Anyone throw axes?

[Beardy]

http://northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/92184/outdoor-pursuit-gives-you-that-viking-feeling.aspx

Bit of a weird question I know, but do any of you throw axes, like in the news story above? I'm not sure what it would be good for except for a more outdoorsy version of darts really! But it sounds like it could be some fun.

If so, how did you get started? If the throwing axes are all double headed types, then I guess you never really get into it with a simple hatchet or axe - and I'm guessing people don't often splurge the money on such a throwing axe unless they already have given it a go and gotten the knack of it. Can you reliably get it to bury itself in your target or is it a bit more of a hit-and-miss affair?

Beardy

 

[Geoff b]

Havent done it since i was a lad but you can get very accurate, takes a great deal of practise though, mine was a stainless steel firemans hachet, as i recall i held it nearer the head, you have to find the point of balance that works for you.

Geoff.

 

[Xunil]

When I was a kid my wayward uncle cut some one-piece single and double header hatchets out of 3/16" mild steel sheet with a blow torch, cleaned the edges off on a bench grinder and cold forged the actual edge to work harden it a little, which helped prevent dings in the event of a miss or having one axe hit another. The 'handle' sections were simply bound with garden twine to bulk them out a little and give a sure grip. They weren't actually sharp - they came down to maybe 1 or 2mm at the edge and then were rounded off, butt hey still stuck in very well to most targets.

They were crude but a huge amount of fun, and you could make half a dozen similar ones easily enough from scrap for next to nothing.

As I recall it turned out to be handy to already know how to throw an axe before you try it with a proper one...

It's been years since I've tried it, but we had great fun inventing variations on the theme of how close to a vertical line drawn on the target, who could split a Top Trump card (remember those ?), who could lop an inch or so from the end of a piece of garden cane fastened horizontally to the backstop, with the ultimate aim of the axes getting closer and close to centre, who could throw 6 the fastest (while getting all six to stick in the target) and so on. Actually that one is pretty tough - just like in archery if you put a few arrows into a small group you start shooting the nocks off - axes quite literally throw showers of sparks when you get too many of them landing in one place...

Hours of endless fun for all the family...

 

[British Red]

I've thrown tomahawks a few times (cold steel make a cheap throwing hawk) and yes, a hard throw not only embeds but really penetrates. I have the working not throwing version of the large double bit - that would be a fearsome weapon!

 

[Jock]

Set up for it after trying it at a game fair
Its great fun (but I need a lot more practice & the weathers put me off)
I bought a cheap doubled headed axe & cut the handle length down
You need a fairly heavy duty stump section to throw at (its a good hobby for worrying the neighbours)
http://www.discountedpetproducts.net/DOUBLE_BIT_MICHGN_AXE_3_1_2_-UKP132565.html

 

[GordonM]

Throw tomahawks. My wife throws too. She wanted a tomahawk target butt so I built her one for her birthday about three years ago. I got into it as a kid. It has always been a part of the American hunting pioneer (1720-1840) tradition and era. I grew up in Daniel Boone's Kentucky where the hunting pioneer tradition is very much taught and re-enacted. It is just a fun thing for me, however, re-enactments usually have throwing competitions for prizes. I'll search for some pics of our target butt and post them up.

Gordy

 

[Hedgehog]

Thrown the GB double bit throwing axe on a few occasions & it was easier than I expected - the upswept toe does maximise the likelyhood of a penetrating strike. I'd imagine hawks are much less forgiving.

 

[British Red]

I'll search for some pics of our target butt and post them up.

Gordy

Do please! I have a 36" ash round waiting for some inspiration!

 

[R.Lewis]

My wife does, got her throwing own axe. A paul chen Viking style, nice head but handle is poor and prone to snapping. She scarily good at it but worse, better at throwing knifes! I have to watch out in the kitchen.....

 

[Beardy]

Woah, so many more replies than I imagined! And I'm glad to see that it's not as impossible as I thought to throw them effectively!

I've an cheap hatchet I want to try out throwing on, single bit. Hold it closer to the head someone said?

 

[addo]

I had a go at the APF forestry show, using the grandsfors double bit. Great fun, and i'll sort something out in the garden one day. If you stand the right position and throw consistantly its quite easy to hit the target.

I'll have to get my "Power Boats - top trumps" out for more of a challange!

 

[GordonM]

Here is my wife's tomahawk target butt. The butt itself is oak, only because I have plenty of it to use. The butt is held in place by six, five inch decking screws (should have taken another picture of that detail; camera batteries died). We put Thompsons water seal on the 2 x 4 lumber and paint a bullseye on the butt face, from time to time.

I keep it covered when not in use.

Here it is with a 'hawk sticking in it.

Gordy

 

[British Red]

Perfect - thanks Gordy

 

[Aussiepom]

Hi Beardy,

A couple more points to help you get started:

You don't necessarily have to 'choke up' on the axe shaft, (hold it nearer the head), it's really just a matter of finding what suits your own throwing action.

Don't try to 'flick' or 'spin' the axe with your wrist as you release it. It's better to just keep your wrist in line with your forearm and let the spinning action of the axe result just from your natural throwing action.

Each axe head/shaft combination will have its own natural spinning 'rhythm', just like a clock's pendulum. This is nothing to do with the person throwing the axe, it's a function of the weight of the head and the length of the shaft and you can't change it, unless you physically modify the axe. As a result, each axe will have its own natural range that it likes to be thrown at and, more importantly, multiples of its own natural range that it likes to be thrown at. This is the distance the axe will travel whilst the shaft performs 1 revolution around the head, (ie the axe spins 360 deg). What I mean by this is as follows: If your axe's natural range is, say, 10ft then it will be easy to throw and get it to repeatedly stick in the target at 10ft, 20ft, 30ft, etc, etc. However, if you are exactly out of phase or out of step with this range, ie attempting to throw from 15ft, 25ft, etc, etc, you will find that the axe will repeatedly be bouncing off of the target by the butt of its shaft. Of course you might find that you are only just outside its range, and it sometimes sticks, but not always. Either way, don't be discouraged. Simply move a small step forwards or backwards and try again - keep repeating this process until the axe is repeatedly embedding itself in the target. You have now found your own axe's natural range and can hence judge the multiples of this range.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but once you accept that some ranges simply won't suit your particular axe, it's a lot quicker to adjust range and then carry on.

One last word of warning - whilst you are finding your axe's natural range, ie the shortest distance you can throw at, so that it embeds in the target - BEWARE BOUNCING AXES. Maybe best to find 2 x the natural range then divide that figure by 2. This should reduce the number of missing limbs