Tomahawks and throwing axes

A light axe with a slim head and a straight handle. Its shape comes from the Indigenous peoples of North America, who used it as a tool and a weapon. Today, it is mainly a throwing axe and an outdoor tool.

A hand axe has a wide, heavy head for splitting and chopping. A tomahawk is lighter and slimmer, with a head designed primarily for speed. A hand axe is better for splitting wood; a tomahawk is better for throwing.

At a wooden target made from soft logs or planks, set up so that nobody stands behind or beside it. Never throw at a hard surface, as the axe can bounce back. Keep everyone behind the throwing line and only approach the target once all the axes have been thrown.

Dry it after use and rub on a thin layer of oil, as carbon steel rusts. Remove burrs from the edge with a file or an axe sharpener. Do not store the axe damp in its sheath.

Yes, if it is wooden. Knock the remains out of the eye, fit a new handle and secure it with a wedge. You cannot do this with a composite handle or a one-piece steel axe, so bear that in mind if you plan to do a lot of throwing.

About two in three do, usually made from leather, nylon or kydex. Throwing axes are more often supplied without one because they are used in a fixed location. The product page will tell you whether a sheath is included.