How good are you?

J

jimmyh

Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Messages
57
Hey,

I've never really thrown knives (as a kid I did, but they hit point first no more than random), and I'm curious how good people actually get.

What fraction of the time does the knife actually hit point first for you?

What if you weren't at some fixed distance, but your friend just handed you a throwing knife and said "throw it into that door"?

Basically, what kind of skill is achievable?
 
Good questions, all... don't get me wrong!

But like most things, it depends.

Most times, the point drives right in. But that's more the result of practice and just having fun with it.

As to throwing from a fixed distance or not, on demand, that depends mostly on the type of throw you do.

A no-spin throw or a smaller object with lots of spin (like a screwdriver) can stick readily from all sorts of crazy distances. A formal three-spin throw with a heavy knife will require more careful attention to distance....

...but...

...even then, you can take a large step forward or backward to achieve a proper spin-distance ratio just by eyeballing the target. Usually the ratio is dependent on the length of the knife.
 
Skill comes with practice. Getting used to throwing, starting with small/light knives well balanced. First, not too far from target, just to get used to the movement you have to accomplish in order to make the knife fly the right way.
I started with a Pallares folder (40 grams), then, the Opinel n° 10 (80 gr.) but it broke too easily; now I'm using a RC-4, which is the best knife I've ever thrown. It's been 2 years since I started knife-throwing, and when I throw I can tell that I succeed 80% of the times, not just by hitting the tree, but placing the knife in the spot I'm aiming to (more or less...):)
 
Frankly, pretty good, but was better when I was younger, just out of practice
now. Warning against throwing at trees, they have rounded edges and you can
get a knife to strike on that rounded part and have it spinning back at you rather
quickly! So be on your guard if you throw at a tree!

What we use to do is to make a target, and then using an pen, draw a small dot
and aim for that, smaller the target the better you will get at aiming and striking
the target, your focus will be more fine tuned.

You can throw just about anything with a point, a fellow on my ship asked what I
use for throwing, we were in dry dock in the Philly Naval shipyards at the time and
there was a bucket that had some welding rods in it, I grabbed one of those and
threw it into a nearby plank that was leaning against the bulkhead. You do have
to throw that pretty hard to stick but it stuck well ;)

On painting detail, I had a round handled paint brush, I ground down the end of the handle
to a point, and could throw that pretty well. We were in old offices they were renovating
and so I could throw and stick that paint brush into the paneled walls, leaving a nice
clean circle where it stuck.

What you do is to get use to the feel, weight and balance of what ever you use, a nice
screwdriver can make a dandy throwing tool, long bladed with a bit of weight at the handle
works very well and easily picked up about anywhere. Just get use to how things move
and throw and you'll start hitting better and better.

My 'style' is gripping the blade, edge away from the palm, point of the knife about near
the base of my palm, but I also move the knife up or down depending on distance to throw.
I usually stand with my left arm extended aiming towards the target and my right arm brought up
behind my head and as I extend my right arm to throw, my left arm comes back to my
body, my right arm will be fully extended when thrown.
I don't FLIP the knife so much as releasing it from my hand and the knife/tool will go into
it's own rotation, I just envision where the point will strike as I'm taking my stance.

Good luck and as I say, becareful of the trees!!
G2
 
Most people that really practice will get point first almost every time. From 10-12 feet me and a couple of buddies would pin a lit cigarette to a tree up side down, rarely would it go out naturally.Looser bought the beers. By the way try throwing a small ax at a plank, you might not just hit it but split it as well.I throw most kives like Gary W. Some dedicated throwers from the handle
 
I've got a better part of the no spin technique down, to about 15 yards. I could be better I just havent had any time to throw around. I am tossin Cold Steel Carbon V throwers... The original mini flight throwers..
 
With a no turn combat throw, it sticks ten out of ten; when I throw half or full turn it bounces occasionally
I've thrown knives for about ten years now, never competed formally.
I went varmint hunting in Nicaragua with a bowie knife and actually picked up more kills then the locals!
Lots of fun!
 
I've been throwing pointed objects since I could walk...Always seemed to have knack for it,I guess.
I remember when I had this job as a dishwasher when I was around 15.I would throw dinner forks,lobster forks,skewers at the empty boxes(sometimes 15'-25') & stickem' dead center every time....ahhh to be 15 again:D

I haven't thrown any knives for about 2yrs now.I'm probably pretty damn rusty.:grumpy:....then again the knives I've been buying lately,should not be thrown:o

L8er dudes:),
 
I taught my self to throw at a young age by no spin in to the ground from standing then moved to putting steak knifes in pizza boxes. I can put a blade in a tree maybe 6-8 feet away now. Although to this day lots of my parents knifes are missing the tips.
 
SekiCity421 said:
I've got a better part of the no spin technique down, to about 15 yards. I could be better I just havent had any time to throw around. I am tossin Cold Steel Carbon V throwers... The original mini flight throwers..
Click to expand...

If you can throw no-spin from 45 feet, you would be one of the best in the world! Put some vids on YouTube!
 
After about a 30 year break from throwing I started again and have been at it for about 6 months now. Using 8.5" knives. I hit point first about 80% of the time from 2 fixed distances of about 9 and 18 feet. As to random distances occasionally I get in the "groove" and will stick it about 75% of the time out to about 20 feet or so.

30 years or so ago when I was in college I lived in a house with 3 other guys and we threw constantly. After about a year throwing at a target about the size of a dinner plate I would stick it almost every time at random distances out to about 12 feet. The knife was a 7" Case thrower. Practice Practice Practice
 
Throwing no-spin, and with a knife that I am used to, I will probably hit point first 90%+ of the time out to about 15-20feet. After that it drops off the farther away I get. Gotta give thanks to Ralph Thorn for his book. Best book ever written in knife throwing IMO.

15 yards that the guy above was talking about is pretty damn far, I wonder if he didn't mean 15 feet?
 
I want to learn throwing, I bought a True Flight Thrower, but haven't had the time or a good place to actually try throwing it. What is a good way to start out throwing?
 
i get a pretty reliable stick no-spin at point-blank or one-spin to about ten feet with decent stickage and accuracy (last no-practice attempt at 10 feet with a new knife stuck right at eye-level into sheetrock deep enough to be slightly difficult to remove.. with an unlocked locking folder). I have a little capacity with hatchets, though i shattered one of the cheap razor sharp ones i was using so I think I will be moving to solid steel next. I am currently devising a couple of new ideas for power/distance and small wound/large distraction tacticalish throwers and will post more as they are worked out.
 
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