When it comes to activities that involve doing exactly what your mother told you not to do, it’s important to have all the information in advance. We all know that axes come in all shapes and sizes - from small hand axes to felling axes and the kinds that firefighters use to break down the doors of burning buildings.
Do you get to play around with all of these? The answer is no, but this isn’t a bad news story. There are plenty of axes that you can get your hands on at axe throwing venues around the UK, from lightweight weapons to double-bit monsters. Let’s clear one thing up before we go any further:
Q: Can I bring my own axe?
A: No.
Standard throwing axes
You might not have realised, but while you’ve been going about your life in recent years, axe throwing has gone from a lumberjack’s favourite hobby to an regulated international sport with its own governing body, the World Axe Throwing League. The league has its own competition axe, which has set the standard for the majority of axes that you're likely to meet during an axe throwing experience.
The WATL Competition Thrower is a one-handed axe that weighs around 600 grams and has a handle length of roughly 35 centimetres. Axes of this style mimic the general dimensions of a hatchet or a tomahawk, but they’ve been designed specifically for throwing. Weight distribution, profile and cutting edge are all calibrated to allow them to fly through the air cleanly, complete a head-over-handle spin and sink into the wood of the target.
Mini axes
Here’s something for the stealth enthusiasts out there. When carrying around a full-on axe is just too obvious, you need something more discrete. Let us introduce the throwing angel.
Forged from as a single piece of steel, with no handle, a throwing angel is typically around 25 cm in length and weighs in at 300 - 350 grams. What’s cool about these babies is that they have the form of a cross, with three separate cutting edges, allowing you to pull off some really cool trick shots. Have a go just outside Manchester!
Two-handed axes
The throwing angels won’t be to everyone’s taste. To channel your inner Viking and give any woodchuck a run for their money, there are two-handed axes. These usually have the added benefit of having a two-headed blade (known as double-bit), which, although only one side is going to hit the target, can give you better balance on the backswing. In terms of specs, two-handed axes can range in size and weight, up to limits of about 55 centimetres and 2 kilograms - there‘s a reason you have to throw them with two hands!
Throwing knives?
Of course! Axes aren’t the only sharp, pointy things that you can hurl through the air to stick in blocks of wood. Throwing knives are another option on the alternative target sports scene, and can often be found as part of axe throwing activities. Here’s an outdoor centre in the West Country where you can get your hands on both.
Big axes, small axes, knives, the kitchen sink… Well not quite. But it’s clear that there’s a lot of choice out there when it comes to red-blooded throwing experiences. We want to know about your axe throwing tales - have you tried it? Which kind of axe is your favourite? LEt us know in the comments!
