Hi, it's me again. Problems with no-spin?

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picklepie159

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Feb 2, 2010
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2 weeks ago, I got my first set of cheapo Gil Hibben knockoffs from ebay. Avoiding reviews, I got the Rough Rider stainless thrower too (the one with the pointy tip, not the bowie blade.) Almost immediately, The cheap rippers started denting and the rough rider's tip broke off. Grrr... Shoulda gotten the bowie. After grinding out a rough new point, I was dismayed to discover that I can only get them to stick from 5 feet away. Also, they keep on spinning (lengthwise) and landing horizontally. I was wondering if it could have something to do with my finger brushing the spine? I don't think I'm catching the whole spine. Also, when I release the knife, do I open my hand and only let one finger do the work, or do I form a sort of "trap" so the knife stays flat while sliding out? Thanks.

Oh, and also, I'm sick of stainless steel chipping. Should I get a Cold Steel Perfect balance, pro balance, GI Tanto, or Bushman? (Cold Steel's the only company I know of that makes carbon steel throwers that don't blow the bank)
 
My friend is the no spin expert, he throws and releases normal but brushes the spine and get's it to stick dang near every time even from a good distance. and also we just picked up 2 Perfect Balance throwers yesterday, they are the heaviest throwing knife i own. took my friend a bit, but he started sticking it deep in the slab with ease, maybe give them a try? I'm sure if you take the paracord off of the True Flight it might make a good no spin, it does have a slight bump tho.
 
I just started throwing no spin this week, and I was having some trouble, too. Then today on a total whim I picked up two 4-packs of Timber Creek 10" tent nails for $1.50/pk at a big sporting goods chain.

Before you roll your eyes, understand that I had been researching all day to see what makes the best knife design for no spin.

Then when I saw these in the store I thought, "Wow those are almost exactly the functional equivalent of the long slender spike-type knives that a number of no spin throwers custom make for themselves (cf. Roy Hutchison for an example that springs to mind) -- right down to the soft, cheap stainless steel interior with glass-hard tempering on the outside for serious impact strength (seeing that tent nails get a serious pounding over and over, it made sense). All I had to do was tap it with a hammer to get the plastic hook thingy off.

I also liked holding a huge bunch of throwers at one time because the instant that I got that feedback that said, "Yeah buddy!" I had five or six more in my hand ready to repeat that feeling over and over and over. I think that in itself made the biggest difference for me.

By the end of the night I was sticking four and five out of 7 from about 7 paces (yes, I started with 8 and yes throwing in the dark may be a bad idea, but I finally found the last one just in time to come in, get a drink and type this before heading to bed). The fun part was watching these sink six or more inches into my homemade foam target. Mmmm, ninja like.

I'm still going to order some traditional throwers this weekend because YEAH! But hey, for less than $0.40 a piece, get a few and try it.

Oh and I basically used a grip/technique that was a cross between a Fedin wave style and a ninja bo shuriken throw.
 
Just another question- anyone ever heard of the condor dismissal? For $16 shipped on ebay, and 1075 carbon to boot, I'm flipping between the Cold Steel one's and this. I'm sure I could fix that awfully fragile looking tip. Anyone have experience with them?
 
I haven't thrown the dismissal from condor but have thrown some of there other offerings and have found that they bend very easily. The best knife I have found for no spin throwing is a knife made for buckskinners or people who compete at buckskinner events. They are made from 1/4 inch 4140 steel with a temper of around 30 to 35 on the rockwell scale. For throwing you want a knife that is tough can take abuse and has enough wieght to stick from any range. I use one that is 12" long and wieghs 16 oz. Any more wieght than this throwing in the no spin technique would be hard on the thrower. Carbon steel is by far the best choise over stainless steel but it needs to be of the proper thickness and toughness to stand up to the rigors of throwing.
 
picklepie159 said:
Oh, and also, I'm sick of stainless steel chipping. Should I get a Cold Steel Perfect balance, pro balance, GI Tanto, or Bushman? (Cold Steel's the only company I know of that makes carbon steel throwers that don't blow the bank)
Click to expand...

Not sure if you're still here, but since this thread is still active maybe others will read this...

Try the Cold Steel Pro Balance. It's blade-heavy, & just plain heavy, and it doesn't have that miraculously sharp Cold Steel edge the Perfect Balance, Bushman, & GI Tanto all have. It'll allow you to experiment more, not worrying about ending the night in an ER with a gaping wound in your writing/throwing hand.

The Sure Balance is good too -- might actually be better because there's no handle scale, so you can experiment with throwing the knife using your hand as sort of a release-sheath.

Besides, I'm not sure what your skill-level is... I'd have a hard time recommending a sharp-edged knife to a beginner, just because learning how to throw involves having your hands all over the blade. Also, there's a huge amount of control we all give up when using a sharp edge if throwing by holding the blade. And loss of whatever's left of that control can result in the knife flying who-knows-where and causing who-knows-what kind of damage, be it to property or pets or even people.

& I'm with you on that Rough Rider. I saw the other model & for months I thought "hm, a cheap thrower with a bowie blade, cheaper than the Cold Steel models"... Just happened to see one at a Midwest Weapons Collectors Association show, picked it up & right away I could tell why it was so inexpensive. I was expecting at least some heft, felt like I was lifting a feather... Fortunately I found that out before making the purchase. And fortunately you didn't spend a lot of $ on that thing.

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying whatever you've found...
 
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