{"product_id":"hand-forged-throwing-axe-hickory","title":"Hand Forged Throwing Axe, Carbon Steel Hatchet with Hickory Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA throwing axe is balanced for the throw rather than for chopping power. The head is light and narrow so it turns the same way every time and bites into a target board. This one is 14 inches overall in hand forged 5160 spring steel, with a 3.5 inch cutting edge and an American hickory handle. It is made for target throwing at a range or in a yard, and for camp use.\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 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\u003e14 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAmerican hickory\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5160 spring steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark gray forged finish, hammer marks, bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather with snap strap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 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 steel is 5160 spring steel, the steel real axe makers use. It takes the impact of landing without chipping, and when it dulls a file brings it back. The head is 5 inches long with a 3.5 inch cutting edge, kept narrow so the mass stays low and the rotation stays honest. The finish is a dark gray hand forged surface with hammer marks across the cheek and a mirror bright bevel. The honest trade is the one you expect from a light head. It splits kindling, not firewood rounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHickory is the American working wood, denser and heavier than ash, and the right choice under a head that gets thrown. It puts up with the knocks a handle takes when a throw lands flat. At 9 inches it is short, which keeps the turn tight and helps a thrower settle on a distance from the board. The handle is driven through the eye and a wedge is driven into the top of it, spreading the wood tight against the steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather head cover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cover is cut for this head, so it sits close rather than loose. The leather is vegetable tanned. A belt loop is stitched to the back so it rides on a belt to the range, a strap and snap close over the top, and a welt is sewn into the edge so the stitching stays clear of the sharp part. All of the stitching is done by hand. The face is tooled with a running chevron pattern inside a carved border, cut into the leather rather than printed on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost people buy a pair, since a session runs better when you are not walking to the board after every throw.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTarget throwers at a range or in a backyard setup\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeginners who want a hickory handle rather than a molded one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCampers who want a light head for kindling and tent pegs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClubs and leagues buying several at once\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand forged throwing axe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled 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\u003eEach head is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two are alike. The hammer marks fall where they fall, the hickory grain runs its own way, and the depth of the tooling varies from the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDry the head after a session and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds is normal and protects the steel. Sharpen with a file and a puck or a stone, following the bevel. Oil the head before storage and the handle now and then, since a dry handle shrinks and a loose head is dangerous. Check the head is tight before every use. 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 and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits on the head or along the hickory, which is where most names go on this one. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Engraving is free on orders of 10 pieces 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 a throwing axe?\u003c\/strong\u003e A light narrow head balanced for the throw, not for chopping.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat should I throw it at?\u003c\/strong\u003e A wooden target board, with clear space behind it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy hickory?\u003c\/strong\u003e It is dense and takes the knocks when a throw lands flat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow sharp is it out of the box?\u003c\/strong\u003e Sharp enough to cut wood and stick in a board.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can, so dry it after use and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the head tight?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, it is wedged into the eye. Check it before every session.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a camp kit, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-camp-axe-hickory\"\u003eDamascus camp axe in hickory\u003c\/a\u003e has a squared poll for pegs, and for a longer handle there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-tomahawk-leather-wrap\"\u003ehand forged tomahawk with a leather wrapped grip\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/throwing-axes\"\u003ethrowing axes\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/axes-hatchets\"\u003eaxes and hatchets\u003c\/a\u003e, and in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/carbon-steel-axes\"\u003ecarbon steel axes\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134763626614,"sku":"VEF-AXE-HC-THR-408","price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/hand-forged-throwing-axe-hickory-handle_439b67c7-cbd2-4469-b125-4270fca47881.jpg?v=1788742095","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-throwing-axe-hickory","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}