One common element is the grotesque appearance of the toe monster. Usually, it has strange - looking toes, like long, sharp, or oversized ones. Another element is the element of surprise. The toe monster often appears suddenly, like out of nowhere in a dark place. For example, in many stories, it might show up in a person's bedroom at night or in a spooky old building.
One toe monster scary story is about a girl who woke up in the middle of the night and saw a small, shadowy figure at the foot of her bed. As it got closer, she could see it was a toe monster with long, sharp claws on its toes. It started to crawl up her leg, and she was too terrified to move. She closed her eyes tightly and when she opened them again, it was gone, but she could still feel its cold touch on her skin.
One possible theme could be fear of the unknown. Since it's a monster, we don't know what it really looks like or what it's capable of. Another theme might be body parts as a source of horror. The focus on the toe gives an unusual and somewhat creepy aspect.
Yes, there are some big toe scary stories that claim to be based on real events. For example, there was a story about a surgical mistake where a patient's big toe was amputated wrongly. After that, the patient reported seeing apparitions of their lost big toe at night. They said it would float around their room, which was really terrifying for them.
The hairiness of the toe is part of what makes it scary. It's not a normal, clean - looking toe. It's this hairy, unknown thing that gives an icky feeling.
One scary missing toe story could be about a hiker who got lost in the woods. While trying to escape from some unseen creature, his toe got caught in a trap. He managed to free himself but had to leave his toe behind. Later, at night, he heard strange noises outside his makeshift shelter and swore he could hear something dragging his lost toe around.
A 'camel toe' is a term used when a woman's pants or tight clothing is so form - fitting in the crotch area that it creates a shape that resembles the toes of a camel. It's mainly a fashion - related or body - shape - showing description.
There's a story where a hiker found a big toe in the middle of the forest. As he picked it up, he started having visions of a dark ritual. He saw people with distorted faces chanting around a fire and sacrificing body parts, including big toes. Since then, he was constantly haunted by the feeling of being watched and the sound of the chanting in his head.
Since there's no more context about this 'cut off big toe with axe story', it's impossible to say who did such a thing. It could be anyone in the story's context, but without further details, we can't determine it.