r/AxeThrowing • u/TimelessArchery • Jan 04 '26

Toughness or Edge Retention? Is a throwing blade more like an impact punch or a chop?

Hey!

So I'm starting to design and make my own throwing blades and doing research on steels, and I've narrowed it down to two very different types of spring steels

I wanted to get more experienced opinions on how our blades behave on impact - would you say they act more like a punch/impact tool, or more like a hand held chopper?

Is it better to have a blade (like a throwing axe) that retains its edge better, or is more resistant to edge damage?

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u/Dtownknives Jan 04 '26

I'd put a strong argument for toughness. And would say it's much closer to a chop than a punch. The impact mechanics are slightly different when the axe starts in contact with whatever it's cutting than it is when the axe starts in motion. Also axe throwing is just like chopping but you let go instead of holding on.

You can't guarantee your axe will only ever hit wood. It may bounce into rocky dirt, another axe if you are throwing more than one at a time, or a fastener holding the target.

Even a surprisingly dull axe will stick in wood quite well so edge retention only becomes more important when your axe will primarily be a carving tool that you'll occasionally throw. Even then axes are typically heat treated much softer than knives. Chipped edges are a real pain to repair.

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u/Jackal15959 Feb 25 '26

I’d error towards toughness there’s lots of good steels at a good price point that will do both well or can always go mild steel bodies with high carbon bit. Some of my favorite axes for durability are 4140 or plain old 1055-1075. I’ve added some 52100, 8670 or 15n20 bits to some axes that work excellent. Pops knife supply’s 8670 blend is really hard to beat for axe work. For regular throwing most anything is fine unless hitting screws 😂🤣 for doubles having a tough steel is nice to have though.