Axe or Knife Throwing

Got something in my head (again) and can't let it go. I am going to put up a couple slabs of cottonwood (10" to 12" thick) from a 4 ft diameter tree on a couple tripod stands made from hedge. I've goggled for the right way to set up the stands, (distance to throw.. height, etc). Just wondering who all does this sport and any comments about axes, hatchets or knives that I need to purchase here shortly. This will make a nice addition to my outdoor activities set up here at my cabin. I already have a 100 yd shooting set up for rifles, swinging targets set up for pistols and 22s.... a couple bale backstops and archery targets for shooting bows and last year I bought a Champion throwing electric trap for blue rocks. When my buddies show up to sit around a campfire in the evening we usually take some time to enjoy my set ups. Winter is nice but spring and summer is great time to enjoy outside activities.

Never thrown axes. I've thrown a lot of tomahawks. Used to get them from Don Strinz out of Milford, NE, but he passed a few years ago. If you do purchase tomahawks, make sure to budget in some extra handles because you will inevitably carve away at them. I usually go no more than 6" on the slabs. Anything more than that get's heavy for this old man. We have a tripod setup with landscaping boards and lag screws on two of the front legs of the tripod that the target rests on.

My son and I throw traditional tomahawks. I’ve got a 36in piece of ponderosa pine on a tripod in the back yard.
5 paces through it head up blade forward and that’s how it will stick in the block. At 7.5 paces though it head up blade facing you and it should stick in the block handle up. Have fun

Google ..Beaver Bill....he has throwing knives and Hawks

https://www.beaverbill.com/main/

Man with that kind of set up you must have lots of friends lol

it's becoming very poplar around her in the bars.

I've thrown a Lot as a kid into my 30's
I was in a Frontier Fraternity and we did that several times a year.
Hand Forged Tomahawks ( yes have three replacement handles) on hand for Each head.

** our favorite Game was "Handles" you can guess...
You wanted to be at least the second thrower.. trying to hit another competitors handle. Destroy or be destroyed

*** Also throw for Dollars. Closest to the 10X wins. Or throw at actual dollars pinned to the throwing slab target.

Good Times.

Stopped by Amish sawmill to get slab.
Amish kid sliced it off.

" How much I owe you?"

"5 dullers where it lays, 10 in your truck."

Funny guy.

https://www.hatchetsandaxes.com/col.../products/knife-tomahawk-throwing-barry-
hardin. It says page not found but click on Hatchets ___ Axes ...it works

I competed in axe throw and knive throw in ASFC Conclaves when I was in college. It was alot different than the bar room stuff that is popular today. We used the butt end of a sweet gum or poplar log with a bulls eye scoring target painted on it. For backyard play a good log will last many years.
I made one for my nephews on a tripod that was about 18in diameter and about a foot thick. It has endured two years of 15 year olds and weather.
At conclave we were prohibited from using knives and axes that were specifically designed for throwing. For practice I made a couple knives out of lawnmower blades that could take a beating. Today there are many cheap throwing knives available. When chosing one remember, the bigger the knives the easier they are to throw.
There are a lot of throwing axes available. But if I was going to be hosting parties with my buddies I would get a few hatchets with metal handles for loaners.

Hey thanks all. I am planning on getting a few axes and knives off the Webb. But also want a couple good professional ones someday also. Going to use a skid steer to hang my targets. Too heavy for this almost over the hill guy!!!

I have all those fun things you mentioned at my cabin as well. The throwing axes and knives were added about a year ago after the zip line and slide on the dock into the pond. My son and I can spend hours throwing and competing against each other. It's a blast. I put a pallet against a pine tree and mounted an 8 qtr piece of poplar about 2' square to it and added small bulls eye dots with spray paint. Ordered mine from cabelas I think???

The distance you throw is determined primarily by the length of the handle. The longer the handle the further distance it takes to make one rotation. Get your distance right, let it slip from your hand without flipping it, and sticking a hawk in a block is almost as easy as hitting the block with a softball. Get the distance for one rotation and back up half that distance again, throw with the edge facing you, and it should turn 1 1/2 rotations and stick handle up.

Keeping your block covered so rain doesn't saturate the wood will help the hawk/axe stick.

Have fun!

Been throwing since the early '80's

My nephews love coming to Uncle Nessies place

We shoot the long bows at targets ..a short distance from the ax throwing area

Nessmuck
You got a close up photo of your knives? I got pretty good at throwing blades back in late 70s early 80s. Never had any good knives just flat steel blades. Didn't get to where ever had hawks either had few Stars I made from circle saw blades.
My blades are still laying in drawer in basement. Stars I passed off to a friend no idea where they are now.

Mac

Most knives can be thrown ,and stick, once you get the feel for it, Grabbed some 60p spikes once and they throw pretty good...

Here yah go Mac...HB Forge ..leather handles

Same here and I gotta wonder what that does to their insurance

Love the zip line and slide idea. I live right by a creek that runs about 25 yds from my cabin. My son's wife didn't think too much about the cartoon drawing I did of me and my grandkids (son's and her kids) sliding off a huge slide into the creek water. She's a city gal and the thought of the kids going into any water but clean swimming pool water is just..... uncivilized !!! I'm not her favorite redneck rural modern day mountain man in law... so I gotta take a back seat and be quite