The key to tossing an axe, Blade and Timber’s Jessie Poole says, is like most things in life. Most people are trying too hard. Instead, try to make your motion more of a smooth, continual arc and let the heavy blade do most of the work. K-thunk.

Also, wear appropriate footwear.

Friday, the newest addition to the nightlife carnival that is Capitol Hill debuts. Blade and Timber adds to the neighborhood’s midway of fun things to do while you drink. Worrywarts, though, probably won’t be surprised to hear that the debut of an axe-tossing bar in Seattle, Washington will come with the bar completely dry — the state process to secure a liquor license for the new venture is taking longer than expected.

Poole, who swings into cities to help open new Blade and Timber venues, says that isn’t entirely unusual for the mostly entirely unusual nightlife venue’s expansions. Like securing insurance for the participatory sport designed to combine the throwing of heavy sharp objects with consuming liquor, sometimes it requires a few more conversations to get the job done.

For now, you can toss back a Pepsi while tossing your axes on Broadway.

The new Capitol Hill Blade and Timber, the first expansion west of Kansas for the company, opens on Broadway after a total overhaul of the long empty retail space that used to be home to the Castle Megastore sex shop below vegan punk bar The Highline upstairs. The Highline is still there but the aisles of lube and furry handcuffs are gone. Now you’ll find enough axe-tossing lanes for 18 separate groups to get their lumberjack on and a plywood covered venue that absolutely reeks of that plywood-y smell in the most bestest Home Depo-y of ways. A few front of house throwing lanes are just behind the windows off busy Broadway. A long bar lines the back wall next to an area for the Blade and Timber selfie station.

Tossers rent lanes in a bowling alley-like setup where TV screens abound and pop rock plays in the background. You can score one of the few shared lanes for prices starting at $24 per person for 90 minutes or rent a lane for your group for around $140. Blade and Timber provides some suggested games and rules for your competition. Or you can just enjoy feeling good and chopping wood. You’ll need to sign a waiver to play and Blade and Timber has coaches on hand who are part instructor and part sheriff to keep things safe. Every employee CHS saw on its visit prior to Friday’s opening still had all of their digits.

To keep things safe, you’ll need to wear closed toe shoes — or suffer the indignity of wearing a pair of the Blade and Timber safety Crocs they have available. Camouflage color only, of course. And please don’t hand your axe to the next tosser. That’s a common way to get injured, Poole says. Instead, gently place your blade in the convenient plywood blade holders and exit the cage to make way for the next thrower. Also, after your bullseye, you’ll want to pull your blade up and out, not straight back where the butt of the blade head will smack you in the forehead.

.@AGarlandPhoto was born for this pic.twitter.com/C5ccbAdRjW

— jseattle (@jseattle) March 22, 2019

Probably no more dangerous than a trip to The Garage or bowling with the Bavarian-themed bros at Rhein Haus and just a block from Capitol Hill Station, Broadway’s Blade and Timber seems likely to be a popular destination for weekend visitors to Capitol Hill. Poole says reservations are highly recommended. And  if everybody in your group is wearing flannel, you can save 10%. And probably look completely normal on a Friday night on Capitol Hill.

Blade and Timber is located at 206 Broadway E. Hours are 11 to 11 on Fridays and Saturdays, 11 AM to 9 PM on Sundays, and 2 to 9 PM on Mondays through Thursdays. You can learn more and make reservations at bladeandtimber.com.

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