How did you get motivated to start throwing steel?

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Windwhistler

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Aug 18, 2013
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Back in the early 80's we were in a pre-Revolutionary living history group and when not working, threw hawks all the time. Whenever we set up our camp we always had several targets set up on tripods. One afternoon at the Loch Norman Highland Games in NC, a neighboring re-enactor from another group asked if he could throw at our targets and of course we told him to "have at it!" I had never seen anyone throw a big bowie no-spin before. I was amazed and had no idea how it was done. About 6 months ago, (and 30+ years later) I have begun to pursue the hobby and am loving it. My wife still prefers throwing her axe and I'm glad to get her out to the practice yard with me from time to time. Great exercise and of course just one more potentially useful skill. My overall throwing accuracy with most things has improved immensely since I started throwing each day. How did you start throwing? Anything special motivate your start? Finally, am I the only old man doing this?
 
Last spring I found out I had a brain tumor.shortly after I randomly saw a Pat Minter knife throwing video.Mr.Minter made it look so easy and super fun.plus his cool factor was a 10.i bought a cheap set of knives off ebay and started throwing at an old archery target.i now own 3 rough riders,3 cold steel sure balance throwers,one black mamba and several other throwers as well as a cold steel norse axe and a sog fusion tomahawk.my collection continues to grow.
I went and got 4 books by the father of the AMERICAN KNIFE THROWING ALLIANCE Mr.Harry McEvoy.and my wife just got me a subscription to Blade magazine.
I became a proud card carrying member of the modern AKTA.which Mr.Bobby Branton is the president.
throwing knives has keep me positive thru this battle I am going thru.i throw daily and some days up to 3-4 hours at a time.i now have an outdoor range with several mountain man style targets and an inside range with a target round mounted on the backboard type.I still watch Mr.Minters videos and I get so much from them,he is a great teacher and inspiration to me.I am so happy I started throwing and I doubt I will ever stop[Good Lord willing].I started throwing with butter knives as this is something that is common to do.it doesn't cost a lot and can get you started until you can get some good throwers.my dream throwing knife would be a brokenfeather by Joe Darrah.Mr.Bobby Branton is also a great inspiration and I hope to receive one of his throwers from ''santa'' this year.
to anyone who throws or anyone who is just thinking about it-have fun,may your blades never rust,NEVER THROW AT LIVE TREES and happy thunking!!!!!
david jones
 
(I wish I had a story as good as above.)

I just liked the idea of throwing knives. It seemed like a fun little parlor trick to be able to have under my hat. Surprisingly, I found my mother had thrown years ago, and she encouraged me to pursue it as a hobby. After seeing some youtubers actually focus on knives, I realized that I could help teach people how to throw from what I'd learned from trial, error, and other throwers to get some people to have a good time. Nothing big, I just think it's fun. 5 years strong.
 
Wow KB3AUM! Great motivation story.

I had actually forgotten about the guy I watched 30 years ago doing it at Charlotte, NC. I was watching a movie one night and saw it done about 6 months ago, remembered the guy at Loch Norman and Googled no-spin to see if it was some kind of trick photography. That led me to Ralph Thorn's You Tube videos, which made me order a video and his book. I have tried throwing about everything now and folks are right in that light knives are much harder to throw and stick at any distance. So-far the best knives I have are Cold Steel (three types) but I am also throwing some kukris and want to get a custom knife or two after Christmas and property tax season. Glad you are finding it fun as I am! Keep it up... the world may depend on us!
 
I was thinking this morning about a movie I watched as a kid that has added fuel to my desire to throw knives for 50 years. Several of us locally have talked about how growing up with westerns on TV made us early shooters and Fess Parker playing Davy Crockett and then as Daniel Boone influenced our muzzle loading desires. Well, some "Marco Polo" movie seriously corrupted my brain about 1961 or so and I started trying to throw things as a result. I remember a scene before his travels in Asia and he is hanging out with some buddies around Venice throwing his belt dagger while sitting or lying in a doorway. Later in the film he uses this skill to save his life or someone else's as I recall. Anyway, it had a powerful effect on me as a kid and I thought, "that would be a good skill to know."

I probably started my first attempts, pitiful as they were at that time. And know that over the next ten years or so rarely bought any knife that didn't look or feel like it would possibly be a thrower. Even with many years of separation from the sport, I still remember the movie and feel that it had a powerful effect on what I wanted to be able to do. Don't try to tell me TV and movies and video games have no effect on kids and their behaviors! Thank God for shows like Andy Griffith or I might have become a monster!
 
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