Carbon steel warhawk

John M Cohea

John M Cohea

Well-Known Member
I thought I'd kick off posting pics of my work with this piece. I had this one shot by Coop at this year's Blade Show.This was the first time I have had a piece shot by a pro, and as a result it was published in this month's Knife World2thumbs, which is also a first!
Head is forged from leaf spring steel, and was left forged textured. Haft is curly maple, dyed with Fiebing's and finished in tung oil. The headcover is rawhide over veg-tan with deerskin fringe.Thanks for looking!
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As always that looks great. Any chance of a picture looking straight on at the blade edge? I was wondering how you set the blade in the wood. Did you use epoxy or resin or something? Is that rawhide lacing on the handle?

Sorry for so many questions but I love this style and would love to try to make a hawk someday. I'm not ready to try to drift a hole for a handle yet but I think I could do this.

Thank you for sharing the pictures and I hope I'm not asking too many questions.

SDS
 
SDS said:
As always that looks great. Any chance of a picture looking straight on at the blade edge? I was wondering how you set the blade in the wood. Did you use epoxy or resin or something? Is that rawhide lacing on the handle?

Sorry for so many questions but I love this style and would love to try to make a hawk someday. I'm not ready to try to drift a hole for a handle yet but I think I could do this.

Thank you for sharing the pictures and I hope I'm not asking too many questions.

SDS
Click to expand...

Not too many questions at all Shawn. To get the hole for the head in the haft I first center my head on the haft blank (before any shaping takes place) in about the postion I want it to be on the finished hawk.Draw a pencil line around the top and bottom of the head. then take the lines around on both sides, Mark a center line on the sides, then drill a line of holes from what will be the spike side of the haft,using a bit just a little under the thickness of your head.Chisel the web out with a small wood chisel, then start rasping with a small flat rasp and a round rasp until your head fits in as far as you want it to go. Remember that the blade side of the hole will need to be wider than the spike side.Once you have the head where you want it, draw an X where you drew the head profile, and mark for 4 evenly spaced holes and drill with an 1/8th" bit,through both sides of the haft, as well as the head.
That is indeed rawhide lace around the head, as well as the handle wraps What you can't see is the four steel pins that secure the head to the haft. No epoxy is used to secure the head, just a tight fit, four peened steel pins, and the rawhide wraps.
 
I sure wouldn't have guessed it was held on with pins. It looks great.

Thanks, I love seeing your stuff.

SDS
 
I love this piece John. Primitive forged hawks always perk me up. Congrats on the press time. You've earned it. Great work.
 
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