Vin is kind of a...well I don't wanna say legend, really...but he's formative in my understanding of the sport and its direction. I first met him at a fundraising tourney thrown at Meduseld Meadery (my home axe house) and he was indomitable as a competitor -- and just as approachable. Vin, if you don't know, is the man behind Philly Axe Co, and he makes some very pretty, very effective throwing axes.
He was kind enough to allow my nonsense for a few questions at the Urban Open:
Have you noticed a change in the preference of axes that people are requesting from you in the past few years/months?
Definitely Plumb Nationals have become much harder to sell, their price has dropped off a bit on eBay at least. People are favoring smaller blades, somewhere around 3 1/2 to 3 inch blades seem to be what people are wanting, due to Premier rules.
I see your axes all over the damn place, is it accurate to say that your work makes it around the country or world?
I've got axes in California, Oregon, Texas, a couple in the UK. I think I sold a couple in New Zealand. They get around.
What's your favorite part of the creation/modification of the axes you sell?
I'm a big fan of taking a bunch of material and making it into something much cooler. That's it.
Let's talk about your own axe throwing for a second. What is your favorite part of your throw or your favorite part of your style?
I don't know, I've never thought of that.
For example, I've always found that oh my god
[A note here, dear reader: at this point in the interview, we took a little break because a very young golden retriever puppy walked into the interview, what comes next is an unedited transcription of that interaction]:
Vin: Oh my god another dog.
Me: You're the very best dog.
Vin: This is a good way to get sidetracked, dogs.
Me: We got dogs. You're the best dog.
Vin: Hi. Hi. Hi. You're very young.
Back to the interview
So, like I was asking, your favorite part of your throw?
I guess consistency? People always say I throw really hard, but I don't feel like I do - it works for me and I like that it does, it's just a me thing, I guess.
How do you think axe throwing as a sport can improve?
Consistency throughout tournaments. Like, in some tournaments you have to get your axes checked, in others you don't. WATL makes it so you have to get your axe checked in each tournament, no matter what tournament it is. Especially now, for instance, where you can get bids to round 2 [through the Urban Open], I think consistency is even more important.
Nice interview.