Specs
Head Weight- 1.625 LB Bit Length- 3-7/8" Handle- 16" American Hickory
Council Tools has entered into the world of Urban Axe Throwing with their Flying Fox Woodsmen Hatchet. Council Tools makes some of the best and most respected axes and tools in the world and certainly in the United States. With the high quality and durability of all their other designs expectations are pretty high for this new model.
As anticipated the the forging and the steel is impeccable with a highly sharpened blade right out of the box. Compared to most any other axe i have thrown the Flying Fox holds an edge extremely well. During the course of testing, the axe was "dropped" and thrown into knots numerous times. There has only been slight dulling of the edge and only a tiny bit of deformation, which came probably from hitting a screw. This axe is still not to the point that resharpening is needed where most others would have needed a new edge several times.
The handle is crafted with the traditional hickory as are so many others. Council Tools does a great job in selecting their handle lumber however. The grain is perfectly aligned and is as straight as can be reasonably expected. After all the testing the handle has not shown the first bit of damage or cracking. The handle does have a finish on it that makes the grip a bit slippery. This made getting a consistent release point difficult when throwing. We put some white grip tape to remedy this problem. A quick once over with a medium grit sand paper would more than likely take of the grip issue as well.
This axe does meet all the WATL and IATF league and tournament requirements for an axe. However the Flying Fox is certainly on the heavier side. If you are accustomed to throwing a 1 1/4- 1 1/2 pound axe this may not be a great choice. The extra weight that helps the axe penetrate the boards does hinder accuracy. If you are looking to transition from a heavier axe such as the popular Estwing or are just a strong human, this is the proudly crafted American Axe for you.
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