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Knife Throwing
- Thread starter Aegil
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,812
Hold on, because here it comes! Asking for advice here is like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose.
Start us off... what types and quantities of throwing weapons do you have, or are interested in?
Also, are you interested in sport throwing, hobby throwing, or what I'll loosely call tactical throwing?
Start us off... what types and quantities of throwing weapons do you have, or are interested in?
Also, are you interested in sport throwing, hobby throwing, or what I'll loosely call tactical throwing?
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 31
Aegil said:
I have been throwing knives and hawks for more years than I care to remember. I have a couple of books I can lend you if you PM me your address.
These will give you some pointers.....but the best advice I was ever given was......strart throwing! 
Cheers, Ken
Check out this site, check out some links, and do some searches on Google.
www.throwzini.com
Hope it helps.
www.throwzini.com
Hope it helps.
Well i dont know much about the technical side of it.
And i only just started and have been practicing.
Thanks, the books would be greatly appreciated as i havent been able to find any that didnt involve me ordering from america.
Well I dont know what sort of knives i got but theyre this sort
well they look like that.
As for sport and hobby i think it'll mainly be a hobby at the moment as i havent got the talent to do it for sport and also I havent found if there is like a place or something that people get together at and have competitions and stuff.
Thanks for the help.
And any help at all on whats the difference between knives and stuff and helping me along the right track would be greatly appreciated
And i only just started and have been practicing.
Thanks, the books would be greatly appreciated as i havent been able to find any that didnt involve me ordering from america.
Well I dont know what sort of knives i got but theyre this sort
well they look like that.
As for sport and hobby i think it'll mainly be a hobby at the moment as i havent got the talent to do it for sport and also I havent found if there is like a place or something that people get together at and have competitions and stuff.
Thanks for the help.
And any help at all on whats the difference between knives and stuff and helping me along the right track would be greatly appreciated
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,812
Aegil,
Actually, forgive my manners. Welcome to the Throwing forum; we're very glad to have you here.
There are a couple of excellent web resources that might help you on your way.
http://www.throwzini.com
http://www.sonic.net/~quine/howtothrow.html
http://www.knifethrowing.info
Start off with these sites--you can get pretty deep into some of them, and they cover a wide variety of topics. Hope this helps!
Actually, forgive my manners. Welcome to the Throwing forum; we're very glad to have you here.
There are a couple of excellent web resources that might help you on your way.
http://www.throwzini.com
http://www.sonic.net/~quine/howtothrow.html
http://www.knifethrowing.info
Start off with these sites--you can get pretty deep into some of them, and they cover a wide variety of topics. Hope this helps!
How you mean have the most fun. At the moment the fun is getting it to stick and just practicing with my girl friend and my brother. Makes it more interesting doing it as a sort of game.
Is there a specific part of the knive to throw it from or is it choice, because I used to think its supposed to be thrown from blade but I have read that you can throw from handle too and I have done this to the same level as throwing by blade
Is there a specific part of the knive to throw it from or is it choice, because I used to think its supposed to be thrown from blade but I have read that you can throw from handle too and I have done this to the same level as throwing by blade
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,812
Hard work = the most fun.
"At the moment the fun is getting it to stick and just practicing with my girl friend and my brother." They probably won't stick into the targets as well when you throw them.
As you'll see, how you hold the knife is partially a matter of preference, and partially a matter of desired technique. I'll explain:
On a balanced knife, such as what you pictured above, you should be able to throw from either the handle or the blade. On some blades, I simply prefer to throw by the handle: it fits easily into the hand, and exits the hand smoothly at the release point. I could stick it by throwing it by the blade, but it may not feel as comfortable. On other blades, it's easier to throw by the blade. On screwdrivers, skewers, scissors, and other handle-heavy objects, I have vastly better results throwing by the 'blade' rather than the handle.
But it's also a matter of technique: if you have a balanced blade, try throwing it both ways for a few times, but don't worry about sticking the blade: simply watch the knife in flight. You can see the effects of experimentation. Many people can 'shorten' their distance to the target simply by changing how they hold the knife (handle or blade), and by changing where they hold it (close to the end, or more toward the middle). This can change the spin slightly, which can result in a shorter or longer throw (by which I mean, distance to the target).
Sounds complicated? It is! But the good news is that by watching the dynamics of your knives in flight, you will learn a lot more than by worrying about sticking the throw at this stage. I'm spending a lot of words describing something that will be obvious to you after a couple hours of experimenting.
Your post says that you've seen good results with throwing a knife by the blade or by the handle. If you've got reasonably good results with either, then it is truly a matter of preference. I like the handle. Others like the blade.
Once you've done that, and can stick the knife 3 or 4 times out of 10, try experimenting with the distance. Simply step up or step back. Now watch what happens--the knife bounces off the target. That's the next thing to stop and watch. You'll see that in a standard overhand throw, distance is critical to repetitive sticks. Change your distance, and the dynamics of the throw change.
Sounds complicated? It is! But again, watch your knife and forget about the target for now. You'll see how it all comes together.
"At the moment the fun is getting it to stick and just practicing with my girl friend and my brother." They probably won't stick into the targets as well when you throw them.
As you'll see, how you hold the knife is partially a matter of preference, and partially a matter of desired technique. I'll explain:
On a balanced knife, such as what you pictured above, you should be able to throw from either the handle or the blade. On some blades, I simply prefer to throw by the handle: it fits easily into the hand, and exits the hand smoothly at the release point. I could stick it by throwing it by the blade, but it may not feel as comfortable. On other blades, it's easier to throw by the blade. On screwdrivers, skewers, scissors, and other handle-heavy objects, I have vastly better results throwing by the 'blade' rather than the handle.
But it's also a matter of technique: if you have a balanced blade, try throwing it both ways for a few times, but don't worry about sticking the blade: simply watch the knife in flight. You can see the effects of experimentation. Many people can 'shorten' their distance to the target simply by changing how they hold the knife (handle or blade), and by changing where they hold it (close to the end, or more toward the middle). This can change the spin slightly, which can result in a shorter or longer throw (by which I mean, distance to the target).
Sounds complicated? It is! But the good news is that by watching the dynamics of your knives in flight, you will learn a lot more than by worrying about sticking the throw at this stage. I'm spending a lot of words describing something that will be obvious to you after a couple hours of experimenting.
Your post says that you've seen good results with throwing a knife by the blade or by the handle. If you've got reasonably good results with either, then it is truly a matter of preference. I like the handle. Others like the blade.
Once you've done that, and can stick the knife 3 or 4 times out of 10, try experimenting with the distance. Simply step up or step back. Now watch what happens--the knife bounces off the target. That's the next thing to stop and watch. You'll see that in a standard overhand throw, distance is critical to repetitive sticks. Change your distance, and the dynamics of the throw change.
Sounds complicated? It is! But again, watch your knife and forget about the target for now. You'll see how it all comes together.
Cool, that makes a lot of sense.
I found that its a little hard to watch the blade in flight at first, I'm guessing its just a case of getting used to it.
You mentioned over hand throws, is it possible to do underhand throws and get them to work that way.
I agree that hard work is more fun as its more rewarding, I learnt that from learning musical instruments.
It seems like most things where you have to break it all down and work it all up to develop.
I found that its a little hard to watch the blade in flight at first, I'm guessing its just a case of getting used to it.
You mentioned over hand throws, is it possible to do underhand throws and get them to work that way.
I agree that hard work is more fun as its more rewarding, I learnt that from learning musical instruments.
It seems like most things where you have to break it all down and work it all up to develop.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,812
If you are musically inclined, then you have the necessary knowledge to do nearly anything: that unpracticed fundamentals ruin the day, that patience pays off faster than going for immediate gain, that timing, cooperation, and relaxation allows people to do wonderful things, and that if you really like to do something, it will cost you all of your time and money to just get started, while some other sap who knows nothing will have the latest and greatest equipment but not know how to use it.
There are numerous types of throws. A few I know about (names vary among styles and practitioners):
Overhand - the classic throw. You throw the weapon from high to low, and it spin into the target.
Underhand - you swing your arm from low to high, more forefully than a lob, and drill the knife into the target. This is best done with a "zero spin" throw, where the knife doesn't rotate. It's very easy to do, and sticks deeply from 15 feet (5 meters) away.
Sidearm - you whip the knife around you, keeping your arm horizontal. I never quite got the hang of this throw. Will P., who posts here on rare occasions, has an amazing sidearm throw that's wickedly fast, with zero spin.
Opposite Hand Throw - an overhand with your weaker hand, but your footwork is the same as your regular throw. Takes a bit of getting used to, but is quite easy once you figure out how to distribute your weight.
Overhand Zero Spin - This is an amazing throw, with a weighted blade, best demonstrated by Ralph Thorn. Ralph used to post here, but apparently had issues with toning down his salesmanship. You can see video of his throwing at this website. I have yet to even experiment with this throw, but seems easy once you modify the blade.
Side Snapping - basically a frisbee-like throw, used for saw blades or stars or circular blades... a very well balanced knife can be made to stick accordingly.
Shoulder Holster Throw - I gave up on this one because it didn't ever seem to have much value.* Basically, if you're right handed, you reach to your left shoulder (assuming your knife is sheathed there), and then throw overhand in a long arc and stick the knife into the target. It's quite doable--but again, I'm not sure.
Hope this intrigues you--the websites I list probably have photos of these throws, as well as many, many more.
* Knife throwing seems to have little tactical value for most people. Everyone's mileage may vary.
There are numerous types of throws. A few I know about (names vary among styles and practitioners):
Overhand - the classic throw. You throw the weapon from high to low, and it spin into the target.
Underhand - you swing your arm from low to high, more forefully than a lob, and drill the knife into the target. This is best done with a "zero spin" throw, where the knife doesn't rotate. It's very easy to do, and sticks deeply from 15 feet (5 meters) away.
Sidearm - you whip the knife around you, keeping your arm horizontal. I never quite got the hang of this throw. Will P., who posts here on rare occasions, has an amazing sidearm throw that's wickedly fast, with zero spin.
Opposite Hand Throw - an overhand with your weaker hand, but your footwork is the same as your regular throw. Takes a bit of getting used to, but is quite easy once you figure out how to distribute your weight.
Overhand Zero Spin - This is an amazing throw, with a weighted blade, best demonstrated by Ralph Thorn. Ralph used to post here, but apparently had issues with toning down his salesmanship. You can see video of his throwing at this website. I have yet to even experiment with this throw, but seems easy once you modify the blade.
Side Snapping - basically a frisbee-like throw, used for saw blades or stars or circular blades... a very well balanced knife can be made to stick accordingly.
Shoulder Holster Throw - I gave up on this one because it didn't ever seem to have much value.* Basically, if you're right handed, you reach to your left shoulder (assuming your knife is sheathed there), and then throw overhand in a long arc and stick the knife into the target. It's quite doable--but again, I'm not sure.
Hope this intrigues you--the websites I list probably have photos of these throws, as well as many, many more.
* Knife throwing seems to have little tactical value for most people. Everyone's mileage may vary.
Well i dunno about tactical value, i dunno the extent to which i will be using what i learn from knive throwing. Probably just for my own entertainment and maybe competitions one day if i ever find any that are in the UK.
The power on the throws and the distance that Ralph gets in them throws is really quite impressive although i am not sure what sort of throws everyone else gets.
The power on the throws and the distance that Ralph gets in them throws is really quite impressive although i am not sure what sort of throws everyone else gets.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2003
- Messages
- 6,778
I'm here and I love to throw. I make my own throwers every now and then. Looks like Watchful has given you all the info you need, though. That and I've been living in an apartment for over a year now.... nowhere to throw at home 
I really want to get a place on the edge of town..... or with a yard or something. 
I really want to get a place on the edge of town..... or with a yard or something.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2003
- Messages
- 6,778
Well, right now my main throwers that I made are a big bowie type throwing knife and a chackram. I also use a forged tomahawk that I got years ago-- no idea who made it.
The knife is basicly a 1/4" thick piece of high carbon steel that I cut into a (bowie) throwing knife shape out of and put an axe grind on. I also hardened and tempered it. Its about 13 1/4" long and has a 7 1/4" blade, which is 2 3/16" wide at its widest point (where the clip starts) I can't remember exactly how much it weighs, but is pretty close to a pound-- heavier than the tomahawk. I call it the Cleaver.
I made the chackram when I had brief access to a metal shop. I used a band saw to cut 1/8" off the end of a pipe that had about a 7 3/8" outer diameter and a 5" inner diameter. I took this and sharpened up the outer edge-- no heat treat, and the edge is a little dinged up now, but it is still fun to throw.
I'll try and post pictures of them in the next few days-- I just have to get a hold of a camera.
I also have a variety of production throwing knives that are nowhere near as heavy as the Cleaver.
My favorite throwing methods are the basic overhand with 1-3 spins, or the underhand with the 1/2 spin.
I salvaged my 2 targets from my last place where I had a yard-- two 3' diameter pine rounds (at least 1 1/2' thick) that I picked up on a fishing trip a couple years ago. As I don't have anywhere else to put them, they have been sliding around the back of my truck for a whlie now.
The knife is basicly a 1/4" thick piece of high carbon steel that I cut into a (bowie) throwing knife shape out of and put an axe grind on. I also hardened and tempered it. Its about 13 1/4" long and has a 7 1/4" blade, which is 2 3/16" wide at its widest point (where the clip starts) I can't remember exactly how much it weighs, but is pretty close to a pound-- heavier than the tomahawk. I call it the Cleaver.
I made the chackram when I had brief access to a metal shop. I used a band saw to cut 1/8" off the end of a pipe that had about a 7 3/8" outer diameter and a 5" inner diameter. I took this and sharpened up the outer edge-- no heat treat, and the edge is a little dinged up now, but it is still fun to throw.
I'll try and post pictures of them in the next few days-- I just have to get a hold of a camera.
I also have a variety of production throwing knives that are nowhere near as heavy as the Cleaver.
My favorite throwing methods are the basic overhand with 1-3 spins, or the underhand with the 1/2 spin.
I salvaged my 2 targets from my last place where I had a yard-- two 3' diameter pine rounds (at least 1 1/2' thick) that I picked up on a fishing trip a couple years ago. As I don't have anywhere else to put them, they have been sliding around the back of my truck for a whlie now.
Well im not too sure about the specs of my knives but i been mainly practicing with 2spin throws, and a few underhand ones,
My targets an old table at the moment as i havent had chance to make a proper target yet which i should do. Any recommendations on what to make?
I was thinking like a straight soft wood rectangle about 7foot high and 4/5foot wide held up with a triangle base structure on each side.
My targets an old table at the moment as i havent had chance to make a proper target yet which i should do. Any recommendations on what to make?
I was thinking like a straight soft wood rectangle about 7foot high and 4/5foot wide held up with a triangle base structure on each side.
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- Dec 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,812
Your table will work more than adequately for now... as will the proposed wood structure. If that's more a piece of MDF plywood, I expect you'll get one day's use out of it before your knives gobble it up for lunch.
Make your wood stop pretty thick, especially if it's a softer wood. If you don't, it will be very easy for you to throw a blade right through your target and into whatever's behind it.
I'd say at least an inch thick, if you're short of resources or money, otherwise even two inches thick.
You'll learn much by throwing into different types of targets, as you're doing. A target that stands straight up has different properties than one which leans back, as if propped up.
Make your wood stop pretty thick, especially if it's a softer wood. If you don't, it will be very easy for you to throw a blade right through your target and into whatever's behind it.
I'd say at least an inch thick, if you're short of resources or money, otherwise even two inches thick.
You'll learn much by throwing into different types of targets, as you're doing. A target that stands straight up has different properties than one which leans back, as if propped up.