Throwing axe help required please.

[Lissa]

I am looking for a parrten to make some throwing axes. Does anyone on here have one I could use and modify? I would like it simple enough to gas cut, but aesthetically pleasing also.

I found this one
http://www.ehow.com/how_4898476_make-throwing-axe.html but would like to gather ideas/hints/possible pattern options from the wise folk here before I embark on this mission. Any tips to consider and or patterns submitted would be greatly appreciated, many thanks
Lissa.

[Mad Jim]

Dam I had a really nice one that came in a set of three, unfortuniatly it now is either destroyed or in the hands of the police! As a certain person happened to be borrowing it and used it to defend himself from some black power fools that broke into his flat, hence the police confiscated it! but anyway goodluck!..

[Lissa]

Ooh bugger. That really is a pity.

[NigelT]

I've never made or used them, but I imagine it would be similar in principle to throwing knives. Throwing knives don't need to be balanced because they spin in flight (to a point), as will axes, but a different design will chance how they fly. A quick gander at google will prove that they come in all shapes and sizes. The back-spike or double-axe head is probably good because it'll catch more reliably than a small blade area. Keeping a line from the top edge of the blade to the top edge of the back-spike clear of the shaft will also give you more options for cocking it up, meaning that the only part of the axe that won't stick into your target is the handle.

I suspect the most important part is going to be the shape and angle of the blade edge. The e-how that you found is probably not a bad shape, but you can easily adjust this to look more medieval. I see no reason why you can't make a wooden handle with a metal head instead of an all-metal axe. However, gas-cutting the whole thing out of one piece will be a lot easier than trying to shape a head for a wooden shaft.

I know there are people out there who've actually used these things because I've seen them at camps from time to time. Hopefully they'll jump on me and correct all my wrong assumptions.

Cheers,
Nigel

http://www.google.co.nz/images?hl=en&q=throwing%20axe&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

[Archer]

A bit more info for you Lissa.

http://www.midrealm.org/marshal/thrownweapons/tw-axe.htm
http://www.knifethrowing.info/make_your_own_throwing_knife.html
http://annat.net/ac/weapons.htm

I must admit there isn't much info out there is there.


Cheers

Graham

[Lissa]

thank you for your help guys.
will let ya's know how they go. wish me luck.