don’t have a welder like me. Here are some photos of some of the CS’s I have modified along with the Condor and the CRKT
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If I may ask, what hawk/axe did you use for this one? Do you have any for sale?

LHuck said:
I am new to this website and found this forum while browsing the site. I began modifying CS hawks about 10 or 15 years ago. I began doing it because I wanted one similar in style to the tomahawk used by Mel Gibson in the movie “The Patriot” but could not afford a custom one. I have probably done around 26 to 30 different CS hawks over the years and a little over a year ago decided to do a few other manufacturers hawks. I have done a Condor pipe hammer poll and most recently a CRKT hammer pole both of which are heavier than CS’s except for possibly the CS Rifleman hawk. I don’t care much for the Condor although it is made of slightly better tool steel than either the CS or the CRKT. They stamp their makers mark very deeply into the hawk bit face and it must be welded up before you can make the hawk look decent. That isn’t a big deal unless you don’t have a welder like me. Here are some photos of some of the CS’s I have modified along with the Condor and the CRKT


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SaQ1ZPF.jpg
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skmo said:
If I may ask, what hawk/axe did you use for this one? Do you have any for sale?
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That is a customized CRKT. I use to customize and sell them several years ago but I haven't made any to sell in several years. I just do them now as a hobby. I am 75 and these days only do them when I get the urge and the weather has to be cooler. Right now we have a lot of 100 + degree days and it is just too hot to work in my garage where I make them.
 
LHuck said:
That is a customized CRKT. I use to customize and sell them several years ago but I haven't made any to sell in several years. I just do them now as a hobby. I am 75 and these days only do them when I get the urge and the weather has to be cooler. Right now we have a lot of 100 + degree days and it is just too hot to work in my garage where I make them.
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Beautiful work!!

If you do decide to sell more I would surely be in the market, if not I would love to see some tutorials on some of the techniques you used on these.
 
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