While we often imagine tomahawks being thrown in battle by the early residents of our country, American Indians and mountain men rarely threw their tomahawks, or ‘hawks, in combat. Even if a warrior successfully killed his target with his throw, it meant surrendering a weapon mid-fight. Instead, the tomahawk was primarily used in hand-to-hand combat.
When folks in the 19th century did throw their tomahawks, they largely did it for fun. Once a year, mountain men would gather at a rendezvous to trade the pelts they’d collected and resupply. These gatherings became massive camps where the men held contests of all kinds, including tomahawk throwing. Some native tribes (who originated the first tomahawks) held similar contests of skill for their men to take part in and would also come to the frontiersmen’s camps to engage in trading and throw some tomahawks with the buckskin-clad mountain men.
Throwing a tomahawk continues to be a fun activity in the 21st century. Few skills are quite as gratifying as being able to bury a tomahawk into a stump with a satisfying thunk. Whether you’re at a backyard range, a campsite, or an axe-throwing establishment, tomahawk throwing is easy to grasp (literally and figuratively) and quite fun to practice. As with most physical skills that require some finesse, it’s more about smooth mechanics than raw power.
A good throw — as outlined above — depends on a relaxed grip, a fluid motion, and letting the tomahawk complete its natural rotation. Master those fundamentals, and you’ll be sticking the blade with regularity, just like an old-time mountain man.
