{"product_id":"damascus-throwing-axe-ash","title":"Damascus Throwing Axe, Bearded Head with Carved Cover","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrowing is a repetitive business. You walk to the board, pull the axe out of the wood and walk back, and the one that gets picked up most is usually the one that belongs to a person rather than to the room. This axe is 16 inches overall, the head is Damascus over a high carbon core, and the handle is ash.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCutting edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAsh\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched raindrop pattern running the whole head, fine bright edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEye\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWedged, wooden wedge with a steel wedge across it\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand stitched leather, hand carved oak leaf and acorn face, snap strap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLaser engraving, 20 dollars per piece\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe head\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe head is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the raindrop figure runs across the whole face. The bevel is left bright and fine against that darker ground. It is a bearded head, meaning the edge hangs below the eye rather than stopping level with it, so 6 inches of head carries 4 inches of cutting edge. That low corner is usually what finds the wood first. Carbon steel sits under the pattern, so the head darkens with use and it will rust if you put it away wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsh is a good axe wood for a plain reason. It bends under a shock instead of jarring back at your hand, and it runs straight in the grain. The eye is wedged. The handle is driven up through it from below, a wooden wedge is driven into the top to spread the wood tight against the steel, and a steel wedge is set across that. At 16 inches there is length to swing and still enough to hang it by the board.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather head cover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cover is cut to this head's own outline rather than pulled off a shelf. The leather is vegetable tanned, the edge is welted so the stitching sits clear of the steel, and it is all stitched by hand. The face is hand carved with an oak leaf and acorn, cut and shaded, not pressed with a stamp. Put it on dry. A cover over a damp head traps water against the steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost axes in a throwing room are house axes, handed out and handed back. This one turns up because somebody was given it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomeone buying for a person who already throws\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who wants the cover to be half of the gift\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers choosing a Damascus head over a plain one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople giving something that gets used, not shelved\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Damascus throwing axe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand carved leather head cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA free laser engraving quote on request\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery head is forged and etched by hand, so runs stay small. The raindrop pattern never falls in the same place twice, the carving on the cover is cut by hand, and ash varies in color board to board. Yours will not match the photographs exactly, which is rather the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the head dry after use and oil it before storage. The cover goes on dry, never over a wet bit. Feed the handle with boiled linseed oil, three to five coats over as many days, then once a year. Never varnish it. Lay linseed rags flat outdoors to dry, because one left screwed up indoors can catch fire on its own. Sharpening is a file first, then a stone, then a strop. More on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEngraving is 20 dollars per piece, added here at checkout. Around 30 characters fits, so a name and a date beats a sentence. On a present most people mark the handle and leave the head alone. A proof image comes before the laser runs, and it puts 3 to 5 business days on the order. Orders of 10 or more are engraved free. The \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e has the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a bearded head?\u003c\/strong\u003e The edge hangs below the eye, so a 6 inch head carries 4 inches of cutting edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a sensible present for somebody who already throws?\u003c\/strong\u003e That is who it was built for, and most leave here wrapped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the carved cover only decoration?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. It is cut to this head and welted, so it guards the edge too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is the head held on?\u003c\/strong\u003e The handle goes up through the eye from below, a wooden wedge spreads it tight, and a steel wedge is set across that.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Dry the head after use, oil it before storage, and keep the cover off a wet bit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does delivery take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same head on a darker handle there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-throwing-axe-walnut\"\u003eDamascus throwing axe on walnut\u003c\/a\u003e, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-throwing-hatchet-rosewood\"\u003eDamascus throwing hatchet on rosewood\u003c\/a\u003e is smaller in the hand at a 3.5 inch edge. The rest are in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/throwing-axes\"\u003ethrowing axes\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-axes\"\u003eDamascus axes\u003c\/a\u003e, and in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/gifts-for-him\"\u003egifts for him\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44143507538038,"sku":"VEF-THR-DAM-437","price":235.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/throwing-06-damascus-ash_84602f82-a51e-41d6-9d5a-065907259485.jpg?v=1788835173","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-throwing-axe-ash","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}