Putting the longer handle on the Trail Hawk really changes everything, and is my number one mod/suggestion for the Trail Hawk. It really balances out nicely and you can get some serious deep cuts with the extra length/momentum. If you go to buy the longer handle... it's the handle for the "War Hammer" and is 30" long (you can buy it by itself).
My next suggestion is removing the coating... in general I hate coatings as they act like sandpaper (slowing me down). With my first Trail Hawk I was gonna strip the finish but I've pretty much taken/worn it off from use. Here's a youtube video showing some of the versatility/utility of one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pvv97vPLHk It seems as though the "set-screw" really limits you in these applications, it looks cool when people weld them in..... I just left mine open.
