{"product_id":"damascus-throwing-hatchet-rosewood","title":"Damascus Throwing Hatchet, 16 Inch Rosewood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrowing is repetitive work. You walk down to the board, pull the axe out, walk back and do it again, and over an afternoon you end up looking at the same head a few hundred times. That is the case for this one. It runs 16 inches overall, the head is Damascus pattern welded over a high carbon core, and the handle is rosewood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCutting edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3.5 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\u003eRosewood\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 ladder 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, stamped basket weave 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\u003eDamascus is two steels, forge welded into one stack then drawn out until it holds a few hundred thin layers. Grooves cut across the flat and forged level again pull those layers into the rungs of the ladder. The etch draws nothing, it only eats one steel faster than the other. The head is 5.5 inches long with a 3.5 inch edge, ground thin and even so it enters wood cleanly and comes back out. Under the etch it is carbon steel, so it darkens with use and rusts if left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRosewood is dense and close grained. It finishes dark, with red and brown streaks under a bright etched head, and dense wood takes the shock of a hit without going soft at the eye. The eye is wedged. The handle goes up through the head from below, a wooden wedge is driven into the top to spread it against the steel, then a steel wedge across that. At 16 inches you can swing it one handed and still get speed into it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather head cover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cover is vegetable tanned leather, cut to this head's own outline so it sits close. A welt sewn into the edge keeps the stitching off the steel, and the seam is closed by hand. The face is stamped in a basket weave, worked into damp leather, and a brass snap holds the strap shut. Put it on dry. Leather holds water against steel, and that is how rust starts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost people who buy this one have thrown for a while on plain steel and have never owned a pattern welded head before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThrowers buying their first Damascus head\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who wants to know what is under the etch before paying for it\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who like a dark handle against bright steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers shopping for somebody who already throws\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Damascus throwing hatchet on its rosewood handle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand stitched leather head cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLifetime warranty against defects and free sharpening for life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery head is forged, ground and etched by hand, so runs are small and no two come out the same. The ladder moves with how deep the grooves were cut and how the bar drew out. Rosewood varies too, from near black to a warm red brown. Yours will not match the photograph line for line.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the head dry after a session and oil it before it goes away. A new handle wants boiled linseed oil, three to five coats over as many days, then once a year. Never varnish it, and never stand a loose head in water. Spread linseed rags flat outdoors to dry, because screwed up indoors they can catch fire on their own. More in 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\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per piece, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits. On a Damascus head we put the text on the handle so the ladder stays whole, and rosewood marks cleanly. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 or more. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is Damascus steel made of?\u003c\/strong\u003e Two steels forge welded into one bar, folded until it holds hundreds of layers, then etched so they show.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the pattern go all the way through?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. The layers run through the head, so sharpening only takes the etch back at the edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is the head held on?\u003c\/strong\u003e The handle is driven through the eye from below, a wooden wedge spreads it against the steel, and a steel wedge goes across that.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. The core is carbon steel. Dry the head, oil it, and put the cover on dry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I pound with the back of the head?\u003c\/strong\u003e The poll is not hardened for it. Use a mallet and keep the axe for cutting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does shipping take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo others worth a look. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-throwing-axe-ash\"\u003eDamascus throwing axe on ash\u003c\/a\u003e is the same steel on paler wood, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-tomahawk-hickory\"\u003eDamascus tomahawk on hickory\u003c\/a\u003e suits anyone who wants a hawk. The rack sits under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/throwing-axes\"\u003ethrowing axes\u003c\/a\u003e, the pattern welded heads under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-axes\"\u003eDamascus axes\u003c\/a\u003e, and this timber under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/rosewood-handle-knives\"\u003erosewood handles\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44143515926646,"sku":"VEF-THR-DAM-438","price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/throwing-07-damascus-rosewood_a7813116-21ff-4c06-a88a-df8a787a2972.jpg?v=1788835216","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-throwing-hatchet-rosewood","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}