Good non-rotational thrower

[mikes2501]

Do any of the production (I'm thinking Hibben) knives work for shorter range, non-rotational throwing?

thanks,

-Mike

 

[Watchful]

Mike,

I'm not sure what you mean... Hibben knives, or production knives in general?

I've had a few Hibbens cross my path, and I wouldn't throw any of them... they vary in quality, to be sure, but I don't think they could take the shock of impact even on a non-rotational throw.

Other production knives vary... Gerbers and Bucks stick well, but other big names are not heavy enough in the handle to resist tumbling. I'm betting you know this already.

Could you clarify for me?

 

[mikes2501]

I was wondering if any of the production throwers (like Hibben) had enough heft in the handle to be thrown non-rotationally... like a Hibben cord grip.

 

[Watchful]

Obviously, this may not apply to all mass-produced throwing knives, but I've had enormous luck in chucking throwers *underhand* with a non-rotational snapping throw. They stick in really well...

But of course, you can do that with screwdrivers, scissors, awls, and on and on.

A production thrower should likely withstand the shock of impact, and I think that's the key. A non-thrower may or may not withstand the shock, and that's where you can wind up ruining a good knife.

Consequently, there's got to be little risk of experimenting with whatever type of knife you have. Assuming you have the Hibben cord grips, I would recommend trying the throw out (overhand or underhand); if you're not getting enough penetration into your target to your satisfaction, you can inexpensively add some additional cordage around the handle to increase the weight. In many cases, simply doubling the cordage will do the trick.

And, if you're not throwing them non-rotationally, you can always remove the cordage. At about $20 for three, these are cheap enough to really experiment with.

Hope this helps, Mike.

 

[Will P.]

The only throws I do are non-rotational from 1-3 meters. Any knife will work, and the weight of the knife doesn't matter too much - at these distances, the penetration comes from the high velocity of the knife. My BM Nimravus is not longitudinally symmetric, and wobbles more in flight. Camillus boot knives work very well, as does the Gerber Guardian. The UTX-70 would work better if it were heavier. Throwing non-rotationally is very reliable and accurate with practice.

Not sure if I could throw underhanded. I like to snap the knife HARD into the target with overhand or across the chest throws.

Contrary to common belief, throwing (even intio a wood target) will not put an unusual amount of stress on the knife, unless the floor and wall are concrete and you miss a lot. I sometimes use trees in the woods as targets.

 

[Watchful]

Contrary to common belief, throwing (even intio a wood target) will not put an unusual amount of stress on the knife...

Will P. is an extremely careful reader!

For clarity's sake, I agree that *throwing* knives can easily handle the stress of throwing.

On the other hand, a lot of non-throwing knives (folders, balisongs, production knives, etc.) are not designed for that, and can be damaged. Specifically, I've seen people throw all sorts of non-throwers, and usually the handles break or shatter, or the blades themselves be bent from the impact.

(It's always educational to stick a knife into a wood target and have someone new to the skill pull out the knife from the target: they're almost always amazed at how difficult it can be to pull the blade out from even a lazy throw!)

 

[Will P.]

Good catch there Watchful... I meant that most FIXED blades can stand up to the stress. Folder will end up with damaged pivots. And, of course, the knife has to be robust, with a relatively thick blade.

Cliff Stamp did an test on throwing .