7 Rotation Tomahawk Throw in Slo-Mo


Well I finally have a decent slo-mo video of a 7 rotation throw. You should be able to count the rotations in this clip. I stuck this throw twice that day, amazingly the first time I got a little more loft and the ‘hawk went through some tree branches and still managed to come down and stick in the target. If you are out there throwing a lot you see all kinds of strange tomahawk “sticks”, and that was one of them. As previously mentioned, it is critical to develop a consistent throw and release cycle to have any chance to stick this throw without it being blind luck.

3 Rotation Tomahawk Throw


Here is a short video showing a simple 3 rotation tomahawk throw from a viewpoint close to the target block. As always with any tomahawk throw it is critical to develop a consistent throw and release cycle to have a repeatable throw. Then it is just a matter of placing yourself at the proper distance from the target depending on the number of rotations being attempted. It is usually about 5 steps further away for each successive increase in rotations.

Moving Target Teaser


One of my favorite ways to enjoy the tomahawk is to throw it at a moving target. This target is spinning also while moving so one must anticipate when the face of the target will present itself along with tracking the arc. This is definitely a more advanced throw as your success rate sticking any particular throw will plummet as compared to throwing at a static target. Also, more likely to damage your handle etc. I always recommend throwing from 2 rotations out so to keep a safe distance from the target as it is possible to have ricochets or unpredictable bounces. Have fun but use caution!

4 Tomahawks-2 Targets-1 Throw


I have never tried this before so I thought it was time to give it a go. I used 2 BeaverBill Mouse ‘Hawks in my left hand and 2 BeaverBill Mighty Mouse ‘Hawks in my right hand. I was not sure they would have the same rotation due to different head weight and handle length but it worked out fine anyway. The hardest part was getting a stable grip on the tomahawks so they wouldn’t shift around in my hand as I threw them. Next, I gotta’ see if I can do this at 2 rotations!

How not to throw an axe!


Here is a short video showing what can happen when you don’t stick the throw. We are testing the Precision Axe Razor throwing axe here, These are very nice axes for competitive axe throwing which generally are limited to 1 rotation throws. However, I like to do distance throwing with my axes as I do with my tomahawks but one must be aware that this behavior will lead to much experience gained in replacing handles! I have stuck axes at 3 rotations but I am not strong enough to get the axe far enough to get to the target at 4 rotations so I enlisted the help of a much younger friend. In the video we see that we got him sticking at 3 rotations but at 4 he struggles a bit also and the handle takes a devastating hit on a lower target. He likely would have been able to eventually stick at that distance but our Precision Axe head is rendered useless. I was able to repair the head enough to use again but the eye was warped and is not quite the same as new. So pros and cons: I believe that a typical cast axe head probably could sustain that blow without damaging the head… maybe. If not, the eye would likely crack thus ruining the cast head. The Precision Axe uses plate steel that is welded and the plates that form the eye are somewhat soft and pliable made worse by the fact that the logo is laser cut into one side of the eye further weakening it. On the other hand I was able to bend the eye in a vise back into a useable shape and with a new handle all is good again!

H&B Forge

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I had the pleasure of speaking with Jarrod from H&B Forge at the NMLRA shoot in Friendship this past September. I was only able to be there for a couple hours and stopped by his booth where he showed me some custom damascus steel tomahawks that he recently finished for a customer.

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Those are some nice looking pieces for sure. Acid etched to add depth and texture, these are labor intense to produce for sure. Jarrod had numerous  pieces on display and as usual they are all very impressive and a good value too. If you are in the market for a new throwing tomahawk or other edge weapons be sure to check out the H&B Forge.

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The Shark (?)

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Although this isn’t exactly a tomahawk you might find it interesting. I had this huge meat cleaver thing hanging around ever since… it actually was from my grandparent’s farm when they used to do hog butchering. We are talking early to mid 1900s. This thing is rather massive and heavy with the blade up to 1/2 inch thick! Anyway, I thought it might be a bit more interesting, and easier to handle if we removed some of the blade turning it into a more formidable looking tool. I made a rough sketch on the blade and went off to visit Beaver Bill.

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With a little slicing and dicing and grinding and polishing by Beaver Bill the new shape starts to become reality!

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A little sanding and smoothing on the handle and I believe the finished piece is certainly a conversation starter!

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Maybe it looks a little like a… shark?

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Around the World

One of our favorite games to play with the throwing tomahawk is “Around the World.” We start with sticking in the upper left corner, then move to the upper right corner, lower right corner, lower left corner, then the left center square followed by the top center square, right center square, bottom center square, then the middle to finish. As long as you make a clean stick in the appropriate square you continue to throw. If you miss that square or hit the line then you forfeit your turn and the next player throws. On your next turn you pick up attempting to stick the same square as you missed on your previous turn. First person to throw around the world wins. If a player still has a turn left when another player finishes the around the world cycle then that player can throw to see if they can finish out also. If the game ends in a tie then an appropriate tie breaker can be used.

To play Around the World it is best to have a rather large block of 30″ minimum in order to fit all the markings on. The one pictured above is about 32″ in diameter.  We make a 21″ square centered on the target block. That square is divided into nine 7″ squares as pictured above. If your block is not at least 30″ all the markings will not fit on there. You could still mark your target as shown in the picture below leaving off the larger outside square marking. The only difference is that the outside “squares” might have the corners cut off and would be a little harder to play on than with a big target. This game also has the added benefit of making your wood block last longer as you are not always throwing at the center of the block but trying to stick in the outer edges also. This really helps to develop your aim better than always throwing for the center.