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A story in The Free Press this week about a new bar/restaurant coming to Mankato drew a lot of interest and social media comment.

Any story about a bar or restaurant coming to town always draws unusual amounts of opinion and comment.

But this one had even more impact for one reason — it involves axe-throwing.

JD’s Hideaway is set to open downtown, in the space that formerly housed BW3, New Bohemia and currently The Blue Boat.

Two area natives who opened two JD’s Hideaways in Oklahoma are bringing their bar/restaurant and axe-throwing concept to Mankato later this summer.

Many of the social media comments about the proposal honed in on the axes.

“Booze and axes, this will end Great!!”

“I’m all for these types of bars.. but one in Kato scares me.”

“What could go wrong with drunk people and throwing axes?”

But an overwhelming majority of the 280 comments were all for the idea of flinging axes.

Axe-throwing lanes at bars have steadily grown in popularity in recent years.

Online news searches don’t turn up much in the way of axe-throwing injuries, but they can happen. And, of course, there are law firms that actually specialize in axe-throwing injuries.

There are some videos showing someone tossing the axe and having it bounce back toward them. But defenders of the sport note that in most of those cases the wrong kind of axe and poor staff training are the cause.

They say some places have used rubber-handled axes that, if thrown down toward the floor, can bounce hard off the rubber mats on the floor and come back at someone.

Actually “axe” is a bit of a misnomer. There are competitions at lumberjack events that use full-size axes, but the ones used for bar recreation are more hatchet size. And they are modified, according to the JD’s Hideaway website.

“Even running your hand on the metal edges of the axes won’t cut you. These little hatchets are relatively dull and made for throwing at a porous wooden board that’s 12ft away; they’re not for cutting down trees or being a handyman.”

There are a variety of safety requirements. Each throwing lane is separated by walls. Only one person is allowed in the lane at a time.

Axe-throwing is as old as the ages. Axes were first made of sharpened stones in the Stone Age. Throwing axes, most likely used for killing game and in battle, were first used about 400 A.D.

Much later, North American frontiersmen frequently had axe-throwing competitions to determine the manliest lumberjacks in the woods.

We do axe-throwing at an annual family rendezvous, using regular, sharpened hatchets, and the long-handled axes that you use both hands to hang down your back and sling over your head to a log target.

It’s a hoot. And despite some brews being consumed, there’s never been an incident.

Axe-throwing has a rich American history and there’s a reason the axe-throwing venues popping up are drawing attention.

Not only are they fun, but as one social media poster noted: “It looks like a great stress reliever!”

Tim Krohn can be contacted at tkrohn@mankatofreepress.com or 507-720-1300.

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