>> A couple years ago at Pennsic I discovered that axe throwers don't want their
axes to be _too_ sharp, can't remember why.

   I don't know for sure. But I'd imagine its because a sharp ax would 
chip much worse on accidental contact with a rock.

       Ax throwing was smokin hot 40 years ago here. In fact logging 
competitions were hot altogether.
  Log dancing (on water), ax chopping races, hand saw races, chain saw 
races, pole climbing and tree topping races.
Much of Bigfoot days revolved around the logging competitions.
    It suddenly died out without a trace even before widespread logging 
generally disappeared.

   Then in the late 90's, mostly because of one popular guy, there was a 
resurgence of ax throwing.
One guy got into it, and pretty soon he had friends, and pretty soon 
after that it spread.
  Before you knew it, ax throwing became part of the Bigfoot Days 
celebration once again.

  This only lasted a few years though. The one guy who started it was 
killed in a logging accident and interest began to wane.

   Sometimes it only takes one.
       yours Scott